• Proceedings of the SCSK Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.162-177
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• 2003

It has been known that the color of skin reflects the blood flow within. In lips, the capillaries close to the skin surface are numerous; hence lips are redder than the rest of face. However, dermatological research on lips is not as advanced as research on facial or body skin, and little was known about the relationship between relatively dull-colored lips and skin blood flow. The physiological differences between colorful and dull-colored lips were studied by a two-dimensional laser Doppler blood flow analyzer, a spectrometer for the measurement of the degree of oxygen saturation, and a confocal microscope for observing inside lips non-invasively. Dull-colored lips and the corner of lips (dull-colored compared to the center) showed relatively poor blood flow and lower oxygenated hemoglobin. It was found that colorful lips (generally the young) had a blood flow that tended to run straight in parallel with the skin surface. This unique blood-capillary structure can express clear red blood. Those with dull-colored lips had lost this unique structure. Their blood ran perpendicularly from the deep of the skin and down back again into the deep part as like the blood circulation patterns of facial skin. Therefore, the lips of the latter group had fewer blood capillaries near skin surface in the lips than that of the colorful-lips group. A lipstick containing a-glucosyl-hesperidin, which is derived from certain citrus fruits and can enhance blood circulation, was applied for evaluating its effects. Blood flow was increased 30 min after the application. After two weeks of daily application, the lips' condition became noticeably less dull. These findings suggest that the decrease of blood flow in dull-colored lips is caused by the loss of the unique capillary structure and the use of the lipstick to increase blood flow can give a vivid color to lips.