JP7194931B2 - Skin condition evaluation method using stratum corneum hole as index - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for evaluating skin condition. Specifically, it provides a method and system for evaluating skin condition using the existence and/or existence rate of stratum corneum holes as an index, a screening method for candidate cosmetics or cosmetic treatments for skin condition improving effect, and a beauty counseling method. do.

The stratum corneum is the outermost layer of the skin and has a barrier function to prevent the invasion of foreign substances from the outside and a moisturizing function to suppress the evaporation of water from the body. However, when the barrier function and moisturizing function of the stratum corneum deteriorate, it causes various problems such as rough skin and dry skin. Therefore, various attempts to grasp the condition of the stratum corneum have been investigated.

In Patent Document 1, skin corneocytes are attached to a tape, attached to a colored plate, the tape is peeled off from the colored plate to fix the corneocytes to the colored plate, and the obtained corneocyte specimen is used to extract corneocytes. A method for measuring the degree of damage of skin corneocytes by microscopic observation is disclosed. Patent Document 2 discloses a method for evaluating the condition of the stratum corneum, which includes a step of contacting the stratum corneum sheet with an aqueous solution of a dye, a step of washing the dye, and a step of measuring the staining intensity of the dye in the stratum corneum sheet. disclosed. Patent Literature 3 discloses a method for evaluating sensitive skin using, as an index, the abundance ratio of orthorhombic structures in intercellular lipids of the stratum corneum. It is desirable to have an objective method that can assess skin condition using new indices in the stratum corneum structure.

Japanese Patent No. 3262443 Japanese Patent No. 6243123 JP 2017-161328 A

Motoji Takahashi, Cosmetics Lecture (Lecture II) Basic Cosmetics and Skin (I), Shikizai Kyokai, 62(7), 430-438(1989) Nobuo Kashibuchi et al., Development of skin evaluation method using stratum corneum cells, Cosmetic Journal, 23(1), 55-57, 1989 Hirose et al., Occurrence frequency and site difference of parakeratotic cells in human facial skin, Cosmetic Journal, 23(1), 5-8, 1989 Egawa et. al., In situ visualization of intracellular morphology of epidermal cells using stimulated Raman scattering microscopy, Journal of Biomedical Optics, August 2016, 21(8): 86017. doi: 10.1117/1.JBO.21.8.086017.

As described above, there is a demand for a skin condition evaluation method based on a new index for the structure of the stratum corneum. Furthermore, it is desirable to have such a new index that can evaluate skin conditions when searching for cosmetics or beauty treatments for preventing/improving skin conditions or when providing beauty counseling.

As a result of intensive research by the present inventors, the presence of hollow stratum corneum holes, in which the nucleolus has disappeared but is not filled with keratin and the nuclear envelope portion remains in a circular shape, is related to skin conditions. newly discovered to do. That is, it was found that the skin condition was poor when the stratum corneum hole was present in the subject or when the presence rate thereof was high.

