title: Cleavage lines in the facial skin of Japanese cadavers.
abstract: Since Langer published his work on the cleavage lines of the skin in 1861, many Japanese and foreign authors have referred to Langer's lines as the most appropriate guides for skin incisions giving minimum scarring after heelings, but it has recently been suggested that the cleavage lines of Langer do not constitute a suitable guide for making an incision. Furthermore, comparison with directions of the lines described in the published textbooks has shown some discrepancies in detail among these descriptions, especially in the face. Therefore, Japanese cleavage lines were examined in the facial region of seven male and four female Japanese cadavers, and the following results were obtained. 1) Forehead: The long axes of the cleavage lines tend to run transversely as a whole. 2) Eyelids: The lines run, drawing a concentric loops, aroung the eye-fissures. 3) Lips: The main direction of the lines on the upper lip is radial upwardly, and the lines radiate downward on the lower lip.
mesh_terms: D002102:Cadaver; D002610:Cheek / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008046:Lip / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008297:Male; D009055:Mouth / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009666:Nose / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012867:Skin / Q000033:anatomy & histology*