Open AccessThe relationship between the Young's modulus of the stratum corneum and age: a pilot study
Author(s) -
Hara Yusuke,
Masuda Yuji,
Hirao Tetsuji,
Yoshikawa Nobuhiro
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
skin research and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.521
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1600-0846
pISSN - 0909-752X
DOI - 10.1111/srt.12054
Subject(s) - stratum corneum , dermis , modulus , biomedical engineering , elastic modulus , stratum , materials science , young's modulus , dermatology , composite material , anatomy , medicine , pathology , geology , geotechnical engineering
Background/purpose The mechanical properties of the stratum corneum play an important role in protecting the body from external physical stimuli and excessive sensitivity. However, it is difficult to analyze these mechanical properties in vivo . To resolve this problem, we carried out a numerical analysis to calculate the Young's modulus of the stratum corneum. We then investigated the relationship between the Young's modulus of the stratum corneum and age. Methods We used a Cutometer ® and a Dermal Torque Meter ® for measuring skin mechanical parameters, and optical coherence tomography and an ultrasonic imaging system for measuring skin thickness. Based on these non‐invasive results, liner elastic analysis was performed by the finite element method, and the Young's moduli of the stratum corneum and the dermis were calculated by solving an inverse problem. Using these techniques, we analyzed the correlation between the Young's modulus of the stratum corneum for the cheeks of seventy‐eight Japanese women aged from 20 to 68 years. Results In the group study, the mean Young's moduli of the stratum corneum and dermis were calculated 1.993 MP a and 0.066 MP a, respectively. While carrying out individual analyses, there was a weak relationship between the Young's modulus of the stratum corneum and age ( r = 0.337). Conclusion We calculated the Young's modulus of the stratum corneum in vivo , with commercially available systems, and found that it is a weak correlation with age in this group of subjects. Future developments of our method would be beneficial in the characterization of facial skin aging and the validation of cosmetic and medical applications.