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While your lips are inherently a few shades darker than the skin on the rest of your body, desiring a rosy pink pucker is understandable. If you wish to treat the ashy hue – and get rid of any greyish-black spots on your lips – we’ve got you covered. Will you need to get expensive treatments at a dermat’s office? Nuh-uh. Before you resort to intrusive lightening treatments, consider taking topical treatments for a spin. But before we delve into the solution, let’s investigate the pressing problem.
We all put so much effort into skincare, but let's be honest, most of the time lip care is totally forgotten. This is precisely why most of us end up dealing with that nightmare known as lip pigmentation, or dark lips. Lips deserve TLC just as much as your face, in fact at times even more as the skin on our lips is thinner and much more delicate. Those with darker skin tones often do deal with hyperpigmentation be it sun spots, acne scars, melasma, and pigmented lips can just be another added issue to them.
What leads to lip darkening is basically melanin deposits which can be further triggered by external factors like sun exposure, diet or even food allergies. So, if you're wondering how to get rid of pigmented lips, there are various out there. Whether it’s a dedicated lip hyperpigmentation treatment or just some simple daily habits, treating pigmented lips is definitely achievable.
What Is Lip Pigmentation
The darkening or discolouration of the lips through the increase in melanin in the lips is called lip pigmentation. It leads to uneven colouring, hyperpigmentation, or darker patches on the lips. There are several causes like sun exposure, dehydration, genetic factors, hormonal imbalances, or poor-quality lip products. In addition to this, external factors like frequent licking of the lips, allergy, or irritation can also cause a change in the colour.
It is important to understand what is causing lip pigmentation as the cause will determine whether the pigmentation is short-term or permanent. The treatments for lip pigmentation vary from home treatments such as exfoliation and hydration up to the more powerful options, where laser treatment may be applied or special creams that could lighten the area. Regular care of the lip and avoiding these 11 habits that are unhealthy could help prevent or minimise the occurrence of lip pigmentation.
1. Lack of Sun Protection
Most of us wear sunblocks to protect our skin, forgetting the lips. Sun exposure tends to enhance lip pigmentation and make the condition worse. Before going out, don't forget to apply lip balm with SPF.
2. Harsh Lip Products
Most perfumed and coloured lip balms make the lips drier with time. Certain lip products come with irritating ingredients that may worsen the pigmentation on the lips. Use mild, fragrance-free balms.
3. Poor Exfoliation
Exfoliation is a necessity for lips but over-exfoliating does more damage than good. Over-exfoliation can cause minute tears that darken your lips. Instead, use light scrubs with natural essentials, such as sugar and honey that are gentle yet potent.
4. Not Hydrated
Hydration is the best way to achieve healthy skin, and your lips are no different. If you're always fighting with black-chapped lips, it might just be dehydration. Drink lots of water and apply hydrating lip masks or balms to trap moisture in your skin.
5. Using Expired or Low-Quality Lipsticks
Expired cosmetic lipstick can be quite irritating and pigmentation-inducing. But it is not only about the date of expiry, low-quality lipsticks full of nasty chemicals can even exacerbate the condition further. Stick to good brands and check for shelf life.
6. Licking Your Lips
This is an unconscious habit that most of us do. The constant licking of your lips strips away the natural moisture from your lips, making them chapped and darkened. Instead of licking, reapply a moisturising balm.
7. Not Dealing with Underlying Health Conditions
The lip pigmentation sometimes appears as some health conditions, such as vitamin deficiency or hormonal imbalance. If you've gone through several types of lip pigmentation treatments without finding any good results, it might be time to visit a medical practitioner to determine whether there is an internal cause or not.
8. Missing the Routine Lip Care
Just as your other skin, your lips require regular care. If you have hyperpigmented lips, you need to take care of them just as regularly as you do for your face. Wipe your lips daily with a gentle makeup remover and apply nourishing balm , exfoliating your lips every week.
