Dark shadow above lip - Photo attached

[help005]

I'm not sure where to put this.

I've had mark above my lip for years.

I forget about it then a kid will ask me what it is.

It's definitely not hair although unfortunately because of where it is it looks like I have a tash.

I've googled it and apparently it's called a "shadow" and something to do with skin pigmentation.

Foundation doesn't cover it. Will a face scrub or bio oil help?

It gets darker if I've been in the sun.

Maybe it's sun damage. I spent a year in Oz and came back with similar above my upper lips, also by the side of my eye. Places where the sun catches.

*lip.... I don't have two mouths, honest!

Have a look at what Sali Hughes says about pigmentation - she has it herself and has written about it fairly extensively.

Looks like Melasma.

I think it's Melasma. If you want to cover it then pretty sure Double Wear would do it.

This removed the dark patch I had at the side of my face.

www.sr-skincare.co.uk/luminosa-blemish-reduction-cream-533-p.asp

They do a kit

www.sr-skincare.co.uk/melasma-hyper-pigmentation-kit-664-p.asp

Also this

www.sr-skincare.co.uk/lumineux-blemish-reduction-cream-538-p.asp

Another kit

www.sr-skincare.co.uk/pigmentation-treatment-kit-moderate-663-p.asp

Thank you all.

I'll have a look.!

Agree with PP I would have thought a primer and then EL Doublewear would cover that.

Are you on hormonal contraceptives?
I had this when on the pill (common side effect) I came off it a year or so ago and it vanished

Oh I have that from sun damage, grew up in a sunny country, got rid of it with vitamin c serum and now use factor 50 daily which has stopped it returning.

Oh I have that from sun damage, grew up in a sunny country, got rid of it with vitamin c serum and now use factor 50 daily which has stopped it returning.

You need to start wearing sunscreen though op or it may get worse

And I mean all the time. If you’re sensitive to this then the sun even in this country can darken it and start off new patches

I have that but mine looks like lip pigment escaping my lips, so when I actually wear lip colour I've got to conceal around my lips other wise it looks like a toddler has applied my make up. I've e got mine due to too much sun and I live in south east Asia so nothing is going to stop it getting worse, oh and I'm 40 now so that doesn't help!

As suggested above, definitely pigmentation/melasma. I had it even worse than that for ages, really affected my confidence.

It can be caused by sun damage, or by trauma to the area. Mine was (I believe) due to having my top lip waxed at the same time as taking a medication which had a side effect of making skin sensitive. I knew I had to wear sunscreen while taking the medicine but hadn't occurred to me to stop waxing my lip 😩

I got rid of it with a combination of pulse light treatment, microdermabrasion and vitamin A cream. Check out the Cosmedix range, in particular "define". Super expensive but lasts ages and I found it was the best product for reducing the darkness.

Oh and super super important to use a strong suncream on the area, ideally something with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the main ingredients (according to my dermatologist)

I got rid of mine with retinoid from a well known budget skincare brand and daily use of SPF50.

It came back when I stopped using the retinoid though

I got this last summer during the heat wave. Its faded now, and I plan on wearing factor 50 this summer.

Buster surely religiously wearing strong sunscreen would help it getting worse?

I have this too. Going to try one of the kits mentioned above now 👍🏻

LittleLongDog it would but I can't keep up that type of routine. I use a spf40 every morning but reapplying every time I leave the house is just not easy. I only really started to notice it in December. I need to be more vigilant but I honestly just forget. My freckles are also explosive now. It's the sun, my age and my hair skin. I MUST TRY HARDER

Hair skin!!! Fair skin!