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BACKGROUND: To date, studies examining the effect of air pollution on skin characteristics have relied on regional pollution estimates obtained from fixed monitoring sites. Hence, there remains a need to characterize the impact of air pollution in vivo in real-time conditions. We conducted an initial investigation under real-life conditions, with the purpose of characterizing the in vivo impact of various pollutants on the facial skin condition of women living in Paris over a 6-month period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A smartphone application linked to the Breezometer platform was used to collect participants' individual exposures to pollutants through the recovery of global positioning system (GPS) data over a 6-month period. Daily exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 µm and PM 10 µm), pollen, and air quality was measured. Facial skin color, roughness, pore, hydration, elasticity, and wrinkle measurements were taken at the end of the 6-month period. Participants' cumulated pollutant exposure over 6 months was calculated. Data were stratified into two groups (lower vs. higher pollutant exposure) for each pollutant. RESULTS: 156 women (20-60 years-old) were recruited, with 124 women completing the study. Higher PM 2.5 µm exposure was associated with altered skin color and increased roughness under the eye. Higher PM 10 µm exposure with increased wrinkles and roughness under the eye, increased pore appearance, and decreased skin hydration. Exposure to poorer air quality was linked with increased forehead wrinkles and decreased skin elasticity, while higher pollen exposure increased skin roughness and crow's feet. CONCLUSION: This study suggests a potential correlation between air pollution and facial skin in real-life conditions. Prolonged exposure to PM, gases, and pollen may be linked to clinical signs of skin ageing. This study highlights the importance of longer monitoring over time in real conditions to characterize the effect of pollution on the skin.

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Natural skin tension plays an important role during surgical procedures and during the healing process especially for the face. The study of skin tension can be a means of assessing the aging effect, or the application of a medical or cosmetic product. In this work we propose a characterization of the natural human cheek skin tension in vivo and its variability with age using three characterization methods. These methods consist of facial photography to assess the ptosis of the lower face and the nasolabial fold, suction test to estimate mechanical parameters using the cutometer, and topographic analysis of the skin at rest and during folding test to study the skin relief. The study was carried out on 41 volunteers representing two age groups: 18 young volunteers [20-30] years-old and 23 elderly volunteers [50-65] years-old. The results show that the ptosis of the lower face and the nasolabial fold increase with age. The sagging of the skin observed on the facial photos is related to the loss of elasticity and the increase in the skin viscoelasticity with age. The analysis of the cheek skin relief shows that it has a very fine and flexible lines network. This analysis of the skin relief at rest and during the folding test allowed to determine the main directions of skin tension for the different age groups: [20°-40°] for the young group and [20°-60°] for the elderly group. The natural skin tension decreases with age, wrinkles appear and the skin becomes more anisotropic.

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BACKGROUND: Visual and molecular changes occurring upon aging are rather well characterized. Still, aging signs show great significant inter-individual variations, and little is known concerning the link between perceived age and cutaneous microcirculation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To investigate this point, we recruited Caucasian women in their mid-50's to mid-70's and subsampled women looking older or younger than their age. We studied their facial skin color, as well as their microvascular reactivity to local heating assessed in the forearm skin. We also used skin biopsies from some of these women for gene expression or immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: Clinical and instrumental analysis of skin color revealed that subjects who look 5 years younger differ only by a higher glowing complexion. Our most striking result is that subjects looking 5 years younger than their age present a higher microcirculation reactivity in forearm skin. Transcriptome comparison of skin samples from women looking older or younger than their age revealed 123 annotated transcripts differentially expressed, among which MYL9 relates to microcirculation. MYL9 is downregulated in the group of women looking younger than their real age. Microscopy shows that the labeling of MYL9 and CD31 are altered and heterogeneous with age, as is the morphology of microvessels. CONCLUSION: Therefore, assessing generalized vascular reactivity in non-photo-exposed skin to focus on the intrinsic aging allows subtle discrimination of perceived age within elderly healthy subjects.

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Skin aging is a multifactorial phenomenon that involves alterations at the molecular, cellular and tissue levels. Our aim was to carry out a multiparametric biophysical and Raman characterization of skin barrier between individuals of different age groups (<24 and >70 years old). Our results showed a significant decrease of lipids to proteins ratio overall the thickness of the stratum corneum and higher lateral packing in the outer part of the SC for elderly. This can explain the decrease in trans epidermal water loss measured values rather than only SC thickening. Both age groups showed similar water content at SC surface while elderly presented higher water content in deep SC and viable epidermis. Mechanical measurements showed a decrease in the elasticity and an increase in the fatigability with age and were correlated with partially bound water. Highest correlation and anti-correlation values were observed for the deepest part of the SC and the viable epidermis.

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The importance of the hydrolipidic film of skin has been well documented, however, few data are available in cases of very old age. Our aim was to characterize the difference in skin surface lipid (SSL) composition between individuals of different age groups. Data were collected from the forehead of 22 young volunteers (18-24 years old) and 18 senior volunteers (70-75 years old). The amount of sebum was obtained by sebumetry. To acquire relevant information about the molecular composition of high complex mixtures, SSLs were analysed in a single run to ensure that the lipid structures remain intact, using high-temperature gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The major features associated with aged skin were documented. In aged skin, a lower sebum content was observed, together with modification of the relative SSL composition involving a significant reduction in the intensity of many components of the hydrolipidic film. In contrast, the intensity of 2,3-oxidosqualene was shown to increase with an inverse relationship between triglycerides and their hydrolytic products. These adaptations could be related to modifications of enzymatic activity.