Histological and histochemical changes of the skin with aging

ABSTRACT

This study comprised skin biopsies from the upper back of 30 healthy males at different ages. They were divided into 3 groups of 10 males each, group I aged [20 - 40 years], group II aged [40 - 60 years] and group III aged over 60 years. The results of the present study showed marked histological and histochemical skin changes occurring with aging. The epidermis was reduced in thickness with flattening of the dermoepidermal junction with age. The thickeness of the epidermis was 67. 5 microm to 189 microm in the first group, 54 microm to 108 microm in the second group, 40. 5 microm to 81 microm in the third group. The basal cell layers of the epidermis showed areas of heterogenicity with variations in the shape, size and staining characters of their cells. The dermis of old subjects showed elastosis with more randomness in the arrangement of the elastic fibres. An overall decrease in the collagenous fibre content of the dermis was also demonstrated with aging. Both alkaline phosphatase and succinic dehydrogenase enzyme activity decreased with aging