Your mouth isn’t just there to eat and look pretty. The color of your lips can help you or your doctor identify any health changes inside and outside your body. Read on and find out what could be causing changes in your lip color.
Pink lips are healthy lips. Even for our dark-skinned sisters, there is always a little bit of pink, unless you have healthy melanin doses everywhere. Since we aren’t all perfect, it is safe to have few (or many) occurrences where our lips don’t look they always should.
Some lip color changes may be brought about by underlying medical conditions, while others only need simple remedies and changes to your usual routine. Apart from situations like lentigo, most alterations to your lip color can be corrected.
Conditions That Can Change The Color Of Your Lips
Dry and Chapped Lips
In their healthy state, lips are well-moisturized and pink – and no, saliva does not count as hydration, in fact, it dries out your lips. Neglect, smoking, cold, and windy weather can lead to dry lips – which paves the way for dark lips and dead skin cells.
Lip Products
Some lip care products are great, but others do more damage than good. Look out for low-quality products that contain chemicals that can harm your lips. Lead found in some brands of lipsticks is very dangerous.
Using lipstick for years can darken your lips. Similarly, remove your lipstick before bed, and don’t use your lip products (or any other products) past their expiration date.
Lifestyle
If you smoke and take alcohol more than is regular, maybe it could explain why your lips look like they do. There’s nothing wrong with living your life the way you want, but remember that these two habits may discolor your lips.
The smokes and illicit brews don’t just leave dark tints and spots on your lips; they encourage dehydration. Dehydration will show its face on, well, your face and lips.
Medication
Most strong types of medication have side effects; some of them can affect your lips and your skin in general. Antipsychotic drugs, antimalarial drugs, and chemotherapy drugs can alter your normal lip appearance, to classify a few.
Toxicity
Doctors may use the dark color of your lips to tell if you have ingested a toxin or a poison like mercury or silver. Other chemical toxins, acids, and alkalis may be strong enough to burn your lips.
In traditional Chinese medicine, and sometimes modern, purple or green hints in your lips may suggest an issue with your heart.
Melasma
UV rays do not just burn your face and any feature exposed to the sun. Excessive exposure to the sun triggers more melanin production. Melasma occurs when more melanin than is necessary is deposited on your uncovered areas – meaning your face is a major target, and especially your upper lip.
Hyperpigmentation on your lips visits as dark and symmetrical patches on your lips and any affected part.
Anemia
Whether from an iron deficiency or low hemoglobin levels, all types of anemia can cause dark lips which may appear blue in cold weather.
Conclusion
Countless more situations and conditions can cause discoloration on your lips. Whatever the case, it is best to stay away from potential toxins, eat well, take care of your lips, and talk to your doctor if your lip color worries you.
Marie Stevenson
Having been a victim of counterfeit products Marie Stevenson decided to comb various markets both online and physical to find the best original beauty products for women. The influx of counterfeits is palpitation inducing especially when you consider the aftermath. The consequences of using fake makeup or tanning lotions can be quite expensive and life-threatening and the reason why Marie decided to provide you with insightful information that will actually enhance your health. Apart from saving the world from the influx of fake beauty products Marie is a dedicated environmentalist, loves to travel and read. Her famous line is that if you believe it and have the passion to do something right then don’t let someone else discourage since they don’t understand where you are coming from.