Age‐related changes of the three‐dimensional structure in the cheek region

Vol. 43, No.3 (2009) pp.177–184 Qualitative surveying of consumers using in-depth interviews has revealed that ‘skin smoothness’ as typified by the expression ‘fine texture’ may be an essential ingredient in the ideal ‘beautiful skin’ desired by women. Therefore, to elucidate the reality of skin smoothness, we administered a quantitative questionnaire survey to consumers and measured the shape of the skin surface. The results confirmed that a sense of ‘skin smoothness’ is represented by the expression ‘skin with fine texture’ with regard to the shape of the skin. We also found that this sense of ‘skin with fine texture’ does not arise from an awareness of the structure of the skin surface at the microscopic level, such as the sulcus cutis or crista cutis, but from skin structures that are visible to the naked eye, such as pores. ‘Skin smoothness’ is noticed particularly in the area below the eyes and surrounding the sides of the nose (upper cheeks?. In addition, the 3-dimensional (3D) shape of the skin surface in this area was clarified to change with age, not only in simple increases in the amount of unevenness deriving from pore enlargement, but with ridge-like structuring of the entire skin surface. We viewed this change in the 3D shape of the skin surface as a ‘phenomenon of skin languishment with age’. This change has a large effect on whether skin is perceived as smooth.