Korean J Dermatol.  2022 May;60(4):201-208.

A Study on the Relationship between Facial Skin Youthfulness and Lifestyle in Korean Women over 50 Years Old

• Kim SM
• Lee YY
• Hwang CL
• Shin JM
• Kwon IS
• Park SH
• Jung KE
• Kim CD
• Seo YJ
• Hong D
• Lee Y

Abstract

Background
Skin aging can be divided into intrinsic and extrinsic processes, and occur due to several factors. Although the interest in skin youthfulness is increasing globally, research on facial skin youthfulness and lifestyle is limited.
Objective
This study aimed to evaluate the association between facial skin youthfulness and biophysical facial skin parameters in Korean women over 50 years of age. We further investigated lifestyle factors that make people appear younger than their chronological age.
Methods
We surveyed the essential information and lifestyle of subjects by questionnaires, and measured the biophysical parameters of the facial skin. We then performed clinical facial assessments, and the values were compared with the chronologic age. The associations between age differences, biophysical parameters, and living habits were evaluated.
Results
We identified a positive correlation between age and melanin index (r=0.245, p＜0.001) and erythema index (r=0.119, p=0.002). The melanin index was statistically significantly lower in the group without regular outdoor activities (144.66±43.24 vs. 137.00±55.48, p=0.043). The melanin index and erythema index were the significant differences that defined younger perceived age than chronological age. The perceived age was younger in the group who wore a hat when performing outdoor activities than the group who did not (3.70±1.84 vs. 3.40±1.94, p=0.034).
Conclusion
To retain youthful skin, it is essential to reduce sun exposure, as this factor can affect the melanin and erythema indices by inducing photoaging. Therefore, avoiding the sun bia proper methods, such as wearing a hat and sunscreen during outdoor activities, is recommended to maintain skin youthfulness.

Keyword

Biophysical parameter; Facial skin aging; Living habit; Photoaging; Youthful appearance