General
Blue lips or skin
A bluish or grey tinge to the lips, tongue, face or skin that means the body is not getting enough oxygen — a warning sign that should always be taken seriously and, when it appears with breathing difficulty, is a medical emergency.
Education and reference only. This explains the common causes of blue lips or skin and the warning signs that need urgent help, in plain language — it is not a diagnosis or a substitute for advice from a clinician. If you feel very unwell or are worried, seek medical help.
Quick answer
What is blue lips or skin?
A blue or grey colour of the lips, tongue, face or skin — known as cyanosis — happens when the blood carries too little oxygen, and it is a sign that the body's oxygen supply may be failing. It is most easily seen on the lips, the tongue and the nail beds, and it can look different on different skin tones, so on brown or black skin it may show as a greyish or ashen tinge of the lips, gums or around the eyes rather than an obvious blue.
- Get urgent help: Call 999 now if the lips, tongue, mouth or face turn blue or grey — this means the body is short of oxygen and needs emergency help. Call 999 if a child or baby develops a blue or grey colour with fast, grunting or struggling breathing, or goes floppy or unresponsive.
- Self-care: Blue lips or skin is a warning sign, not something to manage at home, so there is little role for self-care — the priority is to get help quickly.
About blue lips or skin
A blue or grey colour of the lips, tongue, face or skin — known as cyanosis — happens when the blood carries too little oxygen, and it is a sign that the body's oxygen supply may be failing. It is most easily seen on the lips, the tongue and the nail beds, and it can look different on different skin tones, so on brown or black skin it may show as a greyish or ashen tinge of the lips, gums or around the eyes rather than an obvious blue. Cyanosis usually comes from a problem getting oxygen into the blood, which is why it accompanies severe asthma and other lung conditions, chest infections that flood the lungs, and a struggling heart that cannot circulate oxygen-rich blood. Cold hands or lips can turn bluish simply from poor circulation in the cold and warm up again, but a blue tinge to the lips, tongue or face that does not quickly resolve, especially with breathlessness, is never normal and demands urgent help.
When to get help
Call 999 or go to A&E if blue lips or skin comes with any of these warning signs:
- Call 999 now if the lips, tongue, mouth or face turn blue or grey — this means the body is short of oxygen and needs emergency help.
- Call 999 if a child or baby develops a blue or grey colour with fast, grunting or struggling breathing, or goes floppy or unresponsive.
- Call 999 if blue lips come with sudden severe breathlessness, gasping, chest pain or an inability to speak in full sentences.
- Call 999 if blue colour comes with confusion, drowsiness or collapse, which point to a dangerously low oxygen level.
- Seek urgent help for new or worsening blueness of the lips or skin even if breathing seems to settle, so the cause can be found.
When to see a doctor
A blue or grey colour of the lips, tongue or face is an emergency — call 999 immediately, particularly if there is any difficulty breathing, chest pain, confusion or collapse, and especially in a child who is breathing fast or struggling. Do not wait to see if it improves. If lips or fingers go bluish only in the cold and return to normal on warming, this is usually a circulation response, but new, persistent or unexplained blueness should still be assessed by a clinician promptly so any heart or lung cause can be identified.
Not sure how urgent it is? It is always OK to call NHS 111 for advice, day or night.
What can cause it
Common causes of blue lips or skin
Blue lips or skin has many possible causes. Each links to a full, plain-language guide to that condition — what it is, how it's treated and when to seek help.
What helps
Self-care and what you can do
Blue lips or skin is a warning sign, not something to manage at home, so there is little role for self-care — the priority is to get help quickly. If you or someone else suddenly develops blue lips or a blue or grey face, especially with difficulty breathing, treat it as an emergency rather than waiting to see if it passes. While help is on the way, help the person sit upright and stay as calm as possible, loosen tight clothing, and let them use any prescribed reliever inhaler if they have one for asthma or another lung condition. If lips or fingers turn bluish only in the cold and pink up again on warming, this is more likely poor circulation; warming the hands and lips gently and protecting them from cold helps, but persistent or unexplained blueness still needs assessment.
Answers
Blue lips or skin: frequently asked questions
What does it mean if my lips turn blue?
Blue lips usually mean the blood is short of oxygen, which can come from a serious lung or heart problem. A blue tinge to the lips, tongue or face — especially with breathlessness — is an emergency, so call 999 rather than waiting to see if it passes.
Can cold weather make lips go blue?
Yes. Cold can briefly turn the lips and fingers bluish through narrowing of small blood vessels, and they should pink up again on warming. Blueness that does not warm up, or that comes with breathlessness, is not from the cold and needs urgent help.
How does cyanosis look on darker skin?
On brown or black skin a blue tinge can be harder to see and may instead show as a greyish or ashen colour of the lips, gums, tongue or the skin around the eyes. Any such change with breathing difficulty should be treated as an emergency.
What should I do if my child has blue lips?
Call 999 straight away, especially if your child is breathing fast, grunting, struggling to breathe, or becoming floppy or unresponsive. While waiting, keep them upright and calm and use any prescribed reliever inhaler if they have one.
Sources
Where this is drawn from
- NICE CKS: Breathlessness.
- Asthma + Lung UK.
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