Lips can turn dark for any number of reasons as people age. There are several ways the darkening can be remedied or hidden, such as exfoliation, hydration, and natural health care remedies. Another option is to wear cosmetics to cover the dark lips before applying lipstick.

Dark lips can be caused by too many dead skin cells on the surface of the lips. You could use a toothbrush to gently exfoliate dead skin cells from the lips. Generally, you should not use a toothbrush with any force, as that could damage the delicate tissue. A coating of lip balm or Vaseline® could be applied afterward so as to protect the lips.

Another cause of dark lips is lack of hydration and too much sunlight. Drinking at least eight glasses of water each day can help not only the body remain hydrated, but will hydrate the lips as well. During the day, use lip balm with sun protection factor (SPF) 15 or more to protect the lips from harsh sunlight, since too much sunlight can increase the pigmentation in the lips. Throughout the day and at night, you could gently massage your lips with lip balm, Vaseline®, or shea butter to moisturize the lips as needed.

A third cause of dark lips is stains from certain chemicals. Avoiding cigarettes, tea, and coffee could help keep lips from growing darker. These products can stain your lips over a long period of time, thereby causing them to appear dark.

There are some natural home remedies that have been effective on dark lips. Create a mixture of lemon juice, honey, and yogurt and apply it to your lips daily. There should be a noticeable lightening after several weeks of continuous application. Another variant of this mixture is lime juice, honey, and glycerine.

Another remedy that has demonstrated good results is almond extract. Apply almond milk or almond oil to your lips and leave it there for an hour or longer. Daily use for several weeks should result in lightening of dark lips. Other natural lightening extracts are beetroot, coriander, and pomegranate.

For a more immediate effect, you can use concealer on your lips before applying lipstick. Outline your lips with lip liner over the layer of concealer before proceeding with lipstick application. Be sure to go for lipsticks of high quality, as low quality lipsticks could contain ingredients that could damage your lips over time.

Certain types of lip products have harsh ingredients that can cause dark lips. If you should notice darkening of your lips after you start using a certain lip product, cease using the product and visit a dermatologist. Dermatologists should also be consulted if natural home remedies are not working. They typically can prescribe more concentrated lightening products or treatments to lighten dark lips.