PROVEN Team
PROVEN Team includes Stanford scientists and dermatologists who combine their expertise with cutting-edge technology to bring you the best for your skin.
Hyperpigmentation: A Science Backed Approach
Uneven skin tone? Science may have a solution. Read on to learn all about how to get rid of hyperpigmentation.
Resource by: PROVEN Team
How To Treat Hyperpigmentation Around the Mouth
Dealing with that stubborn ring of hyperpigmentation around your mouth can feel frustrating. If you feel like you can’t confidently leave the house without covering it up with makeup, that’s a big problem, and we’re here to help.
Here at PROVEN Skincare, we want you to be totally comfortable in your skin and love what you see in the mirror. That’s why we are here to tell you about the different ways that you can treat hyperpigmentation around the mouth to lighten your skin, achieve an even skin tone, and ditch those concealers for good.
What is Hyperpigmentation and Where Does It Occur?
If you’re experiencing dark patches around your mouth, you’re actually experiencing something called hyperpigmentation.
Hyperpigmentation occurs when your skin cells produce more melanin in a certain area, in this case, around your mouth. Melanin is the pigment that provides color to the hair, eyes, and skin. When skin cells in certain places overproduce melanin compared to other areas, you end up with dark spots and dark patches that don’t match the rest of your skin tone.
Even though hyperpigmentation can occur anywhere on the body since we have melanin pigments all throughout the body, it does tend to develop in certain areas. For starters, it’s common to experience hyperpigmentation on the face as it’s often left unprotected from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. You may also experience a type of hyperpigmentation called periorbital hyperpigmentation that refers to dark patches around your eyes. And finally, as you already know, hyperpigmentation can occur around the mouth, particularly in the area between the nose and the mouth.
Although hyperpigmentation can be characterized as “dark patches,” it’s important to note that hyperpigmentation can have many different forms. For example, areas of hyperpigmentation tend to look different on those with a darker skin tone compared to areas on those with a lighter skin tone. Additionally, areas of hyperpigmentation caused by melasma may look different compared to areas caused by sun damage. As a result, it’s important to use all of this information as a general guide to hyperpigmentation around the mouth and consult with a medical professional like a dermatologist if you have any specific questions about your unique case.
What Are Some of the Causes of Hyperpigmentation?
In order to best treat hyperpigmentation around the mouth, you first need to understand the underlying cause of your dark spots. After all, you don’t want to just be treating the symptoms -- you want to treat the root issue to ensure that it doesn’t continue coming back after you address your existing dark spots.
Here are some of the common causes of hyperpigmentation around the mouth:
A specific type of hyperpigmentation called melasma is caused by hormonal changes. Melasma typically presents as large patches of darkened skin around the mouth, cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose. These patches may have a gray-brown color, but it varies based on skin tone. This type of hyperpigmentation is likely related to hormones like estrogen and progesterone. As a result, women who are pregnant and those using hormonal contraception are at risk of developing melasma. Although there’s not much you can do to prevent melasma from pregnancy, you could discuss alternative birth control options with your doctor if you believe that your hormonal birth control pills are contributing to the issue.
Hyperpigmentation can also be the result of inflammation around the mouth. The skin around the mouth is very delicate and sensitive, leaving it at risk of developing things like small blemishes, cuts, and scars. All of these issues cause inflammation, which can then trigger an increased production of melanin in that area. As a result, it’s important to avoid touching or picking at any blemishes or scars around your mouth in order to prevent further damage in the form of hyperpigmentation.
Sun damage can cause hyperpigmentation anywhere, but it most commonly occurs on the face since that’s where we usually experience the most sun exposure with the least amount of sun protection. Many people avoid putting sunscreen on their face because they don’t like the way it feels or it makes them break out. It’s especially easy to avoid putting sunscreen around the mouth to avoid a nasty taste. That being said, it’s extremely important to protect every inch of your body from the sun to avoid things like hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, or worse -- skin cancer.
How To Treat Hyperpigmentation Around the Mouth
Even though hyperpigmentation around the mouth can be unsightly and frustrating, the good news is that there are treatments out there to help you lighten and brighten this problem area.
