Although some data on the skins of Japanese, Korean and Chinese people have appeared recently, few studies have examined the skin of south‐east Asians.
The population of the Philippines results for centuries of intermarriage between Chinese, Spanish and Malays. Filipino skin is different from that of Malayan Indonesians or Malaysians.
Because little is known about how Filipinos skin changes with aging, we have collected data on the clinical and histological characteristics of the skin of Filipino women living in Manila. We recorded skin colour, pigmentation disorders, skin hydration, firmness, slackness, wrinkle status and carried out a histological and immunochemical evaluation of the difference between skin exposed to and protected from sunlight.
Methods
A total of 30 healthy Filipino women (mean age: 44 years) took part in this study of the clinical and histological features of their skin, and a comparison of areas protected from and exposed to sunlight was performed. All gave their informed consent. The subjects were assigned to one of the five age groups (20–30, 30–40, 40–50, 50–60 and >60). Overall, 52% had a dry skin and 48% had oily skin. Twelve women were in menopause. According to the Fitzpatrick classification [1], 47% of the skins were phototype IV, 50% were phototype V and 3% were phototype VI. Eleven women (37%) were former smokers and five (16%) still smoked.
Facial skin colour, hydration and wrinkles were all assessed by a dermatologist. The overall severity of facial wrinkles and pigmentation brown spots were photograded using the Jin Ho Chung photograding scale [2]. Skin elasticity, firmness and slackening (face ovale shape) were also evaluated on using a scale of 0‐10 [3]. The colour (Mexameter MX18) and hydration (corneometer CM820) of the skin on the left upper cheek were measured and skin replicas (Silflo/silicone resin) of the right eye contour were made. Image analysis was used to measure the number of wrinkles, total wrinkled area (mm²), total length of wrinkles (mm), mean length of wrinkles (mm) and mean depth of wrinkles (μm).
Data were analysed by analysis of variance (anova) and linear regression statistical significance was taken as P < 0.05.
Punch biopsies (4 mm) were taken from photoprotected areas (buttocks) and photoexposed regions (preauricular face). Samples were fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin for histological and immunohistochemical evaluation. Sections were stained with Fontana Masson, Masson trichrome, orcein, haematoxylin‐phloxin‐safran (HPS) by standard procedures. Immunohistochemistry was carried out to detect type IV collagen and metallothionein expression.
Results
Clinical evaluation
There was a significant change in the severity of facial wrinkles with age between the women of three age groups, 20–30, 31–60 and >60 years. Women aged 20–30 years had very few if any wrinkles (mean grade: 0.7), those aged 31–60 years had a similar degree of wrinkling (mean grade: 2.8), while those aged over 60 years had significantly more severe wrinkles (mean grade: 4.4). The...