- Written by Heena
We spend a lot of time discussing skincare routines and choosing the right products for our skin. But unfortunately, we fail to take good care of our lips. Lack of lip care products in our daily routine results in lip darkening or pigmentation on lips.
Did you know? Lips are thinner and more fragile than our face skin. Thus, they need extra care to look good and feel better.
What is the Cause of Lip Pigmentation?
There are several reasons causing pigmentation, and these reasons are almost the same as those for skin pigmentation. Let’s look at the most common causes below;
- The most common cause of lip pigmentation is unprotected exposure to the sun. Sun rays produce excessive melanin, resulting in hyperpigmented lips.
- Another popular reason for hyperpigmentation on lips is lack of moisture. So, if you are not focusing on keeping your lips hydrated, they may get darker with time. A layer of dead cells would build upon your lips, making them dry and dull.
- Allergic reaction caused by cheap quality lipsticks, lip balms, or lip gloss is another major reason for lip darkening.
- A harsh ingredient or chemical in your lip cosmetics could also be the reason for hyperpigmentation.
- Smoking or the use of nicotine can result in lip-darkening over time.
How to Treat Lip Pigmentation
Removing lip pigmentation is not a one-day task. Instead, you’ll have to focus on altering your lip care routine to get noticeable results in a certain period. So, let us now dig into the important steps that would help bring the natural shine back to your lips.
Lip Scrubbing
The accumulation of dead cells on the skin causes acne and skin darkening. Similarly, the accumulation of dead cells on lips causes lip-darkening. And this calls for exfoliation. Scrubbing helps exfoliate your lips to eliminate the dry flakes and build-up that helps you attain the original softness and color hidden underneath.
According to experts, you should exfoliate your lips once or twice a week because excessive scrubbing could cause microabrasion.
Use a lip balm with SPF
The sun’s UV rays are extremely harmful to your lips. So, it is advised that you use a lip balm with SPF regularly to protect your lips against UV rays. For best results, pick a lip balm with SPF 30, as this would work best for both the summer and winter seasons. These lip balms also include ingredients that provide a moisturizing effect to plump up your dull and dehydrated lips.
Don’t Pick Dry Lips
If you have the habit of chewing your lips, you’ll be shocked to know its consequences. One of the major causes of hyperpigmentation is that we lick our lips. Saliva is a dehydrating agent, and putting a layer of saliva on the fragile skin of the lips causes inflammation. As a result, your lips become dry and flaky, which results in darkness.
Avoid Cheap Lip Products
Cheap lip products might contain harmful heavy metals like magnesium, cadmium, and chromium that can lead to severe diseases or organ damage. These ingredients can also result in skin allergies, causing dryness and dullness. We usually ingest lipsticks and lip balms applied on the lips, and these harmful ingredients can also cause cancer or disrupt the endocrine system.
Remove lipstick before going to bed.
Sleeping with lipstick could result in skin allergies. Besides, applying the lipstick for too long can cause dehydration. Excessive dryness would also lead to darkness.
The dark spots on the lips treatment above are effective as long as you use it consistently. Besides various treatments, you should focus on keeping your body hydrated. Drink enough water or other liquids to prevent dryness, as dehydration is the primary cause of darkening.