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Lips are one of the prominent facial features that are usually darker than the surrounding facial skin, falling within a color range of reddish pink to brown. The lip’s skin is thinner and more fragile, very different from the rest of the skin which allows the color of the blood vessels from underneath to shine through.
There’s hardly anyone in this world who dislikes pink, beautiful lips that make a smile look very appealing. However, just like skin, lips also tend to suffer from discoloration or hyper- igmentation due to various reasons, resulting in dark lips.
Lip pigmentation or darkening that can be noticed occurring over time, is faced by many people, more commonly by Indian women. Usually, the discoloration is seenaround the margins or inner portions of the lips where they meet close to the mouth. Lip pigmentation can be a result of various factors. Despite what causes dark lips, there are many lip-lightening treatments readily available. Read on to know everything about lip pigmentation and its treatment in Faridabad offered by Dr.Soumya Singh at The Skin Clinique.
What is lip pigmentation?
The natural skin color of humans is determined by the levels of a colored pigment called melanin present in the skin dermis. More melanin results in darker skin while less melanin means a lighter skin complexion. Hyperpigmentation is a skin condition wherein the melanocytes of the skin produce excess melanin which eventually leads to the formation of dark skin spots or patches. It can affect the skin of any part of the body, including the lips.
Lip pigmentation, also referred to as lip discoloration, is a cosmetic concern, a hyperpigmentation condition, characterized by the appearance of dark patches or dual-toned lips or overall darkening of the lip skin. Get more insight on this with best dermatologist in Faridabad Dr. Soumya Singh at The Skin Clinique.
What causes lip pigmentation?
Here is a combined list of all possible reasons behind pigmented or dark lips:
- Frequent or overexposure to the sunlight- The harmful UV rays from the sun can cause melanin overproduction and even make the extremely sensitive and delicate lips dehydrated, hence resulting in pigmented lips.
- Smoking and chewing tobacco- Cigarette smoking or chewing tobacco is awful for the lips. Cigarettes have chemical components: nicotine and tar which are known to deprive oxygen supply to the lips, thereby causing lip darkening.
- Chemical-based lip cosmetics- Some daily use lip cosmetics including lip balms, lip gloss, or lipsticks can poorly react to the sensitive skin of the lips or cause allergic reactions to any ingredient found in these products. Therefore, they can cause darker or pigmented lips.
- Dehydration- When the body is not kept well hydrated, the skin gets dehydrated. One of the effects of not drinking enough water is the lips turning darker because of dehydration.
- Poor lip care routine- Often, women tend to conceal their lip imperfections with chemical-based lipsticks. As the lip’s skin is very delicate and thin unlike the skin of the remaining body, it’s crucial to follow a proper lip care routine to make sure that the lips are receiving the proper attention that they deserve.
- Too much coffee and tea- Excessive drinking of tea and coffee can stain the lips. That’s because they contain caffeine which can over time affect the lip’s texture and supposedly cause lip pigmentation.
- Lip sucking, repetitive licking, or biting one’s lips excessively
As lips have only two to three cellular skin layers without any protective layer like the rest of the facial skin, habits like repetitive licking, constant biting on dry, chapped lips, and even sucking can be detrimental. These can make the lips lose their natural color and over time appear darker as the saliva can make the lips even more dehydrated. - Genetics- Lip pigmentation can be a hereditary condition. That means that people can have dark lips from birth if they have a family history of dark lips.
- Certain foods- Foods containing colored pigments such as wine, beets, and berries when taken in excess can result in lip discoloration.
- Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH)- When skin gets injured or inflamed, melanin production is more during the natural healing response of the body. As a result, there is the appearance of dark blotches that are brown, greyish blue, or black. This happens primarily with anyone who is overexposed to the sun or has a darker skin tone. The major causes of PIH in the lips area include infections such as herpes, contact allergic reactions, insect bites, acne, folliculitis, and reactions to certain medications.
- Issues with upper lips hair removal- People who wax or use razors on their upper lip area are likely to have damaged upper lips, resulting in their darkening.
- Other conditions- Chemotherapy, anemia, Vitamin B deficiency (especially Vitamin B7 and B12), and excessive use of fluoride can lead to symptoms like dry, cracked, and chapped lips, eventually leading to pigmented lips.
How can lip pigmentation be tackled?
As lip pigmentation is a cosmetic issue, undergoing treatment for lip pigmentation is an elective decision. Following are some of the most effective ways to reduce lip pigmentation, provided by skin experts in their clinic. A dermatologist suggests the best suitable treatment option based on the client’s concern such as the source, type and depth of the pigmentation after complete skin inspection.
- Over-the-counter Medications- There are many lip-lightening creams and gels available to reduce lip pigmentation. These contain lightening agents like kojic acid, hydro-quinone, and arbutin which can help reduce the melanin content. Results can be obtained within a few days or months of their daily use based on the severity of the discoloration and the extent of involvement.
- Chemical Peels- Chemical peels are acidic solutions that can help exfoliate the lip skin in a regulated manner, thereby reducing the melanin concentration in the skin. Multiple treatments spaced a few weeks apart are required to be able to visualize desired results.
- Laser Toning- If no other treatment works, lip toning with lasers is a viable option that one can invest in. The lasers generate heat energy which when transferred to the lip skin can help destroy excess melanin, thereby diminishing lip pigmentation without affecting the top skin layer. Furthermore, the heat from lasers boosts collagen production in the lip’s skin, thereby revitalizing it and giving it a natural lip color. Multiple laser sessions with intervals of 4-6 weeks are needed to see the big effects of laser lip toning. The required number of sittings are determined by the depth and severity of the lip pigmentation. This treatment makes use of non-ablative lasers that is very effective for reducing pigmentation in sensitive areas like upper lips. The procedure is minimally-invasive, painless, and has no downtime. It encourages the lighter, and newer layers of the lip skin to appear.
For the best laser lip lightening treatment in Faridabad, feel free to visit The Skin Clinique.
General Tips to prevent dark lips
- Drink adequate water daily and keep the lips well-moisturized as dark, chapped, cracked lips can provide dark lips appearance. when going outside, always sun-protect the lips by applying lip balms having SPF.
- It is necessary to have lifestyle modifications. So, it is recommended to quit smoking and chewing tobacco, avoid lip licking, rubbing, smacking, or biting, reduce caffeine intake, and avoid the use of any expired or wrong lip products.
- Always remove lipstick before going to bed. It’s better to use almond or olive oil-soaked cotton for taking off the lipstick.
- If applying lipstick daily, buy lipsticks containing Vitamin E as they would preserve the softness of the lips. Matte lipsticks shall be avoided as they dry out the lips draining their moisture.
- Regularly exfoliate the lips to remove dry, chapped lips skin and make the lips soft and healthy.
- Regularly exfoliate the lips to remove dry, chapped lips skin and make the lips soft and healthy.
- Carry lip gloss or balm always and use it as and when required to prevent dryness.
- Do not use wax or razors for the removal of hair on the upper lips area, instead opt for laser hair reduction.
To know more about lip toning or lip pigmentation treatment cost in Faridabad, book a consultation now at the best dermatology clinic – The Skin Clinique.