9. Apply Lip Balm Once Daily
Many people believe that just one swipe of lip balm at the start of the day is sufficient, but this is well off base. We would recommend reapplying your lip balm when eating, drinking, and after exercising.
10. Not Giving Treatments Time to Work
When trying a lip pigmentation treatment, we want instant results; however, these do not come overnight. Products bought over the counter or natural products are most effective when used patiently and as long as your routine lasts for at least several weeks prior to learning how well it works.
What Causes Lip Hyperpigmentation?
The skin on your lips is more fragile than anyplace else, making it highly susceptible to chapping, flakiness, and discolouration. Lip pigmentation could result merely from an allergic reaction to a new lipstick, lip balm, or gloss. Or it could be genetic or caused by poor oral hygiene and spicy foods. Smoking has a profound impact on lip hyperpigmentation, too. Besides, dehydration can lead to darkening of the lips, which means you must remember to hydrate and apply chapstick regularly.
Some of the reasons that can cause lip colouration are the result of exposure to the sun, dehydration due to lack of enough water, smoking, allergies, hormonal changes, genetic tendencies, drugs, and improper oral lip care routine. Some of the causes are preventable, while others are intrinsic, or generally genetic in nature. Well, there are numerous treatments for lip pigmentation, which can easily range from home remedies to more intense treatments depending on the intensity of the discolouration.
Ultimately, understanding what causes your lip pigmentation will give you the correct treatment. Protecting your lips from the sun, staying hydrated, and applying even and consistent lip care will get you started towards the goal of having healthier and more evenly toned lips.
1. Sun Exposure
The most common cause of lip pigmentation is too much exposure to the sun. Just like the rest of your body, your lips are subjected to harmful UV rays. However, because the skin on your lips is thinner and lacks melanin, they easily get damaged, making way for hyperpigmented lips. Repeated sun exposure over time results in the darkening of the lips and uneven pigmentation and discolouration. A good lip care routine, which includes SPF-infused lip balms, will help you combat this damage.
2. Dehydration and Chapped Lips
Dehydrated, chapped lips can often become darker than they normally are. Without proper moisturising, the lips tend to dry up, flake up, and even crack up. As they heal themselves, they may assume a darker colour, especially when the damage is recurring. Managing black, chapped lips requires keeping the lips hydrated by regularly applying hydrating balms and ensuring the intake of enough water in your body, thus making your lips soft and maintaining their natural colour.
3. Allergy or Irritation
Sometimes, the [igmentation also might be due to an allergic reaction or an irritation caused by a specific product. Lipstick, lip balm, or even toothpaste rich in strong chemicals causes irritation and allergic reaction that leads to dark patches or hyperpigmented lips. Certain dyes, fragrances, or preservatives within these products may lead to lip discolouration. Use of hypoallergenic or natural products may reduce the likelihood of this condition and let your lips recover to their original colour.
4. Hormonal Imbalance
Hormonal changes are also a cause of lip pigmentation. Women tend to face pigmentation when they become pregnant or maybe just due to hormonal causes. Other conditions, which might be caused due to hormonal fluctuations, occur on the face and even on the lips and can cause black spots there. Most of the time a prescription from a doctor is needed, as they would be able to prescribe medicines or ask the patient to alter his or her lifestyle to prevent
5. Bad Oral Lip Care Routine
Poor lip care or the absence of it causes pigmentation. Like the skin on your face, lips need daily maintenance to keep them healthy. Therefore, if you need to know how to treat pigmented lips, then get started by caring for them through exfoliation and hydration. Exfoliation helps to reduce dead skin cells, which may make your lips look dull and dark. Hydrating balms keep your lips moist and prevent them from drying out.
The Best Products to Tackle Lip Pigmentation
Lip scrubs, balms, oils, and masks are great for tackling lip pigmentation and you should try them out before falling prey to exorbitantly priced solutions. Peruse our thoughtfully curated list of products below.
