Do you have dark lips? Here’s how you can treat them

A change in colour of your lips could mean they need extra care. Here are the causes and measures to heal dark and chapped lips.

(Photo: Thinkstock Images)

Like skin tone, lip colour can also vary from person to person. No shade of skin on the lips is healthier than any other. However, a change in the colour or condition could indicate that your lips need extra care.

Even though we usually tend to overlook it, lips can tell a lot about your health. Some people develop darker lips over time due to a range of medical and lifestyle factors. Here are some of the causes:

Excessive smoking can lead to smoker’s melanosis. (Photo: Thinkstock Images)

1. Increased exposure to the sun causes an increase in production of melanin in your skin, thereby causing pigmentation.

2. Excessive smoking can lead to smoker’s melanosis, a pigmentation issue common among smokers.

3. An allergic response to certain products like toothpaste, lipstick, etc, may also cause hyperpigmentation in your lips.

Here is a list of measures to heal and prevent dark and chapped lips.

Use lemon juice

Rub a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice on your lips before bedtime each night. (Photo: Thinkstock Images)

Lemon juice is well-known for its ability to lighten skin. Rub a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice on your lips before bed each night. Rinse off in the morning with warm water. Also, in order to make it more nourishing, you can mix lemon and honey together and apply it to your lips at night.

Use a pomegranate lip scrub

You can mix pomegranate with other fruit juices to create a natural lip stain. (Photo: Thinkstock Images)

Pomegranates can help to restore the natural colour of your lips. Crush a tablespoon of pomegranate seeds and then mix with milk to create a thick paste. Rub the paste onto your lips and rinse it off after 2-3 minutes. Discontinue if irritation occurs.

You can also mix pomegranate with other fruit juices to create a natural lip stain. Grind 1 tablespoon of pomegranate seeds. Mix into equal parts beetroot and carrot juice. Rub the mixture on your lips, leaving it on as a stain.

Use potatoes

Potatoes are best known best known for reducing darkness and the appearance of scars(Photo: Thinkstock Images)

Potatoes contain “catecholase,” a naturally occurring enzyme that is best known for reducing darkness and the appearance of scars. Rub a slice of potato on your lips before bedtime. Wash your lips with warm water in the morning.