Correlations of light scattering properties in human skin with the person’s age assessed using a non-invasive technique

Abstract

We analyze the influence of a person’s age on the thicknesses and reduced scattering coefficients of the epidermis and dermis in visible part of the spectrum. Their values were assessed using a non-invasive technique which combines pulsed photothermal radiometry and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy with Monte Carlo modeling of light transport in a four-layer model of skin. The analysis is affected by the strong influences of the melanin content on the reduced scattering coefficient of the epidermis, aepi, and blood content in the case of dermis (ader). Separating their contributions reveals a significant decrease of ader with the person’s age at an average rate of –0.25 mm–1 per decade, while the contribution of blood in the papillary dermis amounts to 1.0 mm–1%–1. Meanwhile, no influence of the person’s age was found on aepi and the thicknesses of the epidermis or dermis.