Lip Wash + Lip Brush
ALANNA’s well-priced lip care duo includes the world’s first lip wash that actively reduces pigmentation. Boasting lab-proven actives 0.5% alpha arbutin and 1% PHA lactobionic acid, the lip wash and brush boost skin elasticity, hydrating and plumping your pout.
Lip Scrub
Incorporate an exfoliator, such as the Juicy Chemistry Blood Orange & Rosehip Organic Lip Scrub, into your lip care routine to slough off dead skin cells. Potent vitamin C addresses pigmentation, while rosehip improves lip texture and retains moisture.
Lip Serum
Namyaa’s Natural Lip Serum guarantees lightened and supple lips after a few uses. A harmonious blend of herbal extracts and essential oils, this toxin-free, potent formulation evens out lip tone and texture, lending your pucker a healthy dose of hydration.
Lip Oil
Super-hydrated, rosy lips are one product away – MCaffeine’s Coffee Lip Polishing Oil promises 24-hour moisturisation, owing to shea butter, while rosehip and coffee oil target discolouration. After consistent use, customers reported up to 95% pigmentation reduction and 24-hour-long hydration.
Lip Balm
L-ascorbic acid comes to the rescue. Minimalist’s lip balm targets pigmentation and dark spots while preventing free radical damage and nourishing your lips, owing to glycerin. It helps inhibit melanin production, guiding a reduction in pigmentation.
Lip Mask
Finish off with a nourishing lip mask to heal chapped lips and restore moisture loss. Earth Rhythm’s intensive treatment delivers peptides and castor oil to your pucker, fading pigmentation and combating dehydration. Apply an adequate amount of the product before going to bed.
Conclusion
Lip pigmentation can be caused due to several reasons, but it isn’t an incurable issue. From changing how you take care of your lips on a daily basis to exploring a specific treatment for pigmented lips, you can do several things towards brighter, healthy-looking lips. If you begin noticing darkened margins around your lips, jump on a two-pronged prevention and attack plan to reverse the existing hyperpigmentation and prevent the condition from worsening. Remember, turning to topical remedies can go a long way to rectify the problem.
It does not matter whether you are looking for answers on how to eliminate dark, chapped lips or even searching for the best lip hyperpigmentation treatment: whatever you want, consistency and care do the trick. Once one understands what causes the problem and goes for the correct lip hyperpigmentation treatment, it's easy to go back to your natural lip colour.
FAQs
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What causes lip pigmentation?
Lip pigmentation can result from various factors, including sun exposure, dehydration, smoking, hormonal changes, or even genetics. External irritants like harsh lip products or medications may also lead to hyperpigmented lips. Identifying the cause is key to finding the right lip pigmentation treatment.
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How can I treat pigmented lips naturally?
To treat pigmented lips naturally, you can regularly exfoliate with sugar scrubs to remove dead skin and apply moisturising balms to keep your lips hydrated. Aloe vera gel, honey, or lemon juice are known to help brighten lips over time. Protecting your lips with SPF lip balm is essential to prevent further discolouration.
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What is the best lip pigmentation treatment?
The best lip pigmentation treatment depends on the cause. For sun damage, using lip balms with SPF is crucial, while quitting smoking helps if it's the cause. Professional treatments such as chemical peels or laser therapy can also be effective in treating hyperpigmented lips. Always consult with a dermatologist for personalised recommendations.
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How can I get rid of black chapped lips?
To get rid of black chapped lips, exfoliate regularly to remove dry, flaky skin, and apply a hydrating lip balm throughout the day. Ensure you’re drinking enough water to stay hydrated. If the blackening is persistent, it could be due to sun damage or smoking, in which case treatment for lip hyperpigmentation may be necessary.
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Can lip pigmentation be permanent?
In some cases, lip pigmentation can be permanent, particularly if it’s caused by genetics or long-term sun damage. However, treatments such as topical creams, exfoliation, and professional hyperpigmented lips treatment can help reduce or lighten the pigmentation over time. For best results, consult a dermatologist.
