Photoageing‐related skin changes in different age groups: a clinical evaluation by biophysical and imaging techniques

Abstract

Objectives In view of the lack of studies about the morphological and structural changes caused by solar radiation in young people, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the photoageing‐related changes in the skin of different age groups by biophysical and imaging techniques. Methods Forty‐four healthy female subjects were divided into two age groups: Group 1 (G1): 18–35 years old and Group 2 (G2): 40–60 years old. The skin of malar region of the face was evaluated in terms of mechanical properties, disorder in the pigmentation pattern, morphological and structural changes using the Cutometer®, Colorimeter®, Visioface® and Dermascan C® devices and reflectance confocal microscopy (Vivascope®). Results The results showed that the main changes in the skin of G1 were related to the pigmentation pattern, the papilla format and depletion of thin collagen fibres. These alterations were also observed in the skin of G2, but with more pronounced effects. Conclusion The knowledge about the skin changes caused by photoageing obtained in this study is very important for the development of dermocosmetic products for more effective treatments particularly focused on this type of skin. Finally, objective characterization of photoageing showed the importance of photoprotective habits since the first years of life in order to retard the appearance of skin changes caused by solar radiation.

Skin Quality – A Holistic 360° View: Consensus Results

“…Other options include LifeViz, 55 standardized before and after photos, and the Skin Colorimeter CL 400 (Courage + Khazaka, Cologne, Germany). 69 …”

Skin photoaging in young men: A clinical study by skin imaging techniques

“…On the other hand, in this study it was not observed the presence of mottled pigmentation in the basal layer for the participants, except for those with melasma. However, another study of our research group that analysed the skin of young women by RCM, it was observed the presence of this pigmentation disorder in the basal layer [7]. In this study, it was observed only a worsening of the pre‐existing skin pigmentary disorders such as melasma or PIHP.…”

“…Microscopic images were obtained using the Vivastack imaging system that provides multiple successive depth‐confocal images at a certain site of the tissue, and 3‐by‐3‐μm images were obtained up to a depth of 150 μm. The images were interpreted according to the recent literature to analyse stratum corneum and papillae thickness, honeycomb pattern, presence of vascularization in the spinous layer, pigmentation and structural aspect of papillae and collagen [7,8]. The evaluation was performed in triplicate, and the analysis was positive for the characteristics if at least two stacks revealed an alteration [5,11].…”

“…The recommendations regarding sun protection based on research mainly in the USA and Europe are not adequate to Brazilian population. Despite high solar incidence in the country, there are few studies that evaluated the morphological and structural characteristics of Brazilian young photoaged skin [7]. Therefore, it is important to assess the first signs of photoaging in the face skin to better develop cosmetic products mainly for male population since they are consuming more cosmetic products [4].…”

“…In this context, for the better understanding the skin alterations from photoaging, the application of non‐invasive skin imaging techniques can help to elucidate how the absence of photoprotection affects skin health [7].…”