Making the Skin Look and Behave as if Young (Topical)

An elastic second skin.
Yu B, Kang SY, Akthakul A, Ramadurai N, Pilkenton M, Patel A, Nashat A, Anderson DG, Sakamoto FH, Gilchrest BA, Anderson RR, Langer R.
Nat Mater. 2016 Aug;15(8):911-8. doi: 10.1038/nmat4635. Epub 2016 May 9.

In this article published in Nature Materials, the authors reveal an invisible durably wearable film which gives to the skin its elasticity of youth, makes it wrinkle free and devoid of eyebags. The study was done in researchers from Harvard and MIT (Rox Anderson and al.) in 170 subjects.

This elastic film is called crosslinked polymer layer (XPL). XPL is made of a tunable polysiloxane-based material that can be engineered with specific elasticity, contractility, adhesion, tensile strength and occlusivity.

It is applied topically using a 2-step delivery system:
step 1: application of a flowable, skin-conformal, reactive polysiloxane component
step 2: this component is then crosslinked on exposure to the platinum catalyst. This step also allows optical modulation of the XPL surface although the film itself remains invisible
XPL is thus of rapid action and does not need to be acted upon by heat or light to become active.

The ingredients are approved by the FDA and no irration or allergic reaction has been reported.

Characteristics show that XPL:
-has a tensile modulus matching normal skin responses at low strain (<40%), and that withstands elongations exceeding 250%, elastically recoiling with minimal strain-energy loss on repeated deformation.
-The application of XPL to the herniated lower eyelid fat pads of 12 subjects resulted in an average 2-grade decrease in herniation appearance in a 5-point severity scale (see photographs here below)

In addition the XPL platform may offer advanced solutions to compromised skin barrier function, pharmaceutical delivery and wound dressings.

Article selected by Saurat JH, MD

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