Also known as hyperpigmentation, darker skin around the mouth may be caused by a variety of factors, including genetics, sun exposure, and certain medications.
Your skin receives its unique color from a pigment called melanin. When it produces higher levels of melanin than usual, your skin gets darker. When that deeper pigmentation occurs around the mouth, a variety of factors could be at play, such as sun exposure, a hormone-related condition called melasma, or certain medications.
Though hyperpigmentation is typically harmless, because it can sometimes (though rarely) signal an underlying medical condition such as Addison’s disease or skin cancer, it’s important to understand what causes it to ensure your optimal health and well-being.
What Causes a Dark Area Around the Mouth?
There are several factors that may influence skin pigmentation around the mouth, including:
- Genetics. Scientists have discovered 125 genes that can affect skin tone, and genes, along with hormones, determine how many melanocytes, or melanin cells, someone has.
- Ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Sun exposure is a common cause of hyperpigmentation, as the body may produce more melanin in order to protect itself from UV rays. These harmful rays, whether from time spent outdoors or in a tanning bed, can lead to what are commonly called dark spots, age spots, sun spots, or liver spots. As a result, if you don’t regularly use sunscreen on the face — specifically around the mouth and lips — you have an increased risk of dark pigmentation around the mouth.
- Medication. There are a number of medications that can lighten or darken the skin’s natural pigment. Hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills, particularly when they contain estrogen, may increase the risk of hyperpigmentation, for instance. Doxycycline, an antibiotic that increases UV sensitivity, and chemotherapy drugs may also lead to dark spots, including around the mouth.
- Inflammation or injury. Injuries to the skin, including from acne breakouts, burns, and infections, may lead to a condition called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation after the wound has healed.
- Melasma. Melasma is a condition that usually occurs due to hormonal changes in pregnant women or women of childbearing age who take oral hormonal birth control. Melasma usually causes hyperpigmentation on the forehead, cheeks, or upper lip. The hyperpigmentation is typically grayish or brown. According to 2017 research, sun exposure also appears to exacerbate melasma symptoms, and using a sunscreen with zinc oxide, titanium oxide or iron oxide can help protect skin.
- Melanoma. In very rare cases, hyperpigmentation around the mouth may be due to UV exposure that has progressed to melanoma (skin cancer). For this reason, it’s important to monitor dark areas for any abnormal changes in size, color, or texture.
- A vitamin deficiency. A deficiency of vitamin B12 and/or vitamin D may also contribute to discoloration, including around the mouth.
How Do You Get Rid of a Dark Area Around the Mouth?
Home Remedies
In the case of very mild hyperpigmentation around the mouth, home remedies may be sufficient to reduce it. Keep in mind that although these treatments show promise, more research is needed.
That being said, many options come with few-to-no risks and may be worth incorporating into your skincare routine. According to research from 2018, potentially effective options with the most research to support their use include:
- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Topical vitamin C — common in many over-the-counter creams, lotions, and cleansers — has been found to effectively reduce hyperpigmentation.
- Niacinamide. This active form of vitamin B3 (niacin) is also found in a number of over-the-counter products and can be effective at lightening pigmentation and improving overall skin texture and tone.
- Licorice extracts. Some research supports the use of topicals containing licorice extracts — specifically, 20% liquiritin cream — in treating hyperpigmentation.
- Soy. Applying soy extract to the skin, specifically via products containing “non-denatured soy extract,” which means the soy hasn’t been processed with heat or chemicals, has also been shown to help.
Other potential treatments include aloe vera extract, green tea extract, and mulberry extract, but more research is needed to determine their efficacy.
Medical Treatment
A dermatologist can also recommend an effective treatment to treat hyperpigmentation, including the following topicals:
- Prescription-strength retinoids, which can lighten and even out the skin tone, are a very common and effective treatment for various forms of hyperpigmentation.
- Prescription-strength hydroquinone lightens the skin tone and has been used for decades to treat issues like hyperpigmentation, melasma, and sun spots. Though it’s very effective, keep in mind that it may come with serious side effects. For that reason, it’s a good idea to speak with your physician about the pros and cons of using hydroquinone.
- Prescription-strength azelaic acid, which helps diminish inflammation and hyperpigmentation, including from acne. Azelaic acid is also available over-the-counter at lower strengths, which may be enough to address milder dark spots.
- Prescription-strength kojic acid can help treat melasma or age spot-related hyperpigmentation in particular. In a 2013 study, researchers found kojic acid combined with hydroquinone to be the most effective treatment for melasma. When combined with kojic acid at a lower potency, hydroquinone may have fewer negative side effects. Kojic acid is also available without a prescription at lower concentrations.
How Do You Prevent a Dark Area Around the Mouth?
Preventing hyperpigmentation varies depending on the cause of your condition, but may include:
- Medication. With your doctor’s recommendation, switch any medications that may be exacerbating your dark spots.
- Daily sunscreen use. Wearing SPF 30+ daily can help prevent hyperpigmentation caused by sun exposure. Similarly, it’s important to avoid tanning beds and wear protective clothing and a hat when in the sun.
When Should You See a Doctor for a Dark Area Around the Mouth?
A dark area around the mouth is usually not a major reason for concern, but hyperpigmentation sometimes signals an underlying medical condition.
Worried About a Dark Area Around Your Mouth? Work with a Piction Dermatologist
If you have a dark area around your mouth, the experts from Piction Health can help assess and treat your condition, providing the prompt support you need to get clearer skin.
