28 Aug Everyone’s Skin Can Be Weakened By the Sun
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. German
Guy German PhD
Associate Professor
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Binghamton University
Binghamton, NY 13902
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Photoageing from the sun is widely known to occur. The most obvious result of it is early onset of wrinkles. However we are trying to understand if solar light can degrade the mechanical integrity of human skin. Moreover, while solar ultraviolet (UV) light is considered to have the most damaging effect on the skin, the UV range that is most harmful remains a topic of significant debate.
This research studies how different UV ranges and dosages impacts the mechanical integrity of the outermost layer of skin, called the stratum corneum. This tissue layer sits above the layers of melanin in skin, the pigment responsible for tanning. When stratum corneum ruptures, it stops working as a barrier to the outside world and can increase the risk of infections.
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings? How might these findings be used to develop better sunscreens?
Response: All UV ranges (UVA, UVB, and UVC) can damage the skin tissue. When we scale mechanical damage with the incident light dosage applied, UVC is most damaging, followed by UVB, then UVA. But if we consider only the energy absorbed by the skin (not transmitted or reflected), a mechanical-structural scaling law emerges. This relationship reveals that irrespective of UV range, the amount of energy directly absorbed by the skin tissue governs its loss in mechanical energy. Moreover, we further discovered that this mechanical degradation is caused by dispersion of cell-cell bonds that adhere cells to one another. This dispersion is caused by an increase in enzymatic activity in the stratum corneum.
Overall, the model estimates that after approximately 12 days of sun exposure, the SC becomes notably weakened, increasing the risk of rupture. This rupture would allow harmful pathogens and allergens to enter the skin. This time scale is shorter than the 2 weeks required for stratum corneum turnover( the time taken for the existing stratum corneum cells to shed and become replaced with new ones).
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: Everyone’s skin can be weakened by the sun, so it is important to use sun protection and limit your sun exposure.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?
Response: Our future work will explore the deeper skin layers, in an attempt to see if a similar model can be attained. This could be used as a diagnostic tool for quantifying UV induced photoageing and perhaps allow for early intervention.
MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Response: This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1653071. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Citation:
Zachary W. Lipsky, Guy K. German. Ultraviolet light degrades the mechanical and structural properties of human stratum corneum. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 2019; 100: 103391 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2019.103391
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Last Updated on August 28, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD