Lips are one of the most sensual and beautiful parts of your face. Unlike other parts of your skin, lips do not have adequate natural oils and can quickly become chapped, cracked, and dry. That is why you should care for your lips and make lifestyle choices that protect them. If you wonder why your lips have black spots, this blog is for you. In this article, you will learn about the different causes of dark lips, tips to protect them, and your doctor's recommended treatment options.
Skin Cancer
Most people overlook the lips as a site for cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma are the most common types of skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma may manifest on the upper lip, mainly on the outer cutaneous (skin-colored) part adjacent to the lip. On the other hand, squamous cell carcinoma appears on the lower lip and is more likely to spread than basal cell carcinoma.
Some of the symptoms to look for when suspecting you have basal cell carcinoma are as follows:
- An open sore
- An irritated region or reddish patch
- A shiny bump
- A scarly region
- A pink growth
Symptoms of squamous cell carcinoma are as follows:
- An elevated growth
- A wart-like growth that does not necessarily bleed
- A scaly red patch
- An open sore
Typical treatment includes radiotherapy, cryotherapy, and surgical procedures.
Excess Iron
If you suffer from hereditary hemochromatosis, your body absorbs a lot of iron from your food and stores ityour the body organs. It can lead to different symptoms, including discolored skin.
Additionally, your body can be overloaded with iron if you do any of the following:
- Receive iron shots
- Receive many blood transfusions.
- Take plenty of iron supplements.
To diagnose hemochromatosis, your doctor will inquire about the supplements you take, your symptoms, and your family medical history. They can also conduct blood tests, MRI tests, and genetic tests.
Phlebotomy is the primary treatment option. It involves drawing iron-rich blood from the body. A doctor inserts a needle into a vein, and blood flows into a bag. At first, doctors remove about one pint of blood once or twice a week. Once your iron levels return to normal, you might require treatment after two to four months.
Chelation is another option, although it is not a first-line treatment option. Your doctor might give you pills or inject the drugs to help the body expel extra iron in stool or urine. The treatment is ideal for patients with contraindications for phlebotomy or who suffer from heart conditions.
Dehydration Can Cause Dark Spots on Lips
Unlike other skin parts, lips do not have oil glands and are more prone to moisture loss due to dehydration. Dehydration can roughen your lips; skin layers might peel off, resulting in tiny injuries. It could cause scars, scabs, and different colors in your lips.
Ensure you eat water-rich foods and drink more than eight glasses of water daily. Water-rich foods and vegetables include watermelon, strawberries, lettuce, oranges, peaches, pineapples, celery, cucumber, grapefruits, tomatoes, and cabbage. If you are out in the wind or sun, avoid licking your lips and protect them using lip balm that has sunscreen. After rehydrating yourself, the lips will recover, and the black spots will fade.
Certain Medications
Some drugs can cause changes in skin pigmentation, including the formation of dark spots on your lips. It is due to changes in melanin synthesis or the accumulation of drugs or their metabolites in your skin. While drug-induced pigmentation can affect every ethnicity and skin type, certain combinations of medication and skin type might experience more substantial pigmentation effects.
Many of these drugs include the following:
- Anticonvulsants, like phenytoin
- Antiarrhythmic drugs, like amiodarone
- Antimalarial medications, like quinine sulfate
- Antipsychotic medication like chlorpromazine
- Cytotoxic drugs that patients use when receiving cancer treatment
If there is the formation of black spots on your lips, your doctor could recommend changing the medication or another treatment option. Typically, the pigmentation resolves over time after discontinuing the causative drug.
Additionally, protecting yourself from sun exposure can prevent the worsening of pigmentation.
Allergic Reactions
An allergy can cause black spots on your lips, a health condition known as pigmented contact cheilitis.
Possible irritants may include:
- Facial makeup
- Some toothpastes, toothpicks, mouthwashes, and denture cleaners
- Green tea
- Lip balm or lipstick that might be expired
- Hair-lightening products or certain hair dyes
If you experience an allergic reaction, you should halt using the products you suspect could be the cause and immediately consult your doctor.
Sunspots Could Cause Black Spots on Lips
Also known as actinic keratosis, sunspots are discolored areas of the skin that can feel rough or scaly..
Sunspots may appear on your skin after being exposed to the sun.
The sunspots can have the characteristics below:
- A flat or elevated surface
- A flaky or crusty texture
- A dry and coarse surface
- A size varying from very tiny to about one inch across
- A tone that does not match the rest of the skin or that is mildly red, pink, or dark brown
Sunspots are regarded as a type of precancer, as the affected areas have abnormal cells that can develop into cancer over time.
You should limit prolonged sun exposure, especially during peak hours, and apply lip balm with SPF before going out.
Your doctor or physician should review all sunspots. They could recommend freezing abnormal cells, cutting or scraping them off or extracting them using chemical peels.
Angiokeratoma can Cause Dark Lips
Angiokeratoma is a benign skin growth that varies in appearance, size and color. It starts red before darkening to purple or black with overly skin. It is characterized by the following:
- Domeshaped
- Smaller tha a ich
- Rough on the surface, with scaly appearance or texture
It resembles a wart.
It happens when tissues supporting capillary walls lose elasticity. It can also be due to vascular malformation or pressure on blood vessels. The stiffened capillaries swell and break open.
Angiokeratomas do not pose any health issues. However, you should contact your doctor to examine the growths for cancer indications.
Typically, angiokeratomas do not require treatment, but you can decide to seek treatment if you are self-conscious about your appearance. Your doctor can remove them using laser therapy, si excisio to remove your damaged capillaries, electrosurgery, or freezing the impacted area.
Dental Work
Dental appliances like dentures, retainers, braces and other dental treatments can exert pressure if they do not fit appropriately. It causes sores that can leave dark stains on your lips.
