Validation and user experience of a dry electrode based Health Patch for heart rate and respiration rate monitoring.

Successful implementation of remote monitoring of vital signs outside of the hospital setting hinges on addressing three crucial unmet needs: longer-term wear, skin comfort and signal quality. Earlier, we developed a Health Patch research platform that uses self-adhesive dry electrodes to measure vital digital biomarkers. Here, we report on the analytical validation for heart rate, heart rate variability and respiration rate.

Illuminating microflora: shedding light on the potential of blue light to modulate the cutaneous microbiome.

Cutaneous diseases (such as atopic dermatitis, acne, psoriasis, alopecia and chronic wounds) rank as the fourth most prevalent human disease, affecting nearly one-third of the world's population. Skin diseases contribute to significant non-fatal disability globally, impacting individuals, partners, and society at large. Recent evidence suggests that specific microbes colonising our skin and its appendages are often overrepresented in disease.

Highlighting nuances of blue light phototherapy: Mechanisms and safety considerations.

The efficacy of blue light therapy in dermatology relies on numerous clinical studies. The safety remains a topic of controversy, where potentially deleterious effects were derived from in vitro rather than in vivo experiments. The objectives of this work were (1) to highlight the nuances behind "colors" of blue light, light propagation in tissue and the plurality of modes of action; and (2) to rigorously analyze studies on humans reporting both clinical and histological data from skin biopsies with focus on DNA damage, proliferation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, impact on collagen, elastin, immune cells, and pigmentation.

Cryptochrome 1 is modulated by blue light in human keratinocytes and exerts positive impact on human hair growth.

Photoactivation of cryptochrome-family proteins by blue light is a well-established reaction regulating physiology of plants, fungi, bacteria, insects and birds, while impact of blue light on cryptochrome synthesis and/or activity in human non-visual cells remains unknown. Here, we show that 453 nm blue light induces cryptochrome 1 (CRY1) accumulation in human keratinocytes and the hair follicle. CRY1 is prominently expressed in the human anagen hair follicle, including epithelial stem cells.

Method for Investigation of Photobiological Effects of Light on Human Skin Cells Mediated by Low Doses of Light.

Driven by evolution, human skin cells have developed an extraordinary ability both to sense and to respond to the photons of sunlight through a plethora of photobiological interactions, activating intracellular signalling cascades and regulating skin cells homeostasis. It has recently been reported that some of these photobiological responses triggered by low levels of light (or the so-called photobiomodulation) could initiate beneficial therapeutic effects. Identification of these effective light-based therapeutic solutions requires in-depth understanding of the parameter space.

Dose-response of human follicles during laser-based hair removal: Ex vivo photoepilation model with classification system embracing morphological and histological features.

Objectives: Photoepilation is a commonly used technology in home-use devices (HUDs) and in professional systems to remove unwanted body hair using pulses of laser or intense pulsed light (IPL). Albeit HUDs and professional systems operate at different fluences and treatment regimes, both demonstrate high hair reduction. The underlying mechanisms, however, remain unknown partly due to high divergence of the existing literature data.

Light-based home-use devices for hair removal: Why do they work and how effective they are?

Objectives: This review has the following objectives: Firstly, it provides an explanation of the evolution of laser/intense pulsed light (IPL) hair reduction modalities from high fluence professional devices to low fluence home-use appliances. Secondly, it summarises published literature reviews on home-use devices (HUDs) as evidence of their growing credibility. Thirdly, it proposes mechanistic differences in light delivery regimes and the resulting divergences in mode of action.

Development of a Novel Approach to Studying Corneodesmosomes and Stratum Corneum Adhesion: Extending Knowledge on the Pathophysiology of Sensitive Skin.

Background/aims: Aberrant skin barrier and intercorneocyte adhesion are potential contributors to the pathomechanism of sensitive skin (SS). Here we aimed to develop a novel and easy-to-apply method to analyze corneodesmosomes and to interrogate potential differences between corneocytes of subjects with SS and non-SS (NSS).

Methods: Corneocytes of the volar forearm and upper outer quadrant of the left buttock of SS (n = 10) and NSS (n = 8) subjects were extracted as a function of depth using adhesive tape and stained with anti-desmoglein 1 (DSG1) antibody.

Does blue light restore human epidermal barrier function via activation of Opsin during cutaneous wound healing?

Background And Objective: Visible light has beneficial effects on cutaneous wound healing, but the role of potential photoreceptors in human skin is unknown. In addition, inconsistency in the parameters of blue and red light-based therapies for skin conditions makes interpretation difficult. Red light can activate cytochrome c oxidase and has been proposed as a wound healing therapy.

Potential of short-wave infrared spectroscopy for quantitative depth profiling of stratum corneum lipids and water in dermatology.

We demonstrate the feasibility of short wave infrared (SWIR) spectroscopy combined with tape stripping for depth profiling of lipids and water in the stratum corneum of human skin. The proposed spectroscopic technique relies on differential detection at three wavelengths of 1720, 1750, and 1770 nm, with varying ratio of the lipid-to-water absorption coefficient and an 'isosbestic point'. Comparison of the data acquired using SWIR spectroscopy with that obtained by a gold standard for non-invasive quantitative molecular-specific skin measurements, namely confocal Raman spectroscopy (CRS), revealed specificity of the proposed modality for water and lipid quantification.

