Toned Lips Indicate Health (Slack, “Pouty” Lips May Reveal SIBO)

If you’re concerned that you might have SIBO, (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), a glance in the mirror will inform you either way. Face Reading, a form of traditional Chinese medicine, correlates your small intestine’s health with the muscle tone of your inner lower lip. In seconds, you can easily apply this useful self-test. 

When you intentionally pout your mouth, the moist, inner part of the bottom lip expands out. If this part is visible when your mouth is relaxed, it suggests SIBO.

Muscle Tone in Lips

None of the accompanying photos show intentional pouts. But because Ingrid Bergman’s lip muscles and connective tissue are well toned, her inner lip is not visible.

In contrast, there appears to be a perpetual pout in the photos below. The remarkable Before and After photo sequence of my client Hillary, #5 and #6, show a woman who is regaining lip tone (and easing her SIBO symptoms) by upgrading her diet.

Face Reading lets you “see” under the skin to better understand—and then care for—your inner terrain. When your organ systems are toned, your complexion glows. So, let’s lip read.

Lip Basics

• Both lips divide into moist/inner and dry/outer zones.
• Visible inner lips are the norm for some people of color.
• The moist part of the upper lip is not often visible.
• Slack lips appear to be larger than toned lips.

Self-Test

1. Touch both of your lips to feel the difference between their wet and dry zones.
2. Looking into a mirror, push out your bottom lip into an exaggerated pout to see its inner lip.
3. Relax your mouth. Look again. If you can still see your inner lower lip, this suggests SIBO.  

Are big lips sexier?

Yes, there’s a positive correlation between sexual hormones and full or engorged lips. That is because with age, hormones decrease and the lips naturally flatten.

Now look closely at Ingrid’s sensuous lips. They are full and toned (neither flat nor lax). Lip filler cannot replicate the power and health she exudes.

Historically, and as you can see on this blog (Is a Larger Lower Lip Better?) or by looking at classical statues and old photos, both the upper and lower lips were typically toned and uniform in size. In lighter-skinned people, the inner lower lip was rarely visible. The blog Enhance Your Lip Appearance—With Before and After Photos provides additional information.

SIBO Symptoms

While SIBO symptoms are non-specific, they often include:

• Bloating and/or gas
• Nausea
• Abdominal distention, pain or discomfort
• Diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Brain fog
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Food sensitivities

When a person has SIBO, it means that there’s an excess of undesirable bacteria thriving in the small intestine. This often causes distention of both the abdomen and lower lip. Because the symptoms of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are similar to SIBO, it’s best to rely on medical tests for correct identification.

The severity of the symptoms and how chronic they are reflect the degree of bacterial overgrowth. SIBO negatively affects both the structure and function of the small bowel. It may significantly interfere with digestion and absorption. Additionally, it can lead to leaky gut with potential complications including immune reactions that cause food allergies or sensitivities, generalized inflammation and autoimmune diseases.

SIBO Treatment

Antibiotics will reduce (but not eliminate) bacterial overgrowth. But with or without medications, SIBO is slow to respond and can require ongoing maintenance. Therefore, it’s up to you to proactively moderate your diet and lifestyle to keep your intestinal bacteria at a normal levels.

SIBO is an increasingly common problem and it’s easy to spot a lack of lip tone on the faces around you. If you wish remove a perpetual “pout,” start with this blog: Clear Up Your Complexion.

For personal help, Face Reading Consultations by email are available.