Summary
Background
Decreased skin elasticity is considered as a factor that promotes wrinkle formation.
However, the relationship between decreased skin elasticity and the formation of wrinkles
is not fully understood.
Objective
The purpose of this study is to characterize the relationship between skin elasticity
and wrinkle formation using quantitative methods.
Methods
Skin elasticity at the corner of the eye was measured using a Cutometer SEM575™. Wrinkle
levels at the corner of the eye were determined from three-dimensional analysis of
surface replicas. Ninety healthy female volunteers living in Tokyo, Japan (aged 18–76
years) were examined in this study.
Results
In each scatter plot examined, women with lower Ur/Uf values or with higher Uv/Ue values showed a tendency for increased Ra and Rmax values. However, this study determined widely scattered values for both types of
parameters. These relationships were then reanalyzed in relation to age. Results were
compared within a young (YNG) group of 27 women (aged 18–29), a middle-aged (MED)
group of 26 women (aged 30–48) and an elderly (OLD) group of 37 women (aged 50–76).
For elasticity parameters, Ur/Uf and Uv/Ue values, significant differences were found between the YNG and MED groups and also
between the MED and OLD groups. For roughness parameters, a significant difference
was found only between the MED and OLD groups. These results suggest that changes
in Ra or Rmax values lag about 20 years behind changes in skin elasticity values.
Conclusions
Despite a strong relationship, elasticity parameters are unlikely to be an independent
predictor of wrinkle levels. The amount of UV exposure to skin with decreased elasticity
seems to be the variable that determines wrinkle levels. This finding represents another
complexity in the mechanism of wrinkle formation.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
May 1,
2007
Received in revised form:
April 30,
2007
Received:
January 21,
2007
Identification
Copyright
© 2007 Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