The present application provides the following inventions.
(1) A method for evaluating skin condition in a subject,
The above method, wherein the presence of stratum corneum holes in the stratum corneum of the object is measured, and the skin condition of the object is evaluated as poor if stratum corneum holes are present.
(2)
A method for evaluating skin condition in a subject, comprising:
The above method, wherein the skin condition of the target is evaluated using the existence rate of stratum corneum holes in the target stratum corneum as an index.
(3)
The method according to (2), wherein the existence rate of stratum corneum holes is the ratio of the number of cells having stratum corneum holes to the total number of stratum corneum cells.
(4)
further comprising acquiring an image of the stratum corneum of the subject;
The method according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the presence or presence rate of the stratum corneum hole is measured in the acquired image.
(5)
A skin condition evaluation method performed by one or more computers, comprising:
A procedure for obtaining data about stratum corneum holes in an image of the stratum corneum of a subject;
a procedure of referring to the acquired data and evaluating that the subject's skin condition is poor if a stratum corneum hole exists in the subject's stratum corneum;
displaying the evaluated results.
(6)
A skin condition evaluation method performed by one or more computers, comprising:
A procedure for obtaining data on a preset reference value for the existence rate of stratum corneum holes;
A procedure for obtaining data about stratum corneum holes in an image of the stratum corneum of a subject;
A step of referring to the acquired data and calculating the ratio of the number of cells having a stratum corneum hole to the total number of stratum corneum cells of the subject as the existence ratio of the stratum corneum hole;
a procedure for evaluating that the subject's skin condition is poor when the calculated existence rate of stratum corneum holes is higher than the reference value; and
displaying the evaluated results.
(7)
A method of screening candidate cosmetics or cosmetic treatments for skin condition improving effects, comprising:
measuring the prevalence of stratum corneum holes in images of the stratum corneum of a subject obtained before and after application of a candidate cosmetic or cosmetic treatment to the skin;
Comparing the measured stratum corneum hole abundance ratio before and after application;
Determining that the candidate cosmetic or cosmetic treatment has an effect of improving skin condition when the prevalence of stratum corneum holes after application is lower than that before application;
The above method, including
(8)
A beauty counseling method for supporting a subject's beauty treatment, comprising:
A method comprising presenting to a subject the results evaluated by the method according to any one of (1) to (6).
(9)
The method according to (8), further comprising proposing to the subject a cosmetic treatment or cosmetic judged to have an effect of improving skin condition by the screening method according to (7).
(10)
A system for evaluating skin condition,
an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of the target stratum corneum;
a data acquisition unit that acquires data on the target stratum corneum hole from the acquired image;
an evaluation unit that refers to the data acquired by the data acquisition unit and evaluates that the subject's skin condition is poor if a stratum corneum hole exists;
The system, further comprising a display section for displaying the results evaluated by the evaluation section.
(11)
A system for evaluating skin condition,
a database unit that stores data on a preset reference value for the existence rate of stratum corneum holes;
an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of the target stratum corneum;
a data acquisition unit that acquires data on the target stratum corneum hole from the acquired image;
a calculation unit that refers to the data acquired by the data acquisition unit and calculates the ratio of the number of cells having stratum corneum holes to the total number of stratum corneum cells of the target as the existence ratio of stratum corneum holes;
an evaluation unit that evaluates that the subject's skin condition is poor when the calculated existence ratio of stratum corneum holes is higher than the reference value;
The system, further comprising a display section for displaying the results evaluated by the evaluation section.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY According to the present invention, it becomes possible to objectively evaluate the skin condition using the presence or presence rate of stratum corneum holes as an index. Furthermore, by enabling the evaluation of skin condition, it is possible to confirm the skin condition improvement effect by evaluating the existence or existence rate of stratum corneum holes before and after application of candidate cosmetics or cosmetic treatments. Appropriate beauty counseling is also possible.

FIG. 1 shows representative 2930 cm ⁻¹ and 2850 cm ⁻¹ wavenumber images in the stratum corneum of skin tissue from each subject. Arrows indicate representative stratum corneum holes. FIG. 2 shows the number of stratum corneum holes in the stratum corneum of the skin tissue of each subject. FIG. 3 shows the abundance of stratum corneum holes in the stratum corneum of the skin tissue of each subject. FIG. 4 shows the luminance value ratio of 2850 cm ⁻¹ /2930 cm ⁻¹ in the stratum corneum of the skin tissue of each subject. FIG. 5 shows the abundance and plumpness of stratum corneum holes in the stratum corneum of the skin tissue of each subject.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and can be modified in various ways within the scope of the spirit of the invention.

The present invention is based on the new discovery that stratum corneum holes are associated with skin conditions.

Normal stratum corneum cells do not have nuclei because the nucleus disappears during the turnover process and keratin fills up after the nucleus disappears. However, when turnover is disturbed and parakeratosis occurs, immature cells reach the stratum corneum and nucleated cells with nuclei can be seen in the stratum corneum. Its presence is known as an indicator of parakeratosis (1-3).

However, in the prior art, it was not known that stratum corneum holes and skin conditions are closely related. For example, there is a report that in a method of staining horny layer cells of skin peeled with tape, what is called a ghost was observed in the horny cells (Non-Patent Document 1). In addition, the presence of Nuclear Ghost is also recognized in a method in which keratinocytes are collected from the surface of the skin by the scrub technique and then stained (Non-Patent Document 2). However, with these methods, the relationship between nuclear ghosts and skin conditions was unclear. Furthermore, Non-Patent Document 2 reports an experimental result that no association was found between Nuclear Ghost and skin evaluation items. In addition, in such a method, the surface of the stratum corneum is collected and processed by fixing, labeling, and staining. It is also unknown whether it corresponds to a stratum hole.

The inventors of the present application have developed a non-invasive technique that can measure the true structure of the epidermis in its raw state (Non-Patent Document 4). It enabled detailed observation of organelles, nuclei, stratum corneum structures, etc. As a result, we obtained new knowledge about the structure of the stratum corneum when the skin is in poor condition such as rough skin.

Surprisingly, in subjects with poor skin conditions, nucleoli have disappeared in stratum corneum cells, but cavities (horny stratum corneum holes) that are not filled with keratin and remain circular in the nuclear envelope are observed. It was discovered for the first time that this hole in the stratum corneum is associated with the condition of the skin. In other words, it was discovered for the first time that stratum corneum holes can be used as an evaluation index for skin conditions.

