Dark pigment on upper lip - caused by waxing?

[Lisa111]

Hi all,

Need some advice please. A friend of mine waxes her upper lip and has been doing so for a long time. She says that she's noticed that as time has gone by the pigmentation of her skin there has darkened more and is especially noticeable after being in the sun. She was wondering if this has been caused by all the waxing she has had over the years.
THEN I had a client come to me the other day and say exactly the same thing about her upper lip and dark pigmentation!

Have any of you waxers heard of this before and if so, is there any way of getting rid of it or making the problem less noticeable?
(They both have drak hair and olive skin, not sure if this would prob have something to do with it too.)

Thanks x :hug:

 

[essentia]

It is the action of sunlight that triggers the melanin production, the skin is sensitised by the waxing and the skin protects itself by producing the pigment. On my aftercare leaflets I always stress that sun block is applied after treatments. The pill, perfume, skin conditions, treatments such as MDB, peels, waxing, electrolysis and some medications will also have the same affect. In short always wear sun block to prevent pigmentation. :hug:

Clients with skin types IV and darker are even more prone to hyper-pigmentation.

 

[Lisa111]

Thanks so much. That was very helpful. Shall pass this on.

 

[Curitiba]

Hi, I've just registered with the main purpose of finding a solution for this problem.

I'm brunette with white skin and back in 2005 I purchased the most expensive facial hair waxing removal kit from boots...can't remember the name now, but it was green and contained within a fat syring sort of thing. I think it was Nails, Nairs...something like that...

That was my first and only time of waxing my upper lip :grr: and it was winter when I did it. But even in the winter I take my precautions with regards to sunlight. I am sensible.

Reading the post above was like hitting the nail on the head. After I waxed my upper lip I got a few little red spots, which I thought to be normal because it was the first time. The spots disappeared with time but I now have the shadow, which gets much worse during the summer. Looking like a tache at times! Or as if I had just drunk red wine or ribenna and forgotten to wipe around my mouth.

I dont normally use foundation, but I visited a Clinique counter explaining the above. The lady said that microdebrasion would be too radical for my skin and could make the matter worse. So she put on some foundation to disguse the shadow...but because we all have little white hair on our faces and because the mouth area has got some many creases due to its very own function, the foundation thing just looked as if my skin needed a wash!:irked:

I made peace with my little white hairs on my face now, so every now and again I just gently use the scissors to cut any overgrowth, as well as using hair lightener on any brown hairs growing on the sideburn area...gosh you all must be picturing me as a monkey by now! I just like my brown hair on my head, anything below the ear needs to be light, specially when I have to wear my hair up.

I'm very desperate to get rid of the shadow, so I would appreciate if anyone could share any success stories.:idea:

xx

 

[Kim Lawless]

I would say that this is from being waxed with wax that was a little too warm or strip wax, then going into sunlight.

Particularly dark skinned clients, I would advise them to apply a 15 or higher sun protection to the area they've been waxed.

Switch to hot wax as it doesn't cause trauma to the area. xxx

 

[*sarah*]

made peace with my little white hairs on my face now, so every now and again I just gently use the scissors to cut any overgrowth

Please don't cut the hair on your face this will make the problem worse as does shaving! as Kim suggested find someone in your area that uses the hot waxing system as it is alot kinder to skin hth xx

 

[nikki21]

Hi,
I have exactly the same problem on my upper lip and also underneath my eyes on both sides of my face. I do wax my upperlip and have so for many years but as for underneath the eyes obviously not. This pigmentation does get worse after summer holidays and is makes me feel very self conscious. So much so that I recently went to the Harley Street clinic to enquire about laser treatment which was recommended to help with skin pigmentation. The nurse analysed my skin and told me that this particular laser would not help if but actually make it worse!! She told me that it was not from sun damage but from me being on the Depo Contraceptive Injection. She recommended a course of products which would have to be perscribed to you only by a doctor. These products were called Obagi but for all of the products it was £600. I did'nt go for these although was very tempted as the before and after pictures looked amazing.

 

[essentia]

Hi,
I have exactly the same problem on my upper lip and also underneath my eyes on both sides of my face. I do wax my upperlip and have so for many years but as for underneath the eyes obviously not. This pigmentation does get worse after summer holidays and is makes me feel very self conscious. So much so that I recently went to the Harley Street clinic to enquire about laser treatment which was recommended to help with skin pigmentation. The nurse analysed my skin and told me that this particular laser would not help if but actually make it worse!! She told me that it was not from sun damage but from me being on the Depo Contraceptive Injection. She recommended a course of products which would have to be perscribed to you only by a doctor. These products were called Obagi but for all of the products it was £600. I did'nt go for these although was very tempted as the before and after pictures looked amazing.

You must always use a sunblock as certain medications etc (see above post) in conjunction with UV light can produce pigmentation. I would be interested in what the products recommended contained. Hydroquinone (if it is an ingredient) I believe may only be prescribed by a dermatologist now and is banned in EU OTC products here - even so it can only be used for short periods. Forms of Arbutin and Tretinoin are good combinations and are considered safer. I would use something like Nimue (I am biased here) but it will be much cheaper that £600. Lasers can sometimes make pigmentation worse as they can induce an inflammatory repsonse to heat/damage especially if you have Asian skin.