Quantification of the skin's topography by skin profilometry

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Biophysics
• Surface Metrology

Background:

• Skin topography is crucial for understanding skin health and function.
• Quantitative assessment of skin surface patterns is challenging due to inherent variability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel method for skin profilometry.
• To identify optimal roughness parameters for skin characterization.
• To evaluate the sensitivity of skin profilometry in detecting surface changes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a skin profilometry method to generate surface data.
• Analyzed roughness parameter values in relation to skin surface features (grooves and ridges).
• Assessed variability in roughness parameters across different skin areas.

Main Results:

• Roughness parameter values are dependent on tracing orientation relative to skin topography.
• Significant variability in roughness parameters indicates skin surface non-homogeneity.
• Specific parameters (e.g., number of peaks, mean peak size) are most effective for quantifying topography.

Conclusions:

• Skin profilometry is a valuable tool for quantitative assessment of skin surface patterns.
• The method demonstrates sensitivity in detecting subtle skin changes, such as those induced by hydration.
• Identified key roughness parameters provide robust characterization of skin topography.