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Non-invasive Assessment of Microvascular and Endothelial Function
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Age-related changes in skin topography and microcirculation
Li Li1, Sophie Mac-Mary, David Marsaut
1Cutaneous Engineering and Biology Laboratory and IFR 133 Cell and Tissue Engineering and Biology, University of Franche-Comté, 25030, Besançon, France.
Archives of Dermatological Research
|December 6, 2005
Summary
As skin ages, its topography and microcirculation change, with increased roughness and altered blood vessel networks. These bioengineering methods can assess cosmetic product efficacy for skin aging.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Bioengineering
- Gerontology
Background:
- Skin topography and microvasculature change with age.
- Quantitative, non-invasive methods to measure these changes are limited.
- Few studies explore age-related skin changes across different anatomical sites.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related changes in skin topography and microcirculation.
- To compare these changes between the volar forearm and the back of the hand.
- To assess the utility of specific bioengineering techniques in studying skin aging.
Main Methods:
- Interference fringe profilometry of silicone skin replicas for topography.
- Videocapillaroscopy for superficial vascular network assessment.
- Laser Doppler flowmetry for subpapillary vascular plexus analysis.
- Colorimetry for skin color measurement.
Main Results:
- Skin roughness and mean peak-to-valley height increased with age.
- Statistically significant differences in aging patterns were observed between the forearm and hand.
- Capillary loops in dermal papillae decreased, while the subpapillary plexus increased with age.
Conclusions:
- Skin topography and microcirculation exhibit distinct age-related alterations.
- Interference fringe profilometry and videocapillaroscopy are accurate for measuring age-related skin changes.
- These methods can evaluate the effectiveness of anti-aging cosmetic and medical products.
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