1.

Background

Human identification is a vital event in any crime investigation and developments

in forensic science have aided in the application of a variety of techniques for

achieving this purpose. Cheiloscopy is one such forensic identification technique

which has shown promising results lately. Cheiloscopy is the study of lip prints,

which can be used for identification much like finger-prints. The biological

phenomenon of system of furrows on the red part of human lips was first noted by

anthropologists. The grooves present on the human lips are unique to each person and

can be used to determine identity.

Fisher was the first to describe it in 1902. In 1932, E. Locard, one of Frances

greatest criminologists, recommended the use of lip prints in personal identification

and criminalization. In 1950, Synder mentioned in his Textbook of Homicide

Investigation that the lip grooves are individually distinct as finger prints. In 1967,

Suzuki investigated the measurement of the lips, the use and color of rouge, and the

method for its extraction to obtain useful data for practical forensic application.

Lips are two highly sensitive mobile folds, composed of skin, muscle, glands and

mucous membrane. They surround the oral orifice and form the anterior boundary of

the oral cavity. Anatomically, the surface that forms the oral sphincter is the lip area.

There are two lips, an upper and lower which are joined at the corners of the mouth, the

commissures and separated by the buccal fend. Lips are covered by mucosa and partly

by skin.
2. Classification of Lip Print

a. Martn Santos classification

This author divides the lip grooves into two groups: (1) simple, when they are formed

only by one element; this element can be a straight line (R-1), a curve (C-2), an

angular form (A-3) or sinusoidal (S-4); (2) compound, when they are formed by

several elements; in this case, they can be bifurcated (B-5), trifurcated (T-6) or

anomalous (An-7).

b. Suzuki and Tsuchihashi classification

Suzuki and Tsuchihashi, in 1970,[10] devised a classification [Figure 1] method of lip

prints, which follows:

1. Type I: A clearcut groove running vertically across the lip.

2. Type I: Partiallength groove of Type I.

3. Type II: A Branched groove.

4. Type III: An intersected groove.

5. Type IV: A Reticular pattern

6. Type V: Other patterns

 Figure 1. Type of lip print based onSuzuki and Tsuchihashi.

c. Renaud classification

This is, probably, the most complete classification. The lips are studied in halves (left

and right), and every groove, according to its form, has a number (Figure 2). A

formula is then elaborated using capital letters to describe the upper lip left (L) and

right (R) sides, and small letters to classify each groove; in the lower lip, it is done the

other way around, using capital letters to classify the grooves, and small letters to

separate left from right sides.

Figure 2. Renauds Classification

d. Afchar-Bayat classification

This classification, dated from 1979, is based on a six-type groove organization, as

seen in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Afchar-Bayat Classification

e. Jose Maria Dominguez classification

This is a classification based on the one made by Suzuki and Tsuchihashi. In the

grooves classified as Type II of Suzuki and Tsuchihashi, the author and his

co-workers observed, with some frequency, a slight variation: they observed that

branched grooves often divided upwards in the upper lip, and downwards in the lower,

as reported by Suzuki and Tsuchihashi; but they also realise that some grooves, the so

called II0 type branched the other way around.

3. Recording lip prints

Lip prints can be recorded in a number of ways.

1. Photographing the suspects lips.[11]

2. On a nonporous flat surface such as a mirror they can be photographed, enlarged

and overlay tracings made of the grooves.[12]

3. Applying lipstick, lip rouge, or other suitable transfer mediums to the lips and then

having the individual press his or her lips to a piece of paper or cellophane tape or

similar

surface.[11]

4. Using a finger printer, preferably a roller finger printer.[13]

5. By having the subject impress his or her lips (without lipstick or other recording

medium) against a suitable surface and then processing these prints with either

conventional finger print developing powder or with a magna brush and magnetic

powder.

The lips of the subject were first cleaned thoroughly. The lips were then outlined

using a sharp lip liner pencil. Lipstick was applied uniformly to the lips using lipstick

applicator brushes starting at the midline and moving laterally. The lipstick was

allowed to dry for about 2 minutes after which lip prints were taken in two ways. First,

lip prints of each lip were taken separately using scotch Magic tape. A thin coat of

lipstick was reapplied and a second lip print of both the lips together was taken using

cellophane tape. These prints were stuck onto white paper in a manner similar to that

described by Sivapathasundharam et al (2001).