Do your dark lips bother you? Do you feel self-conscious and dejected about your dark lips? Dark lips are considered unattractive and carry a stigma of being associated with chronic smokers. Worry not, since discoloration of the lips is treatable.
One of the essential factors for an attractive and youthful face are full lips that are pink in color and a well-defined arc- the cupid’s bow. Lips are sensitive; hence, they are predisposed to skin changes like darkening and dryness.
Causes
Darkness of the lips are caused due to multiple causes. So let us learn more about the possible reasons for dark lips, which is important to help us treat you better.
1.Poor diet
A poor diet, specifically a lack of vitamin B12, is a cause for dark lips. If your dark lips are due to vitamin deficiency, then our dermatologists will advise you to have a diet rich in vitamin B12 or oral supplements.
Poor water intake leads to dry lips. This leads to flaking and chapping of the lips, which, when evolved over a period of time, make the lips appear dark.
2.Personal habits
Smoking: Since dark lips are most commonly associated with smokers, it is also known as smoker’s lips. Exposure to tar and nicotine over a prolonged period of time causes the darkening of the lips.
3. Lip licking and biting
If you consistently lick and bite your lips, it will irritate and damage the skin on the lip. This leads to the darkening of the lips over a gradual period of time.
To achieve optimal results, these habits need to be avoided.
4. Sun exposure
Prolonged exposure to sunlight leads to an increase in pigment formation over your lips, creating dark spots and patches.
5 .Genetic
Our genes define our facial features, and lips are no exception. Our lips may be dark simply because we were born that way.
6. Cosmetic use and Allergies
Unfortunately, your favourite lipstick might be the culprit behind those dark lips! If you feel your lips have become irritated and darker after starting your new favourite lip product, then don’t forget to mention this to our dermatologist.
7. All causes are not cosmetic.
Lastly and importantly, pigmentation of the lips can be due to diseases such as eczema, lichen planus, drug eruption, etc. Hence, for this reason, all cases need to be examined by a dermatologist to determine the cause and the treatment option. Such cases may require simple tests such as a wood’s lamp, dermoscopy, allergy testing, or, rarely, a biopsy.
So now that we have learnt the reasons behind dark lips, let us move on to how we can treat them.
Treatment
The treatment plans depend on the cause of pigmentation and the depth of pigmentation. We will further divide these treatments into topical (creams and balms which you can apply at home) and procedural (procedures which are done by our dermatologists to decrease the pigmentation).
Topical
If there is an underlying disease, that will need treatment with appropriate drugs such as mild topical steroids, tacrolimus, etc.
Lip balm
Always remember that hydrated lips are happy lips! Use a moisturising lip balm multiple times a day. preferably with additional sun protection factor every day to help in healing the skin and protect it from harmful UV rays.
Topical depigmenting creams
Your dermatologist may prescribe topical medication. These creams act by decreasing the production of pigment on the lips. Over a period of time, the pigmentation reduces gradually, and the lip becomes lighter and regains its original skin tone. These creams are usually prescribed as a maintenance therapy to prevent further discoloration of the lips. Please keep in mind that these products are to be used on a dermatologist’s advice only, and self-medication can lead to adverse effects.
Procedural
Chemical peels
Chemical peels are substances which work by causing the exfoliation of the darkened layer of skin. Chemical peels are effective in decreasing pigmentation and treating abnormal lip texture.
The exfoliated skin layer gradually regrows with new, rejuvenated skin, giving your lips a fresh look that enhances your appearance.
Laser procedure
Our Q-switch ND Yag laser is well equipped to reduce your lip pigmentation. It is a safe, non-invasive, and short procedure to help reduce the pigmentation on your lips.
Our dermatologist will inform you in detail regarding the procedure before proceeding.Post-procedure, you will be instructed regarding the post-procedure care of lip balms with an additional sun protection factor and the avoidance of lip cosmetics for a few days.
Multiple sessions are usually advised with a gap period of 3–4 weeks between sessions to achieve optimum results.
Do contact us at the Venkat Center Bangalore for any more queries.
