Your lips lose pigment as you age, for the same reasons they may become thinner—with a loss of collagen and moisture, they appear less vibrant.
White or pale lips are often accompanied by general paleness affecting the face, lining of the eyes, inside of the mouth, and the nails. This is usually caused by anemia, which is a low red blood cell count. Anemia that causes pale or white lips is severe and requires immediate medical attention.
Bone loss may also contribute to a more caved in appearance of the mouth/lip area (4). Blood vessels decrease in the lip vermillion (the border between your lips and the surrounding skin) causing the richness of lip colour to weaken, resulting in a more aged, “drained” appearance (5).
Why lips thin as we age.
"The No. 1 cause of skin aging is the loss of collagen." When we lose this precious collagen, our skin's structural integrity declines and our overall volume diminishes. Essentially, our lips deflate with time.
As we age, our bodies produce less collagen and elastin, which are necessary for skin to look full and plump. The lips are no exception. Without collagen production, the lips can lose their fullness and become very thin.
Some people develop darker lips over time due to a range of medical and lifestyle factors.
Aging around the lips usually manifests in volume loss, loss of lip line definition, and the appearance or deepening of perioral wrinkles (also known as smoker's lines). Lips may also appear thin, unbalanced, or asymmetrical simply as a result of genetics.
As we age, the decreased production of new collagen and elastin molecules make lips appear thinner. They lose the vital subdermal structure needed to remain full and plump. Lack of moisture is another cause for premature thinning of lips. The skin on the lips is different from other areas of the body.
Apply a few drops of lemon juice regularly, every night before you sleep for a few nights to see desired results. 3. A paste of saffron, turmeric and milk is great for uneven skin tones. Turmeric has properties that fix discoloured tones and works well with milk that moisturizes and hydrates your lips.
“Do lips get thinner with age?” In a word – yes. As we age, we begin to lose bone density, which not only creates a more sunken look in the face, but it the lips are less supported as well. This bone loss causes the lips to roll inward and as a result, they appear thinner than before.
Pale lips are one of the common signs of anemia. This is a condition where your body doesn't have enough red blood cells. It may be caused by the following: Your body doesn't make enough red blood cells.
Use a gloss that is translucent or semi-opaque. Apply a thin layer of gloss over your lipstick using the wand, a brush or your finger. Using gloss adds moisture and gives a look of fullness. But remember, you don't have to use liner, lipstick and gloss every day.
But did you know that this process also causes our lips to thin? In fact, our lips start slowly losing thickness after the age of 16! And over the next 20 or 30 years, the loss of collagen also causes the V-shape of our upper lips to flatten, while the corners of our mouths slightly turn down.
Specific triggers play a significant role like excessive sun exposure, hormonal changes and nutrition. Another skin condition, i.e. acanthosis nigricans can also cause thickening and darkening of the upper lip area. Eczemas and conditions like atopic dermatitis can cause pigmentation in the area above the upper lip.
Believe it or not, Vitamin C Eye Cream or Retinol Eye Cream can also function as lip moisturizers. Not only can eye creams be used on the delicate skin around your eyes, but they are also ideal for other sensitive places, like your lips.
Lip Service
The upper lip in girls reaches its maximum thickness by age 14 and remains that way until age 16; whereas in guys it does not reach maximum thickness until 16. Thereafter the lips of both sexes begin the slow and inexorable process of thinning throughout the rest of the lifespan [Figure 1].
The skin on the lips is very thin and sensitive, and it's the area of the body where skin cancers metastasize faster. I honestly think that promoting lipstick with retinol is just plain irresponsible. Unnecessary, too, since people can safely use retinol on the lips at night.
Too much sun exposure: Spending too much time under direct sunlight without proper protection can cause lips to thin. UV rays from the sun can cause the collagen in your lips to break down. Smoking: Nicotine from cigarettes can decrease the amount of oxygen being delivered to the lip tissues, causing thinning.
Other conditions that may cause pale or white lips include: low blood sugar; circulatory problems; chronic diseases; frostbite; vitamin deficiencies and certain medications. This symptom is usually caused by basic dehydration or extreme and drying weather.
Normal, healthy lip color varies, depending on skin color and other factors, but should fall in the reddish-pink-to-brown range.
“Pale or discolored lips mean that oxygenated blood is not reaching [them]” she says. Blue lips can shine a light on either anemia or possible heart disease, while yellow lips can mean you have problems with your liver. Dr. Massick says that changes in lip color can also be a sign of skin cancer.