Fuller lips have been synonymous with beauty and youth since the beginning of recorded history. Humans have adorned their lips as far back as the ancient Egyptians. Some societies still go to great lengths to draw attention to their lips1. Variation in lip anatomy follows racial predisposition, which is evident when observing different races. The ideal vertical height ratio or the ‘golden ratio’ of the upper to lower lip as defined by the ancient Greeks is 1:1618 in youthful Caucasian lips2. Individuals of African descent have genetically more volume on their lips. However, while creating ‘perfect lips’, there is no fixed definition or criteria, and it is up to the skills of the medical practitioner and the expectations of the individual. Therefore, in order to create aesthetically beautiful lips a thorough understanding of the underlying anatomy of the region is vital in planning a treatment strategy.

Lip Anatomy

The skin of the perioral region is stratified squamous epithelium and consists of the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. It contains hair follicles as well as sebaceous and sweat glands and is separated from the underlying tissue by connective tissue and muscles. On the inner side of the lip lies the mucosa with multiple salivary glands called labial glands3,4.

Read more at Prime >>