Lip Discoloration.

[brittanyworks]

Hello Doctor,
I'm 18yrs old, and for the last 8-10yrs or so. My lips have had discolortion. I'm african american, and my lips have turned pink on both the upper and lower lip. I have no clue what to do. I haven't tried anything. I'm just wondering if it can even be fixed. I've included a picture to give you an idea of what I'm speaking about.

Thank You

[2good14]

I'm a African American male 22 years of age and my lower lip is very pink in the upper part. I think this comes from when I was younger, I used to lick my lips very badly. I also suffered from eczema. I want to know can I restore my bottom lip back to its original Brownish color?

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

Since when are you having the symptoms? What is your age? Do you smoke?

Some causes of the symptoms you mention, could be lip biting, lip licking, Vit.B2 deficiency, smoking, overexposure to sun and ill fitting dentures. In extreme cases, this could be due to bacterial or fungal skin infection.

You need to drink plenty of water daily – around 1.5 – 3 litres per day and eat a balanced diet. Do not keep your lips dry; apply lip balm which contains sunscreen – preferably a medicated one.

If you have cracks at the corner of your mouth it indicates B2 deficiency in this case you need to take B2 supplements.

It could be eczema, sweat dermatitis,  or allergic reactions.

Anti-itch drugs, often antihistamine, may reduce the itch during a flare up of eczema, and the reduced scratching in turn reduces damage and irritation to the skin.

For mild-moderate eczema a weak steroid may be used (e.g. hydrocortisone or desonide), whilst more severe cases require a higher-potency steroid (e.g. clobetasol propionate, fluocinonide).

Eczema can be exacerbated by dryness of the skin. Moisturizing is one of the most important self-care treatments for sufferers of eczema. Keeping the affected area moistened can promote skin healing and relief of symptoms.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eczema

If the symptoms still persist, consult your skin specialist or dermatologist.

Let us know about how you are doing and if you have any other doubts.

Regards.