Biomechanical assessment of photodamage

Abstract

Background/Aims: Intrinsic aging and photoaging may present different biomechanical properties. Dorsal and volar forearm skin is differently exposed to UV‐light. The object was to derive a cutaneous extrinsic aging score (SEAS) representative of UV aging, i.e. the global photoaging corrected for intrinsic aging. Methods: The Cutometer SM 474 was used for the measurement of skin mechanical properties. 86 healthy Caucasian women were studied. Dorsal and volar forearm skin was measured. Results: Age related changes consisting of an overall increase in skin extensibility (Uf) and viscoelastic ratio (Uv/Ue) with decreased biologic elasticity (BE) was observed. Differentials in extensibility (Uf) and viscoelastic ration (Uv/Ue) between the volar and the dorsal test sites increase with age. Conclusions: Biomechanical parameters allow the evaluation of intrinsic aging in the concept of overall photoaging resulting from the combination of environmental damages superimposed to the intrinsic changes.