Mechanical and topographical anisotropy for human skin: Ageing effect

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Dermatology
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Skin aging impacts epidermal, dermal, and hypodermal layers functionally and structurally.
• Changes in dermal biomechanics may influence skin relief and cutaneous line organization.
• Existing evidence linking skin relief to mechanical condition is inconclusive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally investigate the in vivo correlation between human skin biomechanical anisotropy and skin topography.
• To analyze how this correlation evolves with the aging process.
• To determine if skin relief reflects underlying mechanical skin conditions.

Main Methods:

• A panel of 20 men (ages 23-64) was studied on their right volar forearms.
• An innovative contactless bio-rheometer measured skin's dynamic response to air blasts in multiple directions.
• A novel method using watershed and linear radon transformations analyzed skin relief topography and line orientation.

Main Results:

• A significant correlation was observed between skin relief and mechanical properties throughout the aging process.
• Both skin topography and mechanical properties transitioned from isotropic to anisotropic behavior with age.
• The findings suggest skin relief is a reliable indicator of underlying skin mechanical conditions.

Conclusions:

• Skin topography accurately reflects the underlying mechanical state of the skin.
• Aging induces a transition from isotropic to anisotropic mechanical behavior in the skin.
• The developed methods provide new insights into age-related changes in skin biomechanics and topography.