Vitiligo is an autoimmune depigmenting disorder associated with genetic, environmental and metabolic factors. It causes depigmented patches on various areas of the body, including the lips, a sensitive region to treat. While certain treatments encourage repigmentation, are there specific solutions for the lips? Let us explore them together.
Lip vitiligo: what treatment is used to repigment the lips?
Summary
Published on November 7, 2025, updated on November 7, 2025, by Lilia, Scientific Editor — 6 min of reading
Themes:
Tattooing as a technique for repigmenting lips affected by vitiligo.
The vitiligo of the lips is a relatively rare form of the condition affecting a very sensitive area of the face. The aim of treatments is to achieve homogeneous and long-lasting repigmentation, and several therapeutic approaches are currently being explored.
The first option is medical tattooing, regarded as one of the simplest and fastest methods. A study conducted on fifteen patients with labial vitiligo showed that after two to three tattoo sessions, eleven of them exhibited excellent colour matching with the surrounding skin, and two displayed good concordance. This technique, deemed effective, inexpensive and rapid, thus represents an attractive solution, although it is essential to consult a dermatologist before considering it in order to evaluate the stability of vitiligo and any potential risks.
Tattooing is a simple and effective therapeutic option for stable lip vitiligo.
4 minutes to understand your skin. Our dermatological diagnostic guides you toward the ideal skincare for your specific needs. Simple, quick, personalized.
Skin grafting in cases of lip vitiligo.
Among surgical methods, punch skin grafting (PSG, punch skin grafting) and suction blister epidermal grafting (SBEG, suction blister epidermal grafting) are regarded as simple, inexpensive and effective techniques for treating cases of vitiligo of the lips that are resistant to treatment. PSG involves harvesting small cylindrical grafts of skin which are then transplanted onto depigmented areas, whereas SBEG relies on the creation of cutaneous blisters to collect the epidermis and graft it onto the affected regions.
A study comparing these two approaches in 18 patients showed that both techniques enabled the attainment of an effective repigmentation of the lips, confirming their therapeutic value. The results are presented in the table below.
| Graft type | Repigmentation level | Number of patients |
|---|---|---|
| PSG | ` tags and leaving `50 à 75% | ` and ` 2 |
| `…` PSG | … 75 à 90% | 1 |
| `…` PSG | 90 to 100% | `…` 3 |
| SBEG | ` tags and leaving `50 à 75% | 1 |
| SBEG | … 75 à 90% | `…` 3 |
| SBEG | 90 to 100% | ` and ` 2 |
Comparison of the efficacy of PSG and SBEG grafts.
Source: TELANSERI J. et al. Punch grafting versus suction blister epidermal grafting in the treatment of stable lip vitiligo. Dermatologic Surgery (2008).
However, colour matching – that is, the congruence between the grafted skin tone and that of the lips – was judged to be slightly better in the PSG group compared with the SBEG group. Although both procedures are effective for lip vitiligo, PSG therefore appears marginally superior, even though the small number of participants in the study precludes a definitive conclusion.
Generally, after a skin graft, PUVA-SOL treatment (psoralen + UVA) is used to stimulate skin repigmentation. Indeed, after a skin graft, the melanocytes transplanted cells must multiply and migrate into the surrounding skin to ensure homogeneous repigmentation. PUVA-SOL treatment is therefore often used to promote this reactivation of melanocytes and accelerate melanin production in the grafted areas, even though this is not always the case.
Phototherapy for the treatment of lip vitiligo.
The 308 nm excimer laser, combined with topical calcineurin inhibitors and calcipotriol, is another effective technique in the treatment of vitiligo. Indeed, a study of 979 patients (3 478 lesions) demonstrated that 308 nm excimer laser therapy was both effective and safe for progressive-stage vitiligo. By the end of treatment, 1 374 vitiligo patches out of the 3 478 lesions (39.50 %) had achieved at least 50 % repigmentation, and 1 167 patches of vitiligo (33.55 %) showed even greater repigmentation. Although this therapy appears effective for repigmenting certain areas of the body, its compatibility with the lip area remains a subject for further scrutiny.
A study attempted to answer this question. Three patients with lip vitiligo underwent a 308 nm excimer laser session, and near-total repigmentation, estimated at 75%, was observed after 18 weeks.
Although the limited number of patients in this study does not allow for statistically significant confirmation of the 308 nm excimer laser’s efficacy in lip repigmentation, the results are promising and warrant further, more in-depth studies on the subject.
`…` Sources
TELANSERI J. et al. Punch grafting versus suction blister epidermal grafting in the treatment of stable lip vitiligo. Dermatologic Surgery (2008).
KARKI D. et al. Micropigmentation: Tattooing for the treatment of lip vitiligo. International Journal of Surgical Reconstruction (2009).
ZHANG FR. et al. Treatment of vitiligo with the 308 nm excimer laser: our two-year follow-up of 979 Chinese patients. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (2017)
BOUKHEDOUNI N. Immunological mechanisms involved in melanocyte loss during vitiligo. Human Medicine and Pathology – University of Bordeaux (2018).
DESHPANDE A. J. et al. 308 nm Excimer lamp monotherapy for labial vitiligo – a short case series. Journal of Cosmetics and Laser Therapy (2020).