The skin is divided into epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue from the outside, and the epidermis is further divided into stratum corneum, stratum granulosum, stratum spinosum, and stratum basale according to the degree of cell differentiation (Non-Patent Document 1). As used herein, "horny layer" refers to the stratum corneum, and "horny layer cells" refer to cells present in the stratum corneum. "Corneocyte" is sometimes referred to as "keratinocyte". Normally, stratum corneum cells overlap the stratum corneum in many layers, and the degree of overlap of stratum corneum cells and the thickness of the stratum corneum differ depending on the part of the body. In one embodiment, the stratum corneum is divided into three parts by depth, the outermost part is called "upper stratum corneum", the middle part is called "middle stratum corneum", and the part adjacent to the granular layer is called "lower stratum corneum". There is

As used herein, the term “total number of stratum corneum cells” refers to the number of all stratum corneum cells used as the total number when determining the existence rate of stratum corneum holes. In other words, it refers to the total number of cells including cells with and without stratum corneum holes in the measurement object. For example, it may be the total number of stratum corneum cells observed in the image of the upper stratum corneum of the object.

The existence rate of stratum corneum holes is obtained by the following formula.

In the present specification, "when stratum corneum holes are present" means not only the case where no stratum corneum holes are observed in the observed stratum corneum cells, but also the case where the number of stratum corneum holes observed in the observed stratum corneum cells is May include very few cases. For example, it may refer to cases where the existence rate of stratum corneum holes is less than 0.5, less than 0.4, less than 0.3, less than 0.2, or less than 0.1.

As used herein, the stratum corneum hole refers to a circular cavity remaining in the nuclear membrane portion that is not filled with keratin although the nucleolus has disappeared in the stratum corneum cell. For example, stratum corneum holes contain lipids expressed at 2850 cm ^-1 and proteins expressed at 2930 cm ^-1 when images of the stratum corneum are acquired at wavenumbers of 2850 cm ^-1 and 2930 cm ^-1 respectively. A cavity with a diameter of about 10 μm to 20 μm can be used as a stratum corneum hole. However, the measurement of the stratum corneum hole is not limited to the above method, and any method capable of measuring the stratum corneum hole can be adopted.

In this specification, poor skin condition means dry skin, sensitive skin, rough skin, vinyl skin, inflammation, itching, lack of tension/elasticity, lack of gloss, lack of transparency, rough texture, redness, dullness, It may be any undesirable skin condition such as stickiness, it may be indicated by sensory evaluation or visual evaluation, and it is known to be associated with a decrease in skin barrier function and moisture retention function. may be Alternatively and/or additionally, poor skin condition may be known to be highly associated with stratum corneum condition, such as the methods described in Patent Documents 1 to 3. In addition, it may be indicated by a specific index. In some embodiments, for example, disturbance of the arrangement of stratum corneum cells, decrease in transparency, decrease in lipid content, decrease in water content, increase in transepidermal water loss, texture disturbance, etc. good. Further, as described in Examples, the plumpness of the stratum corneum cells by visual evaluation may be used as an index. Furthermore, it is widely known that the stratum corneum, which contains a large amount of intercellular lipids, is in good condition and retains its barrier function. Therefore, poor skin condition may indicate a low amount of intercellular lipids. In addition, it is known that since the luminance value at 2850 cm ^-1 corresponds to the amount of lipids, a low value at 2850 cm ^-1 indicates a small amount of intercellular lipids (Non-Patent Document 4). It is also known that the luminance value at 2930 cm ^-1 corresponds to the amount of protein (Non-Patent Document 4). Therefore, for example, a 2850 cm ^-1 wave number image of the stratum corneum is acquired, the brightness value of 2850 cm ^-1 is evaluated as the amount of lipids, and the value of 2850 cm ^-1 (lipids) is used to estimate the amount of intercellular lipids. Alternatively, acquire images of the stratum corneum at wavenumbers of 2850 cm ^-1 and 2930 cm ^-1 , respectively, and compare the luminance value ratio of 2850 cm ^-1 /2930 cm ^-1 to the lipid/protein ratio. It may be evaluated as a ratio, and the lower the intercellular lipid/protein value, the worse the skin condition, using the numerical value of 2850 cm ^-1 (lipid)/2930 cm ^-1 (protein). In this specification, the skin condition improving effect refers to the effect of improving an unfavorable skin condition according to one or more of the indicators described above.

In one embodiment, the methods of the present invention measure the presence of stratum corneum holes in the stratum corneum of a subject and assess the subject's skin condition as poor if stratum corneum holes are present. In one embodiment, in the method of the present invention, the ratio of the number of cells having stratum corneum holes to the total number of stratum corneum cells is used as an index, and the higher the ratio of stratum corneum holes, the better the skin of the subject. Evaluate as bad. Evaluation using the stratum corneum hole abundance rate as an index can be performed by comparison with a reference value or comparison with the stratum corneum hole abundance rate of a control.

