I have a BB in my lip.

[tbdana]

A couple weeks ago I fell on my face and busted up my lip.

It's all healed now, except that I have a little lump under the skin, right in the center of my upper lip. It feels like there's a little BB in there. It interferes with my playing.

Will it go away?

Is there a way to make it go away?

Should I switch to banjo?

[atopper333]

Well…mine did. I was doing a marching show freshman year and another band member screwed up their placement, hooked my water key with their shoulder lapel and sent my horn downwards splitting my lip…

Took weeks and I still have a bundle of scar tissue there, but it started out like feeling exactly like you describe, but it did eventually smooth out. It did take awhile though. I can’t think of much except time that’ll help…

[Doug Elliott]

Based on my own experience falling on my face and putting a tooth into my botom lip, but not in the middle...
It will gradually diminish but you'll always feel something there, a little scar tissue. It won't affect your banjo playing at all.

[2bobone]

Bob Isele, who was the U.S. Marine Band trombone soloist had a similar problem. He described his "BB" as a "Pea", so I guess it was a large "BB". He said that doctors were divided as to whether to cut it out sideways or vertically in hopes of not disturbing the muscle tissue. Whichever way they decided, he said that weeks later he was not able to produce a sound other than the hissing of air passing between his lips. When he was finally able to produce a sound, it took months before he was his old self. I hope your situation is far better than Bob's experience. It can be scary but evidently not terminal because Bob was a monster player many years later !

[baileyman]

Athletes often agressively massage areas that have scar tissue buildup. In muscles it's called "cross friction". For old tissue it can be a very painful procedure. For developing scar tissue I think it may act to hold off further accumulation and reduce the accumulation less painfully, but not sure. It's something you can do yourself. But I would be curious to hear what a pro physical therapist thought about doing scar tissue reduction on a lip. Such a person will have lots of knowledge in their hands. Feeling it would tell them what's going on immediately.

[HornboneandVocals]

Bob Isele, who was the U.S. Marine Band trombone soloist had a similar problem. He described his "BB" as a "Pea", so I guess it was a large "BB". He said that doctors were divided as to whether to cut it out sideways or vertically in hopes of not disturbing the muscle tissue. Whichever way they decided, he said that weeks later he was not able to produce a sound other than the hissing of air passing between his lips. When he was finally able to produce a sound, it took months before he was his old self. I hope your situation is far better than Bob's experience. It can be scary but evidently not terminal because Bob was a monster player many years later !

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[2bobone]

"HornboneandVocals" posted : "Sounds like more time to practice the banjo!!"

You'll have to excuse my comments but I thought we were offering support to an injured colleague ! Seriously.

[HornboneandVocals]

You'll have to excuse my comments but I thought we were offering support to an injured colleague ! Seriously.

You're right, I apologize for my comment, Dana and fellow trombonists.

[tbdana]

You'll have to excuse my comments but I thought we were offering support to an injured colleague ! Seriously.

You're right, I apologize for my comment, Dana and fellow trombonists.

LOL! No worries, here. I'm the one who first brought up switching to the banjo. It's all good.

[Doug Elliott]

Trombone and banjo... There are good players on both sides.

[BGuttman]

Trombone and banjo... There are good players on both sides.

We used to have a participant on the old Forum who played both -- RedHotMama. I miss her.