Hyperpigmentation is a common concern that causes a lot of distress to people. This is because the marks and darkening around the face don’t look aesthetically pleasing and are a skincare and beauty concern. After all, nobody likes dark patches around their mouth.
Don’t worry, we have got handpicked details and preventive measures for your problems, if you suffer from these skin concerns courtesy skincare and beauty expert, Shahnaz Husain.
Why does it become dark around the mouth?
Is the area around your mouth dark? This can happen due to hyper-pigmentation. Due to this, black and ugly marks start appearing around your mouth. Pigmentation around the mouth is more common than you’d imagined. Though, it's harmless and you can treat it topically.
Hyper-pigmentation happens when certain areas of the skin produce excess melanin and it turns into darker patches than the rest of the skin. Many factors can cause hyper-pigmentation. We delve into a few of the reasons for the skin condition below.
Exposure To The Sun:
Prolonged exposure to the sun's UV rays without adequate sun protection can lead to increased pigmentation, especially in areas that are often exposed, such as the skin around the mouth.
Hormonal Changes:
Hormonal imbalances such as those occurring during pregnancy, menstruation, or the use of birth control pills, can contribute to hyper-pigmentation in specific areas, including around the mouth.
Smoking:
Smoking has been associated with skin discoloration, and the repeated action of pursing the lips and exposure to the heat of cigarettes may contribute to darkening around the mouth in some individuals.
Vitamin Deficiency:
Vitamin deficiency affects the sensitive parts which also happen to be near your lips. Deficiency of vitamins B12 and D further enhances the hyper-pigmentation. Lack of vitamin D is due to limited sun exposure whereas vitamin B12 deficiency is mostly due to an unhealthy diet.
If you know the reason for the skin darkening, then it makes it easier for you to take preventive measures like applying sunscreen, exfoliating, using skin-brightening serums and more.
Exfoliation is key:
Remember it is the dead skin cells on the surface and you have to gently remove it. You can try the easy remedy which not only helps lighten the skin colour but also gently removes unwanted hair around the mouth.
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DIY Preventive Exfoliation Remedy:
- Make a thick paste of sugar, lemon juice, and water and apply it around the mouth.
- Wait for 10 minutes and then wash off.
- Apply once or twice a week.
Always wear sunscreen:
Wearing sunscreen won’t just reduce dark spots, it will also protect your skin from the harmful UV rays that could affect the body. Sun rays may darken already-formed patches around the mouth which can be prevented by generously applying sunscreen.