Cross-Sectional Study of Sexual Dimorphism in Lip Prints among Students Doing a Professional Course in Bengaluru

Abstract

Background: Identification of human beings forms the basis of any criminal investigation. Lip print study, also
known as cheiloscopy is the study of patterns formed by the ridges and grooves on the external surface of lips. This
study aims to classify lip prints and study its correlation to sex.
Methodology: 205 student participants who volunteered were included in this study of which females were
123 and males were 82. A food safe pigment was applied to the lips. Over this pigment, the glued portion of the
cellophane tape strip was placed and the subject was asked to make a lip impression in the normal rest position of
the lips by dabbing it in the centre first and then pressing it uniformly toward the corners of the lips. The cellophane
strip was then stuck to the white chart paper for permanent record purpose, then visualized by magnifying lens
and analysed quadrant wise.
Conclusion The most common lip print in the upper lip was found to be type 3 and in the lower lip was found to
be type 4. Statistically significant difference with respect to sex was observed in first quadrant only (p = 0.01) and
not in others.