In vivo skin imaging for hydration and micro relief-measurement

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Dermatology
• Instrumentation

Background:

• Assessing skin hydration and topography is crucial for dermatological research and cosmetic product development.
• Current methods for evaluating skin properties can be subjective or lack precision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel device for measuring skin capacitance.
• To evaluate the device's ability to assess skin hydration and topography before and after moisturizing cream application.
• To validate the device's performance using cellulose filter papers soaked in different solvents.

Main Methods:

• A custom-built device utilizing a capacitance sensor was employed to generate capacitance images of the skin.
• Capacitance values were quantified using a 256-gray level scale.
• Image analysis software processed gray level histograms to derive skin hydration parameters.

Main Results:

• The device successfully generated high-resolution capacitance images, enabling precise observation of skin topography.
• A strong correlation was established between average grayscale values and skin hydration levels.
• Experimental results on cellulose filter papers demonstrated the device's sensitivity to different solvent properties.

Conclusions:

• Skin capacitance measurement provides objective and reliable data on topographical, physical, and chemical skin parameters.
• The developed device shows significant potential for characterizing skin hydration and micro-relief.
• Further comparative studies are recommended to fully interpret grayscale values and track dynamic changes in skin hydration.