Skin aging manifests differently between populations. The environmental and life-style factors affecting skin aging may also differ between populations.In this study, we first compared the ethnic difference in the manifestation of skin aging between Chinese and German women. We further explored the environmental and life-style factors affecting skin aging in both populations.
Chinese and German women were 65 to 90 years old and skin aging was assessed by means of the SCINEXATM (score of intrinsic and extrinsic skin aging). In adjusted linear regression analysis, we found that wrinkles under eyes (p<0.001), on upper lips (p=0.001) as well as laxity of eyelids (p=0.025) and laxity of cheeks (p<0.001) were more pronounced in Germans; while wrinkles on forehead (p<0.001) and nasolabial folds (p=0.002) were more pronounced in Chinese. Chinese showed bigger pigment spots on face, both on forehead and on cheeks (p<0.001); while Germans had larger number of pigment spots on their arms (p<0.001) and hands (p=0.001)Furthermore, skin aging signs were affected by sun exposure, smoking, alcohol consumption, education, pregnancy, use of contraception, and use of fossil fuels, to various degrees. Interestingly, the affected skin aging signs largely differed in Chinese and Germans.
Noticeably, sun exposure had the most significant effect in Germans, affecting 12 skin aging signs, particularly the signs related to pigment spots (p=?). In Chinese, the use of fossil fuels in cooking, a major source of indoor air pollutant had the most considerable effect, affecting 7 skin aging signs. The use of fossil fuels mostly affected wrinkle related signs, including wrinkles on forehead (p<0.001), in the crow’s feet area (p=0.001), on upper lip (p=0.036) andnasolabial (p<0.001) as well aslaxity of eyelids (p=0.007), laxity of cheeks (p=0.019) and fine wrinkles on back of hands (p=0.027). Our results only partly confirm the results of previous research, which showed that outdoor air pollution was particularly associated with more pronounced pigment spots on face and only less with wrinkles. The pollution composition of indoor and outdoor pollution might vary and thus induces different mechanisms or underlying mechanisms how air pollutants affect the skin aging in Chinese and German women might be different betweem populations.
Key words: skin aging, wrinkle, pigment spots, indoor air pollution, ethnic difference
Skin aging manifests differently between populations. The environmental and life-style factors affecting skin aging may also differ between populations.In this study, we first compared the ethnic difference in the manifestation of skin aging between Chinese and German women. We further explored the environmental and life-style factors affecting skin aging in both populations. Chinese and German women were 65 to 90 years old and skin aging was assessed by means of the SCINEXATM (score of intrinsic and extrinsic skin aging). In adjusted linear regression analysis, we found that wrinkles under eyes (p<0.001), on upper lips (p=0.001) as well as laxity of eyelids (p=0.025) and laxity of cheeks (p<0.001) were more pronounced in Germans; while wrinkles on forehead (p<0.001) and nasolabial folds (p=0.002) were more pronounced in Chinese. Chinese showed bigger pigment spots on face, both on forehead and on cheeks (p<0.001); while Germans had larger number of pigment spots on their arms (p<0.001) and hands (p=0.001)Furthermore, skin aging signs were affected by sun exposure, smoking, alcohol consumption, education, pregnancy, use of contraception, and use of fossil fuels, to various degrees. Interestingly, the affected skin aging signs largely differed in Chinese and Germans. Noticeably, sun exposure had the most significant effect in Germans, affecting 12 skin aging signs, particularly the signs related to pigment spots (p=?). In Chinese, the use of fossil fuels in cooking, a major source of indoor air pollutant had the most considerable effect, affecting 7 skin aging signs. The use of fossil fuels mostly affected wrinkle related signs, including wrinkles on forehead (p<0.001), in the crow’s feet area (p=0.001), on upper lip (p=0.036) andnasolabial (p<0.001) as well aslaxity of eyelids (p=0.007), laxity of cheeks (p=0.019) and fine wrinkles on back of hands (p=0.027). Our results only partly confirm the results of previous research, which showed that outdoor air pollution was particularly associated with more pronounced pigment spots on face and only less with wrinkles. The pollution composition of indoor and outdoor pollution might vary and thus induces different mechanisms or underlying mechanisms how air pollutants affect the skin aging in Chinese and German women might be different betweem populations. Key words: skin aging, wrinkle, pigment spots, indoor air pollution, ethnic difference