日本人女性の唇の色，年代別の変化および影響する因子について

抄録

The lips are a prominent part of the face along with the eyes, and their shape and color can affect the impression of the face. In terms of the color of the lips, the most common concerns were whitish, thin, dull, and the difference in color between the upper and lower lips. It is also recognized that the color of lips become lighter and duller with age, but the thinner shape makes it difficult to measure the color precisely with conventional instruments.

In this study, we measured the color of vermilion part of the upper and lower lips of 765 volunteers (aged 15–74) in winter using a non-contact measurement device. Of which 162 were reassessed in summer in order to investigate seasonal changes.

Since lip color tends to gradually lower brightness, redness, and yellowness with age after 30s, it was considered as one of the aging sign. In addition, it was confirmed that the lower lip color changes more with age than the upper lip. Sun exposure habits and seasonal change did not affect much the color of lips, but smoking habits suggested that lip color was greatly influenced by blood flow.

There was a moderate correlation between the brightness of the lips and skin (cheek), but no correlation was found for other color values. It was confirmed that lip color was not affected by water content.

It was found that there were three types of lip color among Japanese women, but there was a difference between the actual color values and the self-assessment.