If you have dark spots on your upper lip, the best way to treat them depends in large part on what caused them. Not only does understanding the cause of your hyperpigmentation help you choose the treatment that will be most effective, it also prevents you from choosing a treatment that could make discoloration worse, says New York City-based dermatologist Dennis Gross in "Elle" magazine.
Sun Damage
Sun damage is one of the most common causes of dark spots on your skin, according to Washington, D.C.-based dermatologist Eliot Battle in "O Magazine." Dark spots caused by sun damage, also known as solar lentigo, occur when exposure to UV radiation causes your skin to produce additional cells, which clump together to form dark freckles and spots. Dark spots caused by sun exposure usually have smooth, round edges. Regular broad-spectrum sunscreen use can help prevent these types of dark spots.
Hormones
If the dark spots on your upper lip are more like symmetrical patches than actual spots, hormones are probably the cause, says Battle. When your estrogen levels go through extreme changes -- like when you're pregnant or menopausal or when you switch to certain birth-control pills -- the cells that produce melanin in your skin go into overdrive, creating dark patches, says Gross. These dark spots may fade on their own after your hormones return to normal levels, or you may use a combination of exfoliation and skin-lightening products to make them less noticeable.
Injury
In some cases, dark spots are caused by injury, a condition known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, says Battle. These scar-like spots are most common in people with Asian, Hispanic or black skin and occur when an injury -- like a burn from a curling iron or a popped pimple -- causes your skin to over-produce melanin at the site of the injury, says Gross. Overexfoliating your skin can also cause inflammation that can lead to dark spots over time, says Battle, which is why he encourages patients with darker skin to avoid harsh exfoliants.
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