A study on the changes of sebaceous gland activity during aging by analysis of skin surface lipids / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The human sebaceous glands have long been known to change their activity with aging. Downing and his co-workers state that the ratio of wax ester/cholesterol+cholesterol ester in the skin surface lipids might be a good index for sebaceous gland acti ity. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate the effects of aging on the sebaceous gland activity and relative skin surface lipid composition by using thin layer chromatography. METHOD: Skin surface lipids of anterior chest from 65 healthy Korean indivisuals were collected by using the cup method. Skin surface lipid were separated and meaurd by thin layer chromatographic analysis. RESULTS: The sebaceous gland activity, vrhich was expressed by tlie ratio wax ester/[cholesterol+cholesterol ester] showed a ilistinct change from infancy to senescenc. The curve of the ratio makes a peak in the third decade and decreases with advancing age. CONCLUSION: This result disclosed that sebaceous gland activity iaifected by advancing age in Koreans and can be used as one of the biologic markers of aging.