Lip color, like skin tone, varies from person to person. There is no such thing as a healthier hue of skin on the lips. A change in the color or condition of the lips in some situations may signal that the lips require more attention. Our lips, like our skin, need to be pampered on a regular basis. Because, as the skin around your eyes, the skin on your lips is too thin and lacks sweat glands! This makes it more prone to chafing and dryness. However, chapping isn't the only issue we have with our lips. One of the issues you may be dealing with is dark or pigmented lips. It is, however, rarely a reason for alarm. With proper lip care, you can bring back the vigor of your lips. OTC treatments such as using Kojic acid for lips can help in lip lightening too!
Causes Of Dark Lips?
Though the shade of lips varies from person to person, hyperpigmentation is the main reason behind dark lips, that is, due to excessive melanin production your lips turn darker. Hyperpigmentation of the lips can result due to numerous reasons-
- UV exposure
- Smoking, tobacco consumption
- Frequent suckling of lips
- Anemia or Vitamin deficiency
- Drying of lips
- Excessive caffeine consumption
- Allergic reaction to toothpaste/ fluoride overuse
- Chemotherapy
- Pregnancy
- Some medications like antimalarial drugs
How To Get Rid Of Dark Lips?
Well, getting rid of hyperpigmentation is one of the toughest things in the whole skincare industry. If your lips have been darkened due to anemia or vitamin deficiency, you would see wonderful results when you cure your deficiency. Hyperpigmentation as a result of drugs will get better when you stop your medication. Getting rid of allergens or taking anti-allergy medication can too help with dark lips if they were a result of an allergic reaction. But the most effective way of lightening your lips is regular, gentle exfoliation and hydration. Lip Care products containing Vitamin C, hydroquinone, and kojic acid are also proven to be effective. All these ingredients like Vitamin C, hydroquinone or kojic acid for lips can help with lip lightening. Natural remedies like rubbing lemon, honey, sugar, etc are also very popular.
Chemical peels and laser therapy are some of the cosmetic treatments used to lighten the skin. These treatments either lower or stop the production of melanin in the skin. Skin lightening is neither safe nor effective, according to the available research data. Treatments have the potential to harm the lips, and any favorable outcomes may not remain.
Do's & Don'ts For Lips Lightening
- Stop smoking and get rid of all tobacco products!
- Always wear sunscreen over your lips.
- Don’t bite or chew your lips.
- Keep your lips well moisturized.
- Exfoliate your lips often.
- Stay away from poor lips products.
- Eat loads of fresh fruits for all those Vitamins!
Best Skin Ingredients To Use For Lip Lightening
When it comes to lip lightening, natural remedies are all over the place. Rosewater, lemon, honey, sugar and turmeric are the most popular choices for lip lightening. Saffron and beetroot are suggested as natural lip tints. When it comes to chemicals, Vitamin C, hydroquinone and
Kojic acid for lips are popular but there is no guaranteed way of curing hyperpigmentation and effective ways might also take very long to show any visible results. Also, avoid harsh products on your lips and always cover your lips with sunscreen as lips are even more sensitive and susceptible to sun damage than your facial skin.
How Exfoliation Helps With Treating Dark Lips
Exfoliation followed by hydration is single-handedly the most effective way of not just treating dark lips but also getting rid of almost all other lip-related problems like chapped lips and dry lips. Homemade honey and sugar scrubs are recommended. There are also plenty full of lip scrubs available in the market which can help. Never forget to hydrate your lips after scrubbing them!
Conclusion
Lip color is typically a matter of personal taste with no underlying health risks. Lip skin is thinner than skin found in other regions of the body. Because the lips lack sweat glands and hair to protect them, they can dry out fast. Lips with dry skin tend to appear duller than usual. Lips could well be kept healthy by moisturizing and staying hydrated on a regular basis. The skin of the lips is quite delicate. It is susceptible to sun damage, smoking, and cosmetic applications. Always use sun protection on your lips as well as your face to prevent them from being sunburned.
FAQs
- My lips are super dry and flaky, how do I correct it?
Exfoliate and moisturize them daily. Don’t chew or bite on them.
- Do chemical peels help lighten the color of my lips?
Chemical peels can work but because the skin on our lips is very think and sensitive, chemical peels can do more harm than good.
The color of our lips varies from person to person but hyperpigmentation can make them look darker.
