General Theory of Skin Reinforcement
August 2017
in “
PLOS ONE
”
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Studysummary This study reports that the mechanical interactions between human skin and adjacent subcutaneous white adipose tissue influence the appearance of skin wrinkles, with sWAT reinforcement potentially more effective for reducing signs of skin aging than skin reinforcement alone.
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The 2017 study "General theory of skin reinforcement" examined the mechanical properties of skin and its underlying subcutaneous white adipose tissue (sWAT), proposing that they should be viewed as a single composite structure. The study found that the resistance of this composite to mechanical loading is influenced by factors such as the thickness of pericellular fibrosis around adipocytes, the size of adipocytes, and the relative thickness of sWAT in the total composite structure. The study also suggested that the reinforcement of sWAT is more effective in anti-aging procedures than standalone skin reinforcement. The document also discussed the role of collagen fibers, suggesting that they can reorient in the direction of applied uniaxial load, and that the production of new bonds between existing fibers and additional collagen structures can reinforce the skin. The study also proposed that mechanical stress can induce the differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts, a process potentially key in pattern baldness typical for androgenetic alopecia.