Differential response of human dermal fibroblast subpopulations to visible and near-infrared light: Potential of photobiomodulation for addressing cutaneous conditions.

Background Objectives: The past decade has witnessed a rapid expansion of photobiomodulation (PBM), demonstrating encouraging results for the treatment of cutaneous disorders. Confidence in this approach, however, is impaired not only by a lack of understanding of the light-triggered molecular cascades but also by the significant inconsistency in published experimental outcomes, design of the studies and applied optical parameters. This study aimed at characterizing the response of human dermal fibroblast subpopulations to visible and near-infrared (NIR) light in an attempt to identify the optical treatment parameters with high potential to address deficits in aging skin and non-healing chronic wounds.

Effects of blue light on inflammation and skin barrier recovery following acute perturbation. Pilot study results in healthy human subjects.

Background/purpose: While growing evidence supports the therapeutic effect of 453 nm blue light in chronic inflammatory skin diseases, data on its effects on acutely perturbed human skin are scarce. In this study, we investigated the impact of 453 nm narrow-band LED light on healthy skin following acute perturbation.

Methods: Tape stripping and histamine iontophoresis were performed on the forearm of 22 healthy volunteers on 2 consecutive weeks.

A new path in defining light parameters for hair growth: Discovery and modulation of photoreceptors in human hair follicle.

Background And Objective: Though devices for hair growth based on low levels of light have shown encouraging results, further improvements of their efficacy is impeded by a lack of knowledge on the exact molecular targets that mediate physiological response in skin and hair follicle. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of selected light-sensitive receptors in the human hair follicle and to study the impact of UV-free blue light on hair growth ex vivo.

Material And Methods: The expression of Opsin receptors in human skin and hair follicles has been characterized using RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence approaches.

Sensitive Skin: Assessment of the Skin Barrier Using Confocal Raman Microspectroscopy.

Background/aims: Sensitive skin (SS), a frequently reported condition in the Western world, has been suggested to be underlined by an impaired skin barrier. The aim of this study was to investigate the skin barrier molecular composition in SS subjects using confocal Raman microspectroscopy (CRS), and to compare it with that of non-SS (NSS) individuals as well as atopic dermatitis (AD) and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (AR) subjects, who frequently report SS.

Methods: Subjects with SS (n = 29), NSS (n = 30), AD (n = 11), and AR (n = 27) were included.

Sensitive skin and the influence of female hormone fluctuations: results from a cross-sectional digital survey in the Dutch population.

Sensitive skin is a widespread condition, which is most frequently reported by women. Changing hormone levels during the menstrual cycle and menopause have been suggested among the stimuli triggering sensitive skin. To investigate the perceived influence of fluctuating hormone levels on self-assessed sensitive skin, including symptoms and stimuli linked to skin sensitivity, as well as potential changes in facial and body skin and sensitive body parts, depending on hormonal status.

Photobiomodulation devices for hair regrowth and wound healing: a therapy full of promise but a literature full of confusion.

Photobiomodulation is reported to positively influence hair regrowth, wound healing, skin rejuvenation and psoriasis. Despite rapid translation of this science to commercial therapeutic solutions, significant gaps in our understanding of the underlying processes remain. The aim of this review was to seek greater clarity and rationality specifically for the selection of optical parameters for studies on hair regrowth and wound healing.

Clinical, biophysical, immunohistochemical, and in vivo reflectance confocal microscopy evaluation of the response of subjects with sensitive skin to home-use fractional non-ablative photothermolysis device.

Background: Fractional photothermolysis using professional devices is a well-accepted and a widely used technique for skin rejuvenation. Recently, the technology has also been implemented in devices for home-use. Yet, a subpopulation of consumers exists that reacts excessively to this stimulation and reports "sensitive skin" (SS).

Microspectroscopic Confocal Raman and Macroscopic Biophysical Measurements in the in vivo Assessment of the Skin Barrier: Perspective for Dermatology and Cosmetic Sciences.

Skin barrier function, confined to the stratum corneum, is traditionally evaluated using established, noninvasive biophysical methods like transepidermal water loss, capacitance and conductance. However, these methods neither measure skin molecular composition nor its structure, hindering the actual causes of skin barrier change or impairment. At the same time, confocal Raman microspectroscopy (CRS) can directly measure skin molecular composition and structure and has proven itself to be a powerful technique for biomolecular analysis.

Quantitative assessment of birefringent skin structures in scattered light confocal imaging using radially polarized light.

The polarization characteristics of birefringent tissues could be only partially obtained using linearly polarized light in polarization sensitive optical imaging. Here we analyze the change in polarization of backscattered light from birefringent structures versus the orientations of the incident polarizations using linearly, circularly and radially polarized light in a cross-polarized confocal microscope. A spatially variable retardation plate composed of eight sectors of λ/2 wave plates was used to transform linearly polarized light into a radially polarized light.

Improved depth resolution in near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy using obliquely oriented fibers.

We demonstrate a significant improvement of depth selectivity when using obliquely oriented fibers for near-infrared (NIR) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. This is confirmed by diffuse reflectance measurements of a two-layer tissue-mimicking phantom across the spectral range from 1,000 to 1,940 nm. The experimental proof is supported by Monte Carlo simulations.