Comparison of age-related changes in facial wrinkles and sagging in the skin of Japanese, Chinese and Thai women.

BACKGROUND: Differences in skin aging features between Asians and Caucasians are commonly known, whereas little is known about such differences in various Asian populations.
OBJECTIVE: A survey was carried out in Tokyo, Shanghai and Bangkok to identify specific features of skin aging in each population and to evaluate whether our conventional photo scale is an appropriate tool for this type of comparative study.
METHODS: Eighty-seven women residing in Tokyo, 100 women residing in Shanghai, and 90 women residing in Bangkok were examined by a specialist. Facial wrinkles (forehead, glabella, upper eyelid, crow's feet, lower eyelid, cheek, nasolabial groove and mouth corner) and cheek sagging were evaluated using photo scales previously obtained from Japanese subjects. Comparisons were made according to 10-year age groups.
RESULTS: Women in Bangkok showed the most severe level of wrinkles, followed by those in Shanghai in the three groups. Significant differences were observed between Thai and Japanese women in the intensity of wrinkles at many facial sites. Chinese women had significantly more severe wrinkles in the area around the eyes compared to Japanese women, while Thai women had significantly more severe wrinkles in the lower halves of their faces compared to Chinese women. In cheek sagging scores, significant differences were observed between Japanese and Thai women in their 30s and 50s, but not between Japanese and Chinese women or between Chinese and Thai women in all age groups.
CONCLUSION: These results indicate variations in skin aging features among women from three Asian cities thereby suggesting the diversity of Asian skin. Our scaling method proved to be appropriate for facial wrinkles, but required modification to compare cheek sagging among Asian populations.