Depending on your skin tone, some treatment options are better than others which is why it’s important to consult with a dermatologist before trying out some of these treatments on your own.
Furthermore, the right treatment for you will really depend on how concerned you are about your areas of hyperpigmentation, if you’re looking for instant results, and how much money you’re willing to spend to get them.
Here are some of the best ways that you can treat hyperpigmentation around the mouth:
These products are available either over-the-counter or by a prescription from your dermatologist. If you’re just starting out on your hyperpigmentation treatment journey, you could definitely start with over-the-counter products to see how they work on your particular skin. Many of these lightening creams contain specific lightening ingredients including kojic acid, Vitamin C, and licorice root extract. On the other hand, prescription lightening creams may pack a bigger punch thanks to a bleaching agent called hydroquinone. While hydroquinone creams do have the potential to be more effective, they may also come with more side effects in return.
Another easy treatment for hyperpigmentation around the mouth that you can try at home involves exfoliation. In fact, this is probably something you’re already doing as a part of your skincare routine. In that cause, it may be necessary for you to make a few simple adjustments to properly target the hyperpigmentation around your mouth. For example, you may want to consider using a chemical exfoliant rather than a physical exfoliant to better remove those darkened top layers of skin. Look for chemical exfoliation ingredients like lactic acid, azelaic acid, and glycolic acid for the best results.
If you’re more than ready to get rid of the hyperpigmentation around your mouth no matter what the cost, then you may want to consider cosmetic treatments that are performed at a doctor’s office. These treatments are often more effective, but also come with a higher price tag and may require multiple treatment sessions to achieve your desired results. Some options to consider include chemical peels, laser skin resurfacing, intense pulse light therapy, microdermabrasion, and dermabrasion. Speak to your dermatologist about these different options if you’re interested in learning more.
The Takeaway
With the right products and ingredients, it’s definitely possible to treat hyperpigmentation around the mouth from the comfort of your own home. With PROVEN products, there’s no need to spend thousands of dollars on professional cosmetic treatments at the dermatologist's office. Instead, we can provide treatment and prevention solutions with our simple three-step skincare solutions.
The Best Skincare and Ingredients for Hyperpigmentation Around the Mouth
While there are various products and methods that you can use to treat hyperpigmentation around the mouth, it’s always a good idea to start with the basics: your skincare routine. Your current skincare routine likely isn’t doing you any favors when it comes to lightening and preventing hyperpigmentation. Instead, you need to utilize specialized products that treat your specific skin concerns -- and PROVEN Skincare is here to help you do just that.
PROVEN customizes skincare regimens based on your unique skin concerns and skin goals.
For example, if you’re dealing with hyperpigmentation around the mouth, you might receive products with lightening and brightening ingredients like kojic acid, arbutin extract, Vitamin C, and retinol. These ingredients are able to block production of tyrosine, which is an amino acid involved in the production of melanin. As a result, you no longer have to worry about those stubborn areas of hyperpigmentation around your mouth or on your forehead.
But how does PROVEN work? We have made the entire process as simple as possible thanks to our award-winning Skin Genome Project. All you have to do is take a three-minute quiz telling us about your skin, lifestyle, heritage, and environment. From there, we come up with the best skincare formulas out of more than 2,000 different product combinations that have been professionally developed by Stanford dermatologists.
Once you receive your PROVEN cleanser, moisturizer, and night cream, you can rest assured that PROVEN is there to guide and support you along your skincare journey and address any questions or concerns you may have along the way.
Here is why personalized skincare is better
Personalized skincare comes with a host of benefits
  |   | |
|---|---|---|
| Formulated and made-to-order for you | No | |
| Targeting your unique hyperpigmentation needs | No | |
| Optimized for your lifestyle + environment | No | |
| Easy 3-step system for all your skin needs | No | |
| Made by Stanford scientists and AI tech | No |
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Dr. Yuan is a Computational Physicist from Stanford University
Proven co-founder, Dr. Amy Yuan, fixed her skincare woes by using her computer science background to analyze the effectiveness of more than 20,238 skincare ingredients, 100,000 products, 20 million testimonials, and more than 4,000 scientific journal articles. Now she is applying that to create the perfect skincare for you.
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