Purpose: Anthropometric data can provide valuable support for the attending physician in planning surgical and nonsurgical esthetic procedures with regard to a patient's age. The purpose of the present study was to identify age-related orolabial changes in younger and older Caucasian women.
Materials and methods: In the present cross-sectional study, anthropometric landmarks were identified using indirect anthropometry (2-dimensional photometry) in younger (≤35 yr) and older (≥50 yr) Caucasian women to analyze age-related parameters and proportions of the orolabial region, especially of the lower and upper lip vermilion areas. The Mann-Whitney U test was applied to compare the results between the younger and older populations.
Results: The study population consisted of 45 women. The cohort was divided into a younger population (24 participants; mean age, 27.4 yr) and an older population (21 participants; mean age, 58 yr) to evaluate age-related differences. Increases of upper lip height, cutaneous height of the upper lip, and cutaneous height of the lower lip were observed in older women. In contrast, the vermilion height of the lower lip decreased significantly with increasing age.
Conclusion: These results show changes of the orolabial region occur in Caucasian women with increasing age. The statistically relevant decrease of the vermilion height of the lower lip should be given particular attention for (age-appropriate) diagnostic, esthetic, and prosthetic treatment planning.
Copyright © 2016 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.