THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW NO-CONTACT METHOD TO MEASURE THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SKIN: NEW AGE-RELATED PARAMETERS

Real-time measurements of skin movement induced by air blown on the surface was measured with time. We investigated age-related changes in displacement of the skin surface on the face or the inner upper arm caused by air on 98 Japanese women volunteers aged from 10 to 70 years old. The maximum distance (the denting state) that the skin moved reached 2-5 mm within 10-15 msec on the cheek skin. After that, the skin generally recovered to the original state within 40-50 msec. The maximum speed of movement was 0.5 m/sec and the recovery speed was about 0.25 m/sec on the cheek skin. Significant changes with age were not observed in the denting state, but a significant correlation with age was observed in the recovery state. For example, the maximum recovery speed decreased significantly with age (p=-0.568, p<0.001) and the time required for recovery increased significantly with age (p=0.561, p<0.001). Although the inner upper arm also showed similar results to a cheek, a few parameters were different. This apparatus is a more practical macroscopic system for evaluating skin mechanical properties without contact. This apparatus is effective not only for measuring the mechanical properties of facial skin but also of body skin, such as swelling or sagging of body parts.