Structural and functional age-related changes in some facial signs of Chinese men: A pilot study.

Objective: The objective of the study was to associate, on the same Chinese male subjects, changes in facial ageing signs with some biomechanical skin properties.

Methods: The severities of 20 facial ageing signs of 219 differently aged Chinese men (20-65 years) were graded in blind by trained experts through standardized photographs, using a referential skin Atlas dedicated to Asian men. On each subject, the mechanical properties were assessed on the cheek area (left or right at random) by the validated suction technique Cutometer®. Finally, the skin colour parameters were assessed on images from VISIA-CR device.

Results: Clinically speaking, the severity of almost all facial ageing signs increases from 30 to 65 years, in a linear-like progression, whereas the 20-30 years shows weak increases. Skin colour shows slight but progressive decreases in Luminance and ITA, whereas the yellow and red components slightly increased between 40 and 65 years. At the exception of skin firmness, the skin mechanical properties show a clear decline during the 30-50 years period and plateau beyond.

Conclusion: The present study suggests that the 20-30 years period, albeit more clinically 'silent' than the other periods of age, seems to be an age range during which early alterations of some dermal elements' onset. Deeper in vivo investigating techniques (Echography, Multiphotonic microscopy) are needed to confirm such hypothesis.