Brown spots on the upper lip after birth control – ? melasma??

Hi Dr. Iwin, About 6 months ago I switched my birth control pill to yaz. Within about a month I developed horrible brown spots on my upper lip. Once I researched it and found out that this birth control pill could be the cause I immediately switched back to a birth control pill that I was previously on for acne that never caused dark spots. I have been doing microdermabrasion, chemical peels, and ILP treatments. The ILP (laser) treatment seemed to help a little, but after one day standing in the hot sun, it has gotten worse. I wear sunscreen, but because im military, sometimes im standing in the hot sun for hours sweating all my sunscreen off. Is there anything else I can do to help fade these spots? They are consuming my entire life. I don't want to be around people because im embarrassed, and even when I try to cover them up with make up it I usually end up sweating it off. Im using just normal drug store make up but it doesn't really cover that good anyway. any help would be great to help fade these spots or at least cover them up.

I’m so glad you wrote –  I’m hoping you’ll see this.  I’ve written quite a bit on this topic lately so I’m linking you to that material.   Good luck!   On pigment and how to treat.  On melasma.   Dr. I

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

Ask me your skincare question!

Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

  • All our content is written and researched by myself.
  • My medical office in Seattle has treated thousands of patients for 15+ years.
  • This site is not affiliated or financially tied to any product, treatment or device.
Ask Me Something
SkinTour Skincare
One of the best investments in your skin is your daily skincare. Why? Because you can prevent many problems with blotchy skin color, lack of glow, texture, some types of acne, and fine lines with good skincare products. You can also correct some of these problems with effective skincare products. Great skincare is often more expensive because quality ingredients are expensive. Some companies spend on research/development which benefits all of us and adds to the cost. Are they worth it? In general - yes! I have handpicked some of what I consider to be the best skin care products, and offer them for sale on SkinTour's shop. This is based on my team and I's testing and research at our clinic. Many of the products are in my own regimen. What could be better than using skin care products a dermatologist uses?!