How to improve black or purple lips

May 08, 2025 Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Tian Hongbo
Introduction
In general, dark or purplish lips may be caused by factors such as cold stimulation, poor blood circulation, anemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or congenital heart disease. Improvement can be achieved through general treatment, medication, surgical intervention, or other approaches under a doctor's guidance. If symptoms persist, prompt medical attention is recommended.

Generally, black or purple lips may be caused by cold stimulation, poor blood circulation, anemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or congenital heart disease. Improvement can be achieved through general treatment, medication, or surgical treatment under a doctor's guidance. If discomfort occurs, prompt medical attention is recommended. Detailed analysis is as follows:

1. Cold Stimulation

In cold environments, blood vessels in the lips constrict, reducing blood flow and causing temporary cyanosis due to local tissue hypoxia. Prevention involves keeping warm, wearing scarves and masks when going out, and avoiding prolonged exposure to cold conditions.

2. Poor Blood Circulation

Prolonged sitting or standing, or lack of physical activity, may lead to poor circulation, resulting in insufficient blood supply to the lips and causing them to darken or turn purple. In daily life, engaging in aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, jogging, or swimming can help promote blood circulation. Avoid maintaining the same posture for extended periods and take regular breaks to move your limbs.

3. Anemia

Deficiencies in nutrients such as iron or vitamin B12 may lead to anemia. Anemia causes insufficient blood supply to the lips, resulting in black or purple lips. It may also be accompanied by symptoms such as pale complexion, fatigue, and dizziness. Patients may take medications like Danggui Buxue Pills, Ejiao Buxue Granules, or Bazhen Granules under medical guidance.

4. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

COPD may be caused by smoking, dust exposure, air pollution, or decreased immunity. Long-term airway obstruction leads to reduced blood oxygen saturation, causing the aforementioned symptoms, possibly accompanied by coughing and shortness of breath. Patients should follow medical advice to use medications such as aminophylline sustained-release tablets, compound salbutamol sulfate inhalers, or procaterol hydrochloride tablets for treatment.

5. Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease is primarily caused by genetic factors. Abnormal heart structure allows venous blood to directly enter systemic circulation, causing generalized cyanosis with bluish-purple lips. It may also be accompanied by symptoms such as shortness of breath after physical activity and delayed growth and development. Patients may take medications like pediatric heart disease powder, furosemide tablets, or digoxin tablets under medical supervision to alleviate symptoms. When necessary, procedures such as percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty may be required, which involves placing an occlusion device at the defective area of the patient's heart to improve cardiac defects.

In daily life, consuming foods rich in vitamin C and iron, such as fresh vegetables, fruits, and red meat, can help improve lip color.

Related Articles

View All
What causes purple lips?
Under normal circumstances, the main causes of cyanosis (bluish discoloration) of the lips include cold exposure, excessive fatigue, iron deficiency anemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and congenital heart disease. If discomfort symptoms occur, it is recommended to seek timely medical consultation and treatment at a qualified hospital. In daily life, one should stay warm and avoid prolonged exposure to cold environments; maintain a regular作息 (routine作息 should be translated as "routine" or "regular作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息......
avatar
Dr. Ren Yi
View Full Answer