Why are our lips pinker when we are young?

Pink lips fade as we get older

Pink lips fade as we get older

Published Jul 12, 2016

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Lips are pink because they have the thinnest skin on the body to allow them to be flexible enough to talk, make facial expressions and eat.

Unlike skin elsewhere on the body, the lips contain no sweat glands, hair follicles or any of the pigment melanin, making the skin look almost see-through.

This means the red colour of the blood circulating in the capillaries underneath can be seen through the skin, making lips appear pink.

However, as we age, the numberof blood vessels declines, and so blood flow in the deep layers of the skin, including to the lips, is reduced, says Adam Taylor, a senior lecturer in anatomy at Lancaster University Medical School.

As this blood supply gets less efficient, and the amount of collagen that fills out the lips drops, the lips shrink and can look less rosy.

Daily Mail

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