Naturally dark lips or hyperpigmentation: how to tell the difference

Dark lips are not always hyperpigmentation. Natural lip color varies from person to person, whatever the skin tone: dark skin can come with pink lips, and fair skin with brown lips. For some people, the lip darkens over time, in patches or on one lip only. What sets naturally dark lips apart from hyperpigmentation is their history: a color that has always been there, or one that has built up over time.

Where lip color comes from

The lip's vermilion is thin and translucent. Its color comes from two sources:

  • melanin, the pigment that also colors the skin;
  • blood in the microcirculation, visible through this thin tissue.

According to LIPS-ID® data, microcirculation drives the color in two lips out of three, and melanin in one lip out of five. The same data show the upper lip is darker than the lower one in 85% of cases, so a difference between the two lips is not, on its own, a sign of hyperpigmentation.

Naturally dark lips

A naturally dark lip has always been that way. The usual signs:

  • the color has always been the same;
  • it is even, with no spots or darker areas;
  • both lips are a similar shade;
  • the lip line is sharp and follows the shape of the mouth.

Lip pigmentation cannot be predicted from skin type. According to LIPS-ID® data, all five grades appear in every skin type, from I to VI. Dark skin does not mean hyperpigmented lips, and fair skin does not rule them out.

Acquired hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation builds up over time and widens the gap between the lip and the complexion. The usual signs:

  • your lips look darker than in older photos;
  • the lips are two-toned, or the lip line is darker than the center;
  • spots or darker areas have appeared, sometimes after irritation, a cold sore or a cosmetic procedure.

What makes lips darker

The most common causes are sun exposure, repeated irritation, smoking, permanent makeup and hormonal changes. They all work the same way: excess melanin that builds up gradually. For the full picture: Dark lips: why they turn black.

  • Sun: UV rays stimulate melanin production, and the thin lip tissue is directly exposed.
  • After irritation (chapping, cold sores, licking or biting your lips): the lip keeps a pigmented mark once the inflammation is gone. The more often the irritation happens, the more the mark settles in. Read: Dark spots on lips
  • Diet: acidic or spicy foods (tomato, vinegar, chili), in contact with the lip day after day, keep up a low-level irritation, especially on lips that are already dry.
  • Toothpaste: some flavors such as cinnamon, foaming agents and whitening formulas can irritate the skin around the mouth. Lips that peel or burn after brushing are often the first sign. Read: Dark skin around the mouth
  • Some cosmetics: face care that spreads onto the lips (retinoids, exfoliating acids), or a product the lip reacts to (swelling, burning or itching after application). They can trigger hyperpigmentation, or speed up pigmentation that is already setting in. Lightening creams sold without a reliable ingredient list are a separate case: some contain hydroquinone, corticosteroids or mercury, which are banned in cosmetics in Europe, and can leave lasting pigmentation, sometimes blue-gray.
  • Smoking: heat and smoke stimulate melanin production. Smoker lips
  • Permanent makeup (lip blush, lip neutralization): a session that doesn't suit the lip can leave pigmentation behind. Read: Lip blush gone wrong · Lip neutralization

A cause people overlook: some medications and deficiencies

A few treatments can color the lips or the inside of the mouth, such as an antibiotic prescribed for acne (minocycline) or some antimalarial drugs. A vitamin B12 deficiency can also darken the skin and the lining of the mouth, and the color returns once the deficiency is corrected. In these cases, the answer is medical: talk to your doctor, and never stop a treatment on your own.

Brown or gray: what the color tells you

In the LIPS-ID® classification, a lip in the Brown family holds its melanin close to the surface. A lip in the Gray family has pigment sitting deeper, which looks blue-gray: this is the Tyndall effect. Deeper pigment lasts longer. So a brown lip and a gray lip call for neither the same care nor the same response time. The LIPS-ID® classification

How to measure it

By eye, you get used to your own color, and the gap between the lip and the complexion is hard to judge. LIPS-ID® uses your phone's camera. It measures the color of your lip and both cheeks, then the gap between them, against references specific to your skin type. Your score, from 1 to 10, places your lip, and the protocol that matches it follows that score.

What do your lips say?

My LIPS-ID® diagnosis

When to see a doctor

A medical consultation is recommended in these cases:

  • an even, persistent bluish color;
  • a sudden onset;
  • a gray or metallic look;
  • many small spots;
  • pain or general symptoms;
  • a spot that changes shape or color, or bleeds.

LIPS-ID® measures the color of your lips. It is not a medical diagnosis.

FAQ

Is it normal to have dark lips?

Yes. Natural lip color varies from person to person, whatever the skin tone. It is called hyperpigmentation when the lip darkens over time.

Can naturally dark lips become hyperpigmented?

Yes. Sun, smoking or past irritation can add pigmentation to a naturally dark lip. That extra gap is what the LIPS-ID® score measures.

What deficiency can cause dark lips?

A vitamin B12 deficiency can darken the skin and the lining of the mouth. This pigmentation fades once the deficiency is corrected. Only a blood test ordered by a doctor can confirm it.

Why are my lips turning dark if I don't smoke?

Smoking is only one cause among others. Sun exposure, repeated irritation (licking or biting your lips, chapping), some toothpastes or acidic foods, permanent makeup, hormonal changes, some medications or a deficiency can also darken the lips.

Read also: How to lighten your lips.

Sources

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