It seems like the area around my mouth is darkly pigmented. What cause do you look for first during the laser consultation?

At some point, the skin tone above my upper lip and around the corners of my mouth started looking slightly darker and duller than other areas. At first, I thought it was just shadows, but even under bright lighting, the tone around my mouth is dark, so even if I cover it with makeup, it shows through again by the afternoon. Since late autumn, the corners of my mouth have frequently cracked and dried out, so I developed a habit of rubbing them; I am wondering if this is the cause. The appearance is different from melasma or blemishes, so I am asking this question because I am not sure what kind of consultation I should seek.

Is discoloration around the mouth also an area checked during the laser consultation?

- How are melasma, pigmentation caused by friction, and dullness due to dryness distinguished during a consultation?

If the corners of my mouth tend to crack easily, how should I prepare my skin before the consultation?

Are there any daily habits I should be careful to keep from getting darker?

The photo at the very bottom is a reference image included to explain my concerns about the area around my mouth.