i see this everyday in my practice and it's a real problem. this is a condition that's most likely called melasma. we used to only see it in pregnant women but what happens now is that when women take the pill and the longer they take the pill; so it's almost any contraceptive whether it's a patch or a pill that contains hormones the longer you are on that and then when you combine that with even minimal sun exposure can cause a patchy discoloration usually symmetric on the cheeks or upper lip and even on the forehead. this gets darker in the summer often fades in the winter but on the upper lip especially can look like a mustache and women just hate this. so it's important to understand the underlying cause it's hormones and sun exposure either from being on the pill or just your own natural hormones or during pregnancy. then the other part is the sun that you really have to protect against. when i say protect i don't mean if you are going to the beach. if you are just going to walk on the street get your newspaper from the corner go to the bus stop you have to have adequate protection on. wear a hat if you can try to stay in the shade when you can. this condition can be treated but it can often be difficult to treat. what we use are things like hydroquinones or ingredients that have sepiwhite or mulberry root extract or liquorice extract those are ingredients you can look for on products and as dermatologists we can also do treatments in the office. there are certain chemical peels that we can do that can help target that pigment in a very specific way and help lighten it. but if you go in the sun it will come right back.
i have pigmentation on my upper lip. i am taking birth control pills. help! i look like i have a mustache.