Why are human lips red?

I should probably know the answer to this but I don't.





Is it because the skin is really thin, or are they red to attract the opposite sex? Or may be another reason?Why are human lips red?
Lips are an extremity of the body and are therefore going to have more blood in them making them redder, such as ears, fingers...Why are human lips red?
thin sking.. blood to the surface and all that lol..
well....mine are pink.


Who has natural red lips?
The skin is super thin there and there is a lot of blood flowing through them.
oops...I think you're color-blind...lips are dark-green...





ok, it was a joke, a bad one of course,


look for your scientifical answer in Wikipedia, for example the Blood Supply section...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lip#Blood_s…





Our friend Heather below, for instance, got her smart answer from Wikipedia, in teh section Anatomical basis of the human lip...





';[edit] Anatomical basics of the human lip


One differentiates between the Upper (Labium superioris) and lower lip (Labium inferioris). The lower lip is usually somewhat larger. The border between the lips and the surrounding skin is referred to as the vermilion border, or simply the vermilion. The vertical groove on the upper lip is known as the philtrum. The entire skin between the upper lip and the nose is referred to as the ';ergotrid';.





The skin of the lip, with three to five cellular layers, is very thin compared to typical face skin, having up to 16 layers. With light skin color, the lip skin contains no melanocyte (pigment cells, which give skin its color). Because of this, the blood vessels appear through the skin of the lips, which leads to their notable red coloring. With darker skin color this effect is less prominent, as in this case the skin of the lips contains more melanin and thus is visually thicker.





The lip skin is not hairy and does not have sweat glands or sebaceous glands. Therefore, it does not have the usual protection layer of sweat and body oils which keep the skin smooth, kill pathogens, and regulate warmth. For these reasons, the lips dry out faster and become chapped more easily.';








Use Wikipedia, it's good, dont ask this kind of questions here, many people love to copy and paste, and therefore you're wasting points and time....
because they are the last thing to pass through the birth canal and the mouth has a huge sack attached to it filled with silly string and yo-yos that gets ripped off when the baby is born. hence leaving the red swollen lips. (Angelina Jolie had a really big sack attached to her)
Thin skin and highly vascularized (a lot of blood vessels).
Because the blood
white people's are. black people have brownish lips. they're sexy!
All lips are not red. Mine are pink.
the ammount or bloodcells in the lips and the thickness of the skin
The skin of the lip, with three to five cellular layers, is very thin compared to typical face skin, having up to 16 layers. With light skin color, the lip skin contains no melanocyte (pigment cells, which give skin its color). Because of this, the blood vessels appear through the skin of the lips, which leads to their notable red coloring. With darker skin color this effect is less prominent, as in this case the skin of the lips contains more melanin and thus is visually thicker.
Not truly red without lipstick. can be a deep pink though. I have read that the color and fullness of a womans lips mimics an aroused ';treasure box';.
Skin is thinner than on other parts of the body. When aroused, they will actually darken to show interest (from increased blood flow). Some say it is to ';attract a mate';.
There are many blood vessels in the lip area. Because the skin there is very thin, the color from these vessels is easily seen through the lips, making them appear red. If you are outside and a friend notices your lips turning blue, it's a sign that you need to come in and warm up








Interesting I must say!
because the skin is thin and you can see the blood, thats why peoples lips often bleed.
Not all lips are red, but it's blood flowing close to the surface.
It is theorised and quite likely that lips are simply the insides of our mouth's turned outwards! It would certainly explain why lips are darker, more sensitive and have no hair or sweat glands compared to the rest of the skin on our faces. It is believed that we evolved to have lips during our transition from ape's, although the reason's why aren't clear. Perhaps because lips helped our ancestor's communicate clearer, both in speech and as sexual come-ons. It is particularly obvious in Caucasians, as lip colour is exactly the same colour as the insides of their mouths. Those with African skin and in some Asian skins, lip colour is darker, probably due to the extra sunlight in those countries and the extra melatonin in their outer skin
Mine are only red if I put red lipstick on them! Otherwise they are pink. Am I abnormal - lol!
Red lips stick.
what other color would look better?
i believe its bc thats the thinnest skin we have on our body. so you can see right thru it. i rem hearing that on a health channel.
What HeAtHeR said!!
i think its cause the blood vesles are so close to the surface