To address the pressure, sores and stains, consult your dentist and protect your lips from direct sunlight as they heal.
Vitamin Deficiency
Vitamins, including B-12, are crucial for healthy, clear skin and ensure an even skin tone.
Your doctor can examine whether the black spots on the lips are due to a vitamin deficiency. Once the matter is confirmed, they may recommend a diet change that incorporates more vitamin-rich foods. Some of the sources of vitamin B12 are as follows:
- Clams
- Meat, like poultry and fish
- Eggs
- Cheese
- Nutritional yeast
- Fortified foods like breakfast cereals
- Cow’s milk
Your doctor can also suggest using multivitamin supplements.
Hyperpigmentation and Dark Spots on Lips
If your lips have begun looking darker and have an uneven tone or a different shade from usual, you might be suffering from lip hyperpigmentation. It can happen when melanin (the pigment that gives your skin color) builds up in your lips, resulting in discoloration. It can be due to numerous reasons, including fluctuating hormone levels and sun damage.
You should avoid direct sunlight until the black spots vanish. Ensure you wear lip balm with SPF daily and avoid lip products that irritate your skin or cause an allergic reaction.
If the issue persists, your doctor can recommend topical medications, including the following:
- Hydroquinone — Hydroquinone works by restricting an enzyme necessary for melanin production. Your doctor can prescribe this medication to treat hyperpigmentation on your lips, but it could cause irritation and require short-term use to avoid related risks.
- Kojic acid — Kojic acid is an over-the-counter treatment option that lightens lips with hyperpigmentation. The medication is combined with vitamins C and E to improve its efficacy and offer antioxidant benefits.
- Arbutin — Arbutin is a mild skin-brightening agent that can reduce lip hyperpigmentation. You can purchase it over the counter. It is ideal for individuals with lighter skin tones and moderate hyperpigmentation.
- Azelaic Acid — Azelaic acid can help fade pigmentation on your lips. It is gentle and ideal for individuals with skin sensitivity.
- Tranexamic Acid — Tranexamic acid contains skin-lightening and anti-inflammatory properties. It can treat lip hyperpigmentation due to sun exposure or melasma.
- Retinoids — They are over-the-counter medications that help speed up cell turnover and fade lip hyperpigmentation. Nevertheless, retinoids may cause skin irritation.
If the medications do not work, your doctor can conduct a chemical peel, microdermabrasion, dermabrasion or laser treatment.
The Relationship Between Smoking and Dark Lips
Cigarettes emit heat that can burn the skin on your lips, and since smoking delays wound recovery, these burns can form scars. Additionally, the burns could result in post-inflammatory pigmentation, black spots left behind once the sores have healed.
Quitting smoking is the best way to allow your lips to recover accordingly. Contact your doctor regarding smoking cessation options and any skin-lightening creams you could use.
Laugier-Hunziker Syndrome
The condition is a harmless, rare skin disorder characterized by flat, brown marks on the lips. It differs from Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, which has identical cutaneous characteristics but related gastrointestinal polyps.
Since the condition is benign without known malignant predisposition or systemic challenges, treatment is not medically essential unless for aesthetic reasons. Common cosmetic treatments include laser treatments and cryotherapy.
Venous Lake
A venous lake is a dilation of tiny veins that creates a purple or blue growth on the lips. It often manifests on the lower lip.
The condition is common in middle-aged or older adults of any race. Its exact cause is unknown.
The treatment involves the doctor destroying the venules or small blood vessels that connect capillaries to your veins, bursting the lesion.
Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome
Peutz-Jeghers syndrome is a rare, inherited disorder that is linked to cancer. Gene mutations caused by this medical condition can cause abnormal cell growth. That is why individuals with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome often have black spots on their lips.
Treatments for this condition include:
- Routine removal of significant gastric polyps or bleeding
- Yearly blood count tests and a physical examination of the cancer-prone areas
Hormonal Changes
Changes in hormones can also cause dark spots. For example, during pregnancy, some women can develop melasma, which can cause dark patches to emerge on the lips. The lips return to their normal color after childbirth.
In some women, the dark spots on the lips may be due to menopause.
Addison's Disease
The cause of Addison's disease is associated with the relationship of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands (HPA axis).
The hypothalamus releases proopiomelanocortin, which converts into melanocortin-stimulating hormone and adrenocorticotropic hormone. ACTH triggers the release of hormones from your adrenal glands. When your adrenal glands fail to produce adequate aldosterone and cortisol hormones, the HPA produces more proopiomelanocortin, increasing melanin in your skin and forming discolored patches.
Addison’s disease treatment requires replacing the missing hormones, including cortisol and aldosterone, with synthetic versions of the same.
Hydrocortisone replaces cortisol, while fludrocortisone replaces aldosterone. Since the condition is chronic, you will require medication for a lifetime.
The medication’s dosages vary from person to person, and your doctor may increase the dosage after trauma, infection, surgery or other stressful circumstances to avoid an acute adrenal crisis.
If you use fludrocortisone, the doctor may advise you to increase your salt intake, especially in humid and hot weather or following vigorous exercise.
Find an Experienced Specialist Near Me
There are many causes of black spots on your lips, including vitamin deficiency, excess iron in your body, smoking, dehydration, and skin cancer. The best way to obtain a correct diagnosis is to consult a specialist. Treatment options vary depending on the root cause and can include medication and lifestyle changes like hydration, quitting smoking, and wearing lip balm. Tarzana Dental Care can review your medical history, dietary choices, and lifestyle choices to make a diagnosis. We can also recommend the appropriate treatment for your health condition and needs. Please call us at 818-708-3232 to schedule your dental appointment and learn how we can help you.