Have you ever noticed that your lips are getting darker around the edges? It’s not just an individual thing. You see this trend in many different cultures. In fact, a study published in The Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry found that people who eat high-fat diets and have darker skin are more likely to have browned lips. Browning is caused by the sun’s harmful UV light penetrating the skin and causing the production of melanin. This color can make you look older than your years, and it can make people feel older.
Why are my lips dark around the edges
The lips are the most visible part of the body and they are very sensitive to sunlight. Lip color is the result of both melanin and genetics. Sometimes, your lips may be darker because you have a genetic predisposition to having dark skin. However, you can also age your lips by exposing them to sun damage and aging. Over time, as the lip skin gets thinner, it can be more susceptible to damage from ultraviolet light.
How Can You Prevent Browning Around The Edges Of Your Lips?
Eat Fruit
You can use fruit to help protect your lips from the damaging effects of the sun. Nuts, avocados, and olives are also great for protecting your lips from the sun.
Use Sunscreen
Apply sunscreen every day to prevent the browning of your lips. Be careful when applying sunscreen to the sides of your face, as it can get into your eyes. Use a cream that is SPF 30 or higher, and reapply it every two hours if you are exposed to direct sunlight.
Drink Water
Water helps keep skin moist and healthy, and it can help control the production of melanin in skin cells. Staying hydrated will keep your skin soft and supple, which means less damage from UV rays on the surface of skin cells.
Wear Lip Balm with Sunscreen
Use a lip balm with sunscreen to prevent further damage in case you have already been exposed to harmful UV rays or if you’re out in the sun too long.
Use a Lip Liner
You can use a lip liner as a base to help protect your lips from further damage. Try using a nude color or shade that won’t clash with your lipstick color.
Prevent Breakage
If you have been experiencing breakage around the edges of your lips, consider using a lip liner to help prevent further damage or breakage from occurring.
Use a Protective Lipstick
Try using a protective lipstick that has SPF in it. This will help protect your lips from further damage caused by harmful UV rays. The color of the lipstick you choose should match your lip color to make sure they look good together, and the SPF will help prevent more damage in case you’ve been exposed to harsh sunlight.
Try Out a Color Corrector
If you are looking for a new lipstick color that feels natural on your lips, try out a color corrector first to see if it works for you before buying a full-size product. They come in different formulas and shades, so there is one for every skin tone and hair type. They can also be used as a concealer or under-eye concealer if you don’t want to use foundation or powder on your face.
Be Gentle With Your Lips
Try not to over-exfoliate or scrub at your lips with exfoliating products like sugar or salt. This can cause your lips to dry out and crack, which will lead to damage. Use a gentle lip scrub or a sugar scrub to exfoliate your lips and give them a nice glow.
Wear the Right Lips for Your Skin Tone
If you have darker skin, try using a wash of color on your lips to give them that natural look that is beautiful on darker skin tones. Try wearing a nude lip liner first, then apply the color with an angled brush or lip brush. If you have a lighter skin tone, try using a gloss over your lipstick for more shine and shine without making your lips look greasy.
What Are Some Possible Causes Of Darker Lips?
Smoking
If you smoke, you’re at risk of developing brown lips. The nicotine in cigarettes damages your blood vessels and causes them to dilate, which makes it easier for the sun’s UV light to penetrate the skin. This is why people who smoke are more likely to develop mottled lips as they age.
Eating Fatty Foods
Eating a diet high in fat can actually cause your lips to become darker. This is because the body produces more melanin when it consumes more foods high in fat, such as red meat and cheese. Some of the foods that can cause dark lips are: avocados, bacon, butter, eggs, fish, and chicken skin.
Drinking Coffee and Tea
Sipping on some coffee or tea after eating a meal can darken your lip color without you even realizing it! The caffeine found in these drinks can make your blood vessels dilate faster than usual, increasing the amount of UV light that gets through to your skin.
Exposure to the Sun
The sun is the most common cause of brown lips, especially in people who are active outdoors. The sun’s UV light damages the skin’s cells and increases the production of melanin. It’s not just your lips that are affected by sun exposure. When you have browned skin all over your body, you may also have darker skin on your face.
Using Kissing Masks
There are many different types of lip products on the market today, but they all have one thing in common: they contain a chemical called hydroquinone. Hydroquinone is used as an ingredient in these products to lighten the color of dark lips and prevent them from becoming darker in the first place! Unfortunately, using these products can be dangerous because they can actually cause you to develop dark spots on your face or even burn your skin!
Harsh Chemicals
Harsh chemicals such as bleach or peroxide can also cause dark lips. These products can cause your blood vessels to dilate, which increases the amount of UV light that gets through to your skin.
Drinking Alcohol
Alcohol can also damage the blood vessels in your body and make them more susceptible to sunlight’s harmful rays. Alcohol consumption can also cause darker lips because it speeds up the process of turning melanin into a darker color!
How Can You Lighten Your Lips?
There are a few things you can do to lighten your lips. The first is to try to avoid sun exposure. Sun exposure can cause the skin to tan, and tanning can make your lips darker. If you have to go out in the sun, try to wear sunscreen that blocks UV light. Additionally, try to use a lip balm that contains SPF 30 or higher. This will help protect your lips from the sun and other damage.
What Are Some Possible Solutions To Darkening Lips?
There are a few things you can do to try and lighten your lips.
Lip balm
You can use lip balm to moisturize your lips and prevent the formation of melanin. This is especially helpful for people who have dry skin.
Vitamins
Vitamins C and E are known to fight off the effects of sun exposure on your lip skin, so these two vitamins should be included in your daily vitamin regimen. You can take them in pill form or as a solution to put under your tongue (via drops). You can also get these liquid forms in the form of tablets and capsules, but you will need to make sure that they are not sugar-based.
Sunscreen
Apply sunscreen on your lips daily to protect them from light damage.
Food sources
One natural source of Vitamin E is wheat germ oil, which contains 20 times more Vitamin E than any other vegetable oil available today. Wheat germ oil has also been shown to help prevent sun damage, so incorporate it into your diet by eating whole wheat bread, whole-grain pasta, and wheat germ bars.
Regular skin care routine
Exfoliate your lips daily with a scrub or toothbrush to remove dead skin cells, which can cause the formation of melanin and browning of the lips.
Liposuction
Some people resort to liposuction in order to reduce their darker lip lines and make their lips look more plump and youthful again. The procedure is done under local or general anesthesia for a longer-lasting result that lasts for several months after the procedure is performed.
Conclusion
Dark lips can be caused by a variety of things, including over-the-counter products, sun exposure, smoking, and diet. There are a few things you can do to lighten your lips, but it’s important to be aware of the root cause of the problem and work to correct it. If you are unable to lighten your lips yourself, you can seek out a professional to do so.