Vermilion border

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Border between the lips and the rest of the face

title: "Vermilion border" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["lips", "dermatologic-terminology", "face", "skin-anatomy"] description: "Border between the lips and the rest of the face" topic_path: "philosophy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermilion_border" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Border between the lips and the rest of the face ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox anatomy"]

FieldValue
NameVermilion border
Latinpars intermedia labiorum oris
ImageErythema around the lips.png
CaptionHuman lips with the vermilion border outlined. A patch of erythema above the upper lip makes it more difficult to distinguish the vermilion border.
::

| Name = Vermilion border | Latin = pars intermedia labiorum oris | Image = Erythema around the lips.png | Caption = Human lips with the vermilion border outlined. A patch of erythema above the upper lip makes it more difficult to distinguish the vermilion border.

| Precursor = | System = | Artery = | Vein = | Nerve = | Lymph = The vermilion border (sometimes spelled vermillion border), also called margin or zone, is the normally sharp demarcation between the lip and the adjacent normal skin. It represents the change in the epidermis from highly keratinized external skin to less keratinized internal skin. It has no sebaceous glands, sweat glands, or facial hair.

It has a prominence on the face, creating a focus for cosmetics (it is where lipstick is sometimes applied) and is also a location for several skin diseases. Its functional properties, however, remain unknown.

Structure

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Adult_human_mouth_(modified).jpg" caption="black]] man, with the vermilion border mostly brown in colour, with pinkness in the inner part."] ::

The lips are composed wholly of soft tissue. The skin of the face is thicker than the skin overlying the lips where blood vessels are closer to the surface. As a consequence, the margin of the lips shows a transition between the thicker and thinner skin, represented by the vermilion border. It therefore has the appearance of a sharp line between the coloured edge of the lip and adjoining skin.

It has been described as a pale, white rolled border and also as being a red line. Among dark-skinned people, the vermilion border may be brown instead of red-pink in colour.

This fine line of pale skin accentuates the colour difference between the vermilion and normal skin. Along the upper lip, two adjacent elevations of the vermilion border form the Cupid's bow.

Microanatomy

The vermilion border represents the change in the epidermis from highly keratinized external skin to less keratinized internal skin. It has no sebaceous glands, sweat glands, or facial hair.

There are two reasons that the border appears red in some people:

  1. The epithelium is thin and therefore the blood vessels are closer to the surface.
  2. This epithelium contains eleidin which is transparent and the blood vessels are near the surface of the papillary layer, revealing the "red blood cell" color. At the angles of the mouth, there are sebaceous glands, without hair follicles, which are called Fordyce spots. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/MouthCupidBow.jpg" caption="A Cupid's bow on the upper lip."] ::

Clinical significance

The vermilion border is important in dentistry and oral pathology as a marker to detect disease, such as in actinic cheilitis.

Associated diseases

  • Perioral dermatitis is a rash typically around the mouth, that spares the vermilion border.
  • Cheilitis glandularis may present with a burning sensation over the vermilion border. This chronic progressive condition is associated with thinning of the skin of the lips and ulceration.
  • Infections may involve the vermilion border. Cold sores are one common infection. Impetigo is another.
  • Skin cancer can also occur at the vermilion border.
  • Fetal alcohol syndrome causes facial abnormalities which include a thin vermilion border with a smooth philtrum.

Cosmetic appearance

  • Sunlight exposure can blur the junction between the vermilion border and the skin. Applying lip balm and sunscreen moisturizer protects it from sunlight.

Surgery

A vermilionectomy (sometimes spelled vermillionectomy) is the surgical removal of the vermilion border. It is sometimes performed to treat carcinoma of the lip.

Close attention is given when repairing any injury to the vermilion border. Even 1 mm of vermilion misalignment could be noticeable.

References

References

  1. (2007). "Woelfel's Dental Anatomy: Its Relevance to Dentistry". Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
  2. (March 2004). "Functional properties of the surface of the vermilion border of the lips are distinct from those of the facial skin.". British Journal of Dermatology.
  3. "Anatomy of the ageing lip".
  4. (2017-03-09). "Complex Lip Laceration: Overview, Indications, Contraindications".
  5. "Lip Anatomy: Surface Guide for Aesthetics Practitioners".
  6. (February 1, 2024). "Lip color diversity: An intricate study". Skin Research and Technology.
  7. Luthra, Amit. (2015). "Shaping Lips with Fillers". Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery.
  8. (2009-04-04). "Gray's Anatomy for Students E-Book". Elsevier Health Sciences.
  9. Chiego, Daniel J.. (2018). "Essentials of Oral Histology and Embryology: A Clinical Approach". Elsevier.
  10. (2015-04-12). "Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology". Elsevier Health Sciences.
  11. (2017-11-07). "Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention". Oxford University Press.
  12. M.D., Ilya Petrou. (2006-07-29). "Perioral dermatitis: It's not every rash that appears around the mouth".
  13. "Cheilitis Glandularis Clinical Presentation: History, Physical, Causes".
  14. Kradin, Richard L.. (2010-02-02). "Diagnostic Pathology of Infectious Disease E-Book". Elsevier Health Sciences.
  15. Eversole, Lewis R.. (2011). "Clinical Outline of Oral Pathology: Diagnosis and Treatment". PMPH-USA.
  16. (March 2005). "Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: Canadian guidelines for diagnosis". CMAJ.
  17. (1996). "The Female Body: An Owner's Manual: a Head-to-toe Guide to Good Health and Body Care-- at Any Age". Rodale Press.
  18. (2017-08-10). "Plastic Surgery E-Book: Volume 3: Craniofacial, Head and Neck Surgery and Pediatric Plastic Surgery". Elsevier Health Sciences.

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lipsdermatologic-terminologyfaceskin-anatomy