Thursday 23 March 2023

All about Melanotic Macules

This is something that you might see around some darkened spots of the lips and the mouth. If you’ve seen this, you’re actually not the only one.  Melanotic macules are interesting, and they can be something that you should get checked out if you’re worried about them.

“What they Are. 

A melanotic Macule is basically a dark spot on the lips and the mouth. There are a few causes for them. The most common one though is a hyperpigmentation that’s not cancerous within your mucus membrane.  This usually creates too much pigment, or melanin, and this is more than what you’re used to.



It may look just like a freckle on the mouth or the lips. Sometimes they’re alone, or they’re in groups. 

If this is within the mouth, this is known as oral melanotic macules, and usually, if it’s on the lip, it’s a labial melanotic macule.

The problem with this is that it’s hard to diagnose the cause that’s underlying most of this, or the other conditions that create this. In fact, these actually cause over 86% of the lesions that are there.

Some of the other reasons that you might have some pigmentation around the mouth include the following: 

  • You inherited it. 

  • You have hormonal fluctuations, dysfunction, or an imbalance. 

  • A traumatic injury to those areas 

  • Putz-jeghers syndrome 

  • Oral cancer 

  • Smoking or utilizing stuff with tobacco 

  • A hereditary condition such as hemochromatosis 

  • An amalgam tattoo because of the dental amalgams that you have within the teeth. 




The diagnosis 

If you’re worried about this, remember for the most part that these are benign, and usually, they don’t have a really bad underlying cause to them. You can talk to a dentist to help with this sort of thing.

However, due to the nature of this condition, there are a ton of underlying causes for this. Some are harmless, others are a lot more serious like oral cancer, and you need to get this treated.

If you get this diagnosed early, then you’ll be able to get the treatment for this. They also might be able to explain the lesion that’s there, especially if it’s not a melanotic macule.

You should see a dentist whenever you can.  They usually will be able to tell the cause of this.

They usually will determine this through the following: 

  • Looking at the medical history, including any current or past health conditions, and also some medications too 

  • They look at the symmetry, along with the uniformity that’s there. 

  • They may use biopsies to help determine the other causes that are there? \

How it’s treated 

These are treated in a variety of different ways.  If it does have a melanotic macule as the cause, usually, you may just get some scheduled visits to monitor the changes.

If you do have some concerns about it, you can get it removed surgically, using cryotherapy, or through lasers and pulsating light to remove the particles that are there.



The dark pot is something that you normally don’t need to be afraid of, but the thing is, if it’s something less common, it can be a major problem for you.

The problem with this, is that they’re hard to properly diagnose. It’s best to talk to a dentist, or some other professional if you’ve got concerns that are serious. If you’re someone who is interested in informing yourself on this, you’re not alone. They can be scary, and the better prepared that you are, the better this will be down the line, and help with protecting you as  well.