Use lemon, with care. People have long used lemon as a home remedy for skin lightening. Cut a slice of lemon and hold it to the lips for no longer than a minute, then rinse with warm water. Lemon may have some effect on exfoliating the skin because it contains citric acid.
Exfoliation. You should exfoliate your skin regularly in order to get rid of the green shadow and also remove the dead skin cells. You may take any homemade sugar scrub and exfoliate the area in order to keep it clean and healthy.
“There is no cure for melasma—it can easily recur and worsen if left untreated or if exposed to the sun/ultraviolet light (including tanning beds),” Massick said. “If it recurs, it will be in the exact place it was before.”
Treatments include: Topical over-the-counter skin treatments, such as vitamin C, retinol or azelaic acid. Topical prescription skin lightening creams. These creams include active ingredients such as hydroquinone, which can decrease melanin production.
What causes upper lip discolouration? Upper lip discolouration usually comes down to an excess of melanin. Melanin is the substance that gives our eyes and skin their color. Too much of it causes the skin to darken which can cause some dark patches on the face or more specifically, above the lip.
Although it also is a type of condition characterized by darker patches of skin, melasma is differentiated from other forms of hyperpigmentation mainly by its cause; rather than just being sun-related, melasma is caused in part by hormonal changes within the body.
"Lightening agents such as tranexamic acid, hydroquinone, kojic acid, and even vitamin C can be helpful," Marcus explains. (You could also opt for hydroquinone's plant-based alternative, alpha arbutin.) Kojic acid, specifically, has been shown to work wonders in fading dark spots in clinical studies2 .
Sun mustache presents as a darkened or shadowy-looking upper lip, stemming from sun damage that deepens skin's pigmentation via excess melanin production (1). While sun protection is a key part of keeping this type of discoloration at bay, even those who apply sunscreen every day can end up with a sun 'stache.
Apply sunscreen at least half an hour before you step out. Avoid waxing the area and choose threading instead. - Dermatologist Geeta Oberoi suggests a few other options. “Skin lightening creams, chemical peels, microdermabrasion and laser resurfacing are other alternatives,” she ends.
This condition is more common in women and happens when melanocytes produce more melanin than usual. As a result, concentrated areas of melanin in the epidermis appear darker, and when this hyperpigmentation is above the lip, it gives a mustachioed appearance.
The most commonly used treatments for melasma are skin lightening medications that are applied topically. These include medications such as hydroquinone, azelaic acid, kojic acid, niacinamide, cysteamine, rucinol, and tranexamic acid.
There is no one best treatment for melasma
Often, the most effective treatment combines sun protection with medications that you apply to your skin — and sometimes a procedure. If you want to treat melasma, be sure to ask your dermatologist about the cost of treatment.
Estrogen and progesterone are two of the major factors responsible for catamenial hyperpigmentation of the skin. Generally, the changes happen in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle when the serum levels of sex hormones are at their peak.
There are two main causes of melasma: radiation, whether ultraviolet, visible light, or infrared (heat) light; and hormones. Ultraviolet and infrared radiation from the sun are key in making melasma worse.
Risk Factors for Developing Melasma
Malnutrition may be a contributing factors because melasma is often found in people with abnormal liver function and vitamin B12 deficiency.