Pigmentation Around Mouth: Causes, Treatment and Prevention
Do you have pigmentation around your mouth? Tried all home remedies and skin brightening creams, yet no results?
Worry not! Discolouration of skin around the mouth is more common than you would assume. Your not alone in this since hyperpigmentation of skin is frequent among Indians. Sometimes though this can make you self conscious and low on self esteem. Once you have clarity on what is normal and what is not, how to reduce the causes of pigmentation and when to seek treatment it can remarkably reduce the appearance.Thanks to the availability of advanced procedures, you can now avail pigmentation treatment in Bangalore.
Causes of Pigmentation around Mouth
Pigmentation occurs when your skin has excessive melanin (the pigment in your skin that gives it colour) production and deposition. Take a look at the main causes of pigmentation.
- Prolonged Exposure to the Sun – Pigmentation on your face and body can be due to you being outdoors in natural light. Your skin reacts with prolonged sun exposure and produces excessive melanin. The production of melanin is your body’s way of protection against sun damage from the UV rays. However, it can lead to tanning.
- Hormonal Imbalance & Age Related Factors – Many people experience pigmentation as a result of imbalance in their hormonal functions. Particularly for women, pigmentation around the mouth is commonly noticeable during pregnancy, or when undergoing hormone replacement therapy. You may also notice discolouration if you are on birth control pills. Among many people undergoing pigmentation treatment in Bangalore, age-related factors are often seen playing a role in changing the pigmentation of skin, causing age-spots. These are further triggered by exposure to sunlight.
- Medications – Darkening of skin around the mouth can be because of the side-effects of other medications that you take. Although it varies from skin type and person to person, prescribed drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory, anti-malarials and other anti-psychotics can cause major pigmentation issues on your face.
- Genetic – Another internal factor, your genes may also be responsible for skin discolouration. Like several other conditions, pigmentation can also be hereditary. Pigment demarcation lines can run in families and appear more with hormonal changes.
- Nutrition – Lack of iron and vitamin B12 in the body also leads to pronounced pigmentation around mouth.
- Sensitive skin and diseases – Usage of many creams, trial and errors of skin care can lead to rashes and irritability.That in turn leads to skin pigmentation. Also skin diseases like atopic dermatitis, perioral dermatitis, lichen planus can cause pigmentation around mouth.
Treatment of Pigmentation
The issue of pigmentation is addressed by several treatments, depending on the causes and extent.
- Topical Agents – Typically, for pigmentation of low to moderate extent, topical agents are prescribed by dermatologists. Medicated, drugstore or over the counter products with certain ingredients such as vitamin c, arbutin, niacinamide tranexamic acid, hydroquinone, retinol have been found effective on discolouration. These agents can be in the form of creams, gels and other applicables. Although there are several other agents like linoleic acid, rucinol, mulberry extract oil and so on, they do not offer as effective results for hyperpigmentation.
Chemical peels – agents with gentle exfoliation, can lead to reduction in pigment and softer brighter skin, commonly used peels include glycolic acid, arginine, retinol peels.
- Mesotherapy with tranexamic acid – Among the popular treatments available for pigmentation reduction is mesotherapy. This treatment includes injecting a solution comprising a blend of vitamins, hormones, enzymes and useful extracts into the mesodermal layer of the skin. Mesotherapy with tranexamic acid has shown exceptional results in treating hyperpigmentation in comparison to other methods. Besides addressing pigmentation issues, this procedure also reduces cellulite, signs of ageing as well as smoothens the skin. No wonder why mesotherapy is also termed as bio-rejuvenation.
- Q-Switched laser for pigment reduction – Laser therapy is among the most effective pigmentation treatments in Bangalore. Q-switched laser treatment employs high-intensity energy beams to penetrate the skin. The energy is absorbed by pigmented areas, which further breaks them down into smaller particles. They are then disposed of by your body, on its own. Q-switched lasers are not only safe but also offer long-term results.
Prevention of Pigmentation
While not all causes of pigmentation can be prevented, some of it definitely can be. Particularly, external causes of getting discoloured skin can be controlled, and therefore, reduced to an extent.
Remember to use mild cleansers to wash face, use lipid barrier repair creams daily twice. usage of the correct products according to the skin type which doesn’t cause irritability is essential for relief from the skin problem.
Eat healthy, if deficient in ferritin or iron content consume more of green leafy vegetables, drum stick leaves or moringa leaves in particular are potent sources of iron.
- Never forget to wear sunscreen – Using sunscreen when outdoors is extremely important to avoid tanning around the mouth. You must wear sunscreen of at least SPF 30, half an hour prior to stepping out. If you stay outside for too long, make sure to reapply every 2-3 hours.
- Switch medications – If you notice the pigmentation started to occur after getting on some medication for any other physical issue, it is best to switch the medications. Consult your doctor about the side effects of such medication and ask for alterations.
- Reduce exposure to the sun – The best way to reduce the risk of getting tanned skin around the mouth area is reducing your time out, in the sun. Make sure you cover your face with cloth wrap or wide brimmed hats to avoid direct exposure to sun.
Remember pigmentation in the indian context takes atleast 3-6 months for recovery with creams. Besides, maintaining a good skincare routine will help reveal the newly generated skin underneath the top-most layer. This way, you may reduce the extent of pigmentation as well. Although discolouration around your mouth is not harmful or life threatening, you must visit a skin expert for the right diagnosis and treatment.
Dr.Tina Ramachander is one of the best dermatologist in Bangalore and Medical Director at Dr.Tina’s Skin Solutionz, a skin care clinic in Bangalore. She completed her master’s in dermatology from the well acclaimed JJM Medical college in Karnataka and is now a practicising dermatosurgeon and Medical Cosmetologist in Bangalore.