Why is the skin of the lips not the same as other skin areas?

Lips are one of the most sensual and glamorous points of the human body. Not just a highlight on the face, the lips also have a lot of effects in our daily lives.

Imagine a day your lips disappear. How can you eat to survive? How to smile, chat to create a relationship. Life will definitely be much more difficult. Lips are not only a symbol of beauty, but also an effective means of expressing your emotions, and sometimes they help you satisfy your anger quite quickly.

The familiar lips are, but have you ever wondered why the color of your lips is different from the color of other skin areas? Why are they red? Why are they so soft? Why are they a place to give kisses? Join Science ABC to learn more about our lips.

Picture 1 of Why is the skin of the lips not the same as other skin areas?
Why is the skin on the lips red?

Why is the lips red?

The lips of the lips are not the same as the rest of our body's skin. This can be explained because they are thinner than other skin areas. The skin is usually made up of three separate layers: epidermis, dermis and dermis . The epidermis is the outermost layer of skin that we can see and touch, including dead cells, thus protecting us from toxins and bacteria and helping to avoid Take the necessary fluids.

The main structure of the middle layer is collagen fiber, elastic fiber and connective tissue - to help skin be healthy, flexible, and help bring youthfulness to us. Middle layer plays an important role in protecting the body from the influence of external factors as well as nourishing the outer skin. The dermis on the innermost side is where the body's energy is produced, and acts as a cushion and insulation for the body. And Melanocyte - cells that make melanin (the factor that makes our skin color when exposed to the sun) - is found in the epidermis by researchers.

However, the skin part does not have Melanocyte , so there is no melanin to create skin pigmentation. In addition, the lips are areas with a lot of blood vessels , along with extremely thin epidermis of the lips, so the redness of the blood vessels is very clear. That's why the bright red color of blood is converted into the reddish-pink color of our lips (the color of the blood vessels that pass through the three layers of the bridge that make up the lips).

Picture 2 of Why is the skin of the lips not the same as other skin areas?
Structure of lip skin area.

Why is the lips soft?

The epidermis, true to its protective functions as mentioned above, is the hardest of the three components that make up the lips. And as mentioned, the expression because the lip area is very thin, so it is clear that the skin will be softer than the other skin with a thick epidermis.

In addition, the skin of the lips does not have hair follicles. Hair follicles are found in all areas of the body, except for the palms and soles of the feet. Hair follicles also play an important role in protecting the body's perfection and contributing to the "hardness" of the skin. And as said, because lip skin does not have hair follicles, so of course they will be softer and also more vulnerable than other skin areas.

Another factor that makes the lips vulnerable is the lack of sebaceous glands. This is the ingredient that helps moisturize the skin, but the lips don't. The only moisture supply of the lip skin is saliva . And that is why we often break our lips whenever the weather is dry and they are not kept moist and full.

Why do we often use lips to kiss? And why are lips kisses sweet?

Picture 3 of Why is the skin of the lips not the same as other skin areas?
With thin epidermis, the effects on human lips will easily bring us strong emotions.

Just like the tips of the fingers, the lips also possess more nerve fibers than other areas of the body. In addition to possessing a delicate cuticle, the effects on human lips will easily bring us strong emotions. Therefore, when showing love to someone, people often use their lips to kiss, which is also a way for the opponent to feel more clearly his feelings. And when you get another person's kiss on your lips, it's the delicate nature of your lips and the dense nerves that make you feel so sublimated.

Lips are a miracle on the human body. Human lip color is separated from the rest of the skin with a clear shape. The shape of the lips is surrounded by lip contours - the same is the loose edge separating the lips from other skin areas. The lips of animals often do not differ from other skin areas. It can be seen that our lips have evolved to match the increasingly modern life. But no one can be sure of the cause of this special evolution. And this is still a mystery that needs to be investigated.