A fully automated system to study skin surface patterns.

Synopsis An image analysis method to measure the human skin microrelief has been previously proposed. This new method has been recently automated, using a 'robot'electronically driven by a Quantimet 900. This 'robot'consists of a change-over specimen driven by four motors, and allows forty Silflo(R) replicas to be analysed in 6 hours, each analysis giving the main directions of the furrows, their density and their mean depth. For example, the volar forearm microrelief was studied from the detected shadows created by a 26 degrees angle lighting, in the range of 5 to 100 mum deep furrows. A 38 degrees angle lighting allows such measurements from 50 to 1000mum and is used for studying 'crow's feet'wrinkles of the face. Results clearly show that deep wrinkles appear as early as 30 years old on the human face. The consequences of actinic and mechanical stresses over the life span are discussed.