Dear TanningBeds.org,

Is it possible to tan your lips? I would like to permanatly change the color of my lips to shade darker to avoid wearing lipstick everyday or having any cosmetic surgery. Can tanning oil be used on your lips and be effective?

[name withheld]

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Dear Light-Lips,

Wow, good question. I’ve been here 15 years and have never been asked that!. I can’t say for certain, but an educated guess would be that you can’t really tan your lips, per se. Tanning is a function of your skin producing melanin, then oxidizing it (turning it brown). Parts of your don’t produce melanin, including the palms of your hands and soles of your feet. Also, many people get sunburned lips because they have no melanin to offer protection. I don’t think it will hurt to put lotion on your lips and try it, but I wouldn’t bet the farm that they will tan, or if they do, likely they wouldn’t tan very much. If you try, let me know how it works out!

Dennis