Sleep Deprivation Increases Facial Skin Yellowness

Sleep shortage is a major concern in modern life and induces various psycho-physical disorders, including skin problems. In cosmeceutics, females are aware that sleep deprivation worsens their facial skin tone. Here, we measured the effects of sleep deprivation on facial skin yellowness and examined yellow chromophores, such as bilirubin and carotenoids, in blood serum as potential causes of yellowness. Total sleep deprivation (0 h sleep overnight, N = 28) and repeated partial sleep deprivation (4 h sleep for 5 consecutive days, N = 10) induced significant increases in facial skin yellowness. The higher yellowness was sustained even after both sleep deprivation types stopped. However, circulating levels of yellow chromophores were unchanged in the total sleep deprivation study. Neither circulating interleukin-6 nor urinary biopyrrin levels were affected by total sleep deprivation, suggesting that apparent oxidative stress in the body was not detected in the present total deprivation protocol. Facial redness was affected by neither total nor repeated partial sleep deprivation. Therefore, blood circulation may play a limited role in elevated yellowness. In conclusion, facial skin yellowness was indeed increased by sleep deprivation in our clinical studies. Local in situ skin-derived factors, rather than systemic chromophore change, may contribute to the sleep deprivation-induced elevation of facial skin yellowness.