Imagine having great skin–no acne, scarring or signs of ageing. Wouldn’t it be amazing to walk around makeup-free, letting your skin breathe and leave people wondering–what does she do to keep her skin looking so great?! But the pigmentation around your mouth makes you a conscious and you would rather cover it with a colour corrector than stepping out makeup-free!
Well, guess what? It’s completely normal to feel this way. Skin darkening around the mouth happens to the best of us and it’s nothing to feel embarrassed about. And you definitely shouldn’t give it much thought as its completely harmless! But if you still wish to know what might be causing it and how to treat it effectively, then keep reading:
Pigmentation Around Mouth
First of all, pigmentation is NOT a disease.
It happens when there’s an increase in melanin in our skin. What is melanin? Well, it is the natural pigment that gives colour to our eyes, hair and skin. A lot of factors can trigger its increase but the sun’s exposure, age factor and even hormonal imbalance are the most common reasons.
Let’s explore why the area around our mouth has a tendency to get dark:
Hyperpigmentation
One of the most common factors that can lead to darkening of the skin around our mouth is hyperpigmentation. As mentioned earlier, it happens when there’s an increase in the production of melanin in our skin and results in certain areas of the skin getting really dark.
Hyperpigmentation can affect a lot of people, irrespective of age or skin type! But if we’re talking about pigmentation around the mouth, it’s usually melasma or sunspots.
Medicines
You might not even realise it but your daily medicine can cause pigmentation as they affect the area around your mouth. The most common medicines being antidepressants, anti-malaria medicine, anti-inflammatory drugs, and even heavy metals.
The abnormal pigmentation in the skin is caused due to several medicated drugs including antimicrobials, analgesics, antiretrovirals, and even cytotoxic agents. Addison’s disease is a more serious cause of pigmentation that can cause dark patches around knees, elbows, on toes and knuckles, and even around lips and inside our mouth.
Weather
Constant exposure to the sun leads not only to tan and sunburn but it can most definitely can pigmentation too. Another (very) common reason why the area around our mouth gets really dark, especially around winters is when you’re constantly licking your lips. It discolours the area, just making it look darker than usual.
Now that you know what may be causing the darkening of the skin around your mouth, here’s how you can treat it in no time:
Exfoliaiton
If you want to lighten the area around your mouth, exfoliation is key! It’ll help remove the dead skin cells around your mouth, thus lightening it.
Laser Treatements
If you’re looking for a quicker solution, you should consider getting a laser treatment. The expert will use it to reduce the pigmentation around your mouth and lighten up your skin in no time. But do remember, not everyone will have the same results as it also depends on your skincare routine and genes.
If you are thinking about getting a laser treatment, go for the ones that specially target pigmentation using a microscopic laser that will promote the production of both elasticin and collagen.
DIYs
Are there any kind of skin woes that cannot be solved by a good old kitchen DIY mask? Probably not!
Try this potato and lemon juice mask to treat pigmentation at home:
You’ll need:
– Lemon juice of one full lemon
– A grated potato (one tiny potato)
Step 1: In a bowl, mix everything well.
Step 2: Using a cotton ball, apply the juice on the dark area.
Use this DIY mask once a day for a week and then, thrice a week after that. Make sure you wash your face with cold water after 20 minutes.
Why will it work?
Did you know that potatoes have an enzyme called catecholase, which works really well in treating dark skin? That is why it is also popular to treat dark circles naturally.
Lemon juice, on the other hand, works as a natural bleach in lightening the dark skin.
It doesn’t matter whether the area around your mouth is dark or if you have acne. Nobody’s perfect and its time we accept that we’re beautiful just the way we are 💖
Featured Image: Instagram/Pinterest
