lips becoming dark

hi all,

I am in my 8th month and from the last week, my lips are becoming darker and for the past few days i have very bad irritation in my lower tummy..i just keep rubbing my tummy all the time though i use palmer's cocoa butter cream for stretching skin..

Anyone has remedies for this ?..

Hi Maha

Its very common. Tummy itch is very common, the reason is ur tummy is expanding, also dark spots will also appear in cheeks(for some one) but definitely these will disappear. Don't worry.

But whatever concern u have plz talk to the doctor or atleast to the nurse in ur doc's office.

Hope this helps.

DSrini

Unfortunately hyperpigmentation is very common in pregnancy and supposedly it clears up after a couple months of delivery once your hormones are reset to normal levels. Many women find hyperpigmentation in axilla, pubic region, linea alba/nigra very early in their pregnancy.Dark irregular patches can be commonly seen in upper cheeks, lips, nose and forehead. I guess you realize that irritated skin in the lower tummy is because of stretching. Cocoa butter, olive oil are all good to keep your skin moisturized. Drops of lime/lemon juice helps bleach a little bit but due to their acid content they can be irritating on the skin too. As for the lips do not peel it or bite it as this only inflames the scarring process, keep it moisturized with any good chapstick or basic non-comeodogenic moisturizer. If this still bothers you after delivery then any good dermatologist can do skin lightening and peels for cosmetic reasons only. There are other over-the-counter options like hydroquinone, alpha hydroxy acids in facial peels, cherry blossom extracts etc... those are best tried only if your condition does not improve couple months after pregnancy and may require avoiding direct exposure to sunlight during some of those treatments.

-L.

hi Dsrini and Lavanya,

Thanks for stepping in to help me..I do use cocoa butter , it helps me to some extent for tummy itch ....

But still dont know what to do for lips...will have to try some lip balm or ghee..

i was concerned as i fear lips darken due to some wrong diet or body heat...is it so ?...

Unfortunately there is no scientific evidence of "body heat" doing anything. The temperature of our bodies are tightly controlled by hypothalamus so do not worry about your body temperature. Unless you have developed allergic reaction to any particular food which is causing the discoloration of your lips, you cannot blame it on the food you eat either. Such allergies will not be limited to only darkening of lips so relax & it is not something that will vanish overnight but it can be taken care of professionally after delivery.

-L.