How are lips structured?

July 3, 2023

Let's get to know the anatomy of our lips together.

Analyzing the upper lip in more detail, the line of passage between the cutaneous area and the cutaneous-mucosal area is represented by the vermilion border of the upper lip (in dark blue color) and of the lower lip (in light blue color).

In the central part of the skin area it is possible to observe what is called the philtrum (in light green colour), a small depression that runs vertically from the base of the nose to the vermilion of the lip itself and is between two lateral ridges called philtrum columns (in dark green colour). The latter, together with the filter itself, create a concavity on the vermilion which is called Cupid's bow (in red colour), which is very accentuated in the female gender and gives a strong sensuality to the lips.

In the central cutaneous-mucosal part of the lip, at the level of the oral fissure, the tubercle (yellow in colour) is observed which corresponds to a small swelling, usually more pronounced in females. On the sides of the tubercle there are two lateral depressions. The tubercle of the upper lip corresponds to a median depression (in brown color) of the lower lip and the lateral depressions of the upper lip correspond to two larger protrusions of the lower one.

Finally, the lower lip is outlined by the vermilion border, which joins the vermilion border of the upper lip at the two corners of the mouth, defined as the right and left labial commissure (in pink).