The stratum corneum sample for measuring the presence of stratum corneum holes may be, but is not limited to, stratum corneum in its raw state. The intact stratum corneum refers to the stratum corneum in its in situ or in vivo state and/or to stratum corneum that has not undergone any treatment such as fixation, labeling or staining. As an example, the stratum corneum may be in living human skin rather than harvested. However, as long as the stratum corneum hole can be observed, any sample can be used regardless of whether the stratum corneum is in a raw state or not, and whether or not it has undergone a treatment such as fixation, labeling, or staining.

In one embodiment, the method of the present invention further comprises acquiring an image of the stratum corneum of the subject, and the presence or percentage of said stratum corneum holes is measured in the acquired image.

Any method can be used to obtain an image as long as it can measure the presence or rate of existence of stratum corneum holes. Either non-linear or linear optical methods may be used, although non-linear optical methods may be preferred in certain embodiments for more precise measurements of stratum corneum holes. In some embodiments, the nonlinear optical method may be one or more methods selected from the group consisting of nonlinear Raman spectroscopy, nonlinear multiphoton excitation, nonlinear confocal methods, and nonlinear laser scanning methods. Nonlinear Raman spectroscopy includes, for example, stimulated Raman scattering spectroscopy or coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering spectroscopy. In some cases, the image acquisition method is preferably a method capable of acquiring not only two-dimensional but also three-dimensional spatial information. In the conventional method, the outermost surface of the stratum corneum was physically peeled off and then used. This is because inspection becomes possible.

In addition, the method according to the present application is for cosmetic purposes, and may exclude medical practices performed by doctors and medical professionals.

In certain embodiments, for example, the present invention relates to stratum corneum holes in images of the stratum corneum of interest, preferably the stratum corneum, obtained by nonlinear Raman spectroscopy, such as stimulated Raman scattering spectroscopy or coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering spectroscopy. A skin condition evaluation method for cosmetic purposes may also be used, in which the higher the existence ratio of stratum corneum holes is, the worse the skin condition is evaluated.

In another aspect of the present invention, the present invention also relates to a method of screening candidate cosmetics or cosmetic treatments for skin condition improving effects, applying the skin condition evaluation method. Specifically, the method comprises measuring the prevalence of stratum corneum holes in images of the stratum corneum, preferably the stratum corneum, of a subject obtained before and after application of a candidate cosmetic or cosmetic treatment to the skin; Compare the measured stratum corneum hole abundance ratio before and after application; if the stratum corneum hole abundance ratio after application is lower than that before application, the candidate cosmetic or cosmetic treatment is effective in improving skin condition. including determining that there is This evaluation method enables screening as to whether or not cosmetics or cosmetic treatments have an effect on skin condition improvement, and enables product development and proposals for new skin care.

As used herein, the term "cosmetics" refers to cosmetics applied to the skin, such as lotions, milky lotions, beauty essences, creams, foundations, etc., but is not limited to these. However, it is intended to include everything that is applied to the skin, such as sunscreens, insect repellents, hair removers, hair restorers, shaving lotions, and aftershave lotions. Ingredients contained in cosmetics include alcohols such as water, ethanol, glycerin, and polyethylene glycol as bases, glycine, betaine, amino acids such as sodium pyrrolidonecarboxylate, fructose, maltitol, and mannitol as moisturizing agents. , sugars such as trehalose, active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, collagen, and ceramide, excipients such as sodium citrate, citric acid, and sodium lactate, and preservatives such as benzoate and sorbic acid. , but not limited to these.

In the present specification, candidate cosmetics refer to cosmetics for which investigations are conducted for skin condition improving effects. It may be a solution selected for cosmetics in. For example, in order to investigate the skin condition improving effect of a substance used in cosmetics, an aqueous solution containing only the substance may be used, or sugars, polyhydric alcohols, amino acids, organic acids, moisturizers, thickeners, Alternatively, an aqueous solution containing any substance such as a component contained as a buffering agent or an active component may be used, and various solvents such as a solution containing other than water, an aqueous solvent, and an oily solvent may be used.

Cosmetic treatments include, but are not limited to, any treatment considered cosmetically beneficial, such as applying cosmetics, applying massage, applying steam, and the like. A cosmetic procedure may be a one-time procedure or an ongoing procedure over a period of days to weeks. The cosmetic treatment may be performed privately, or may be performed at a beauty salon, a cosmetics store, an esthetic salon, or the like.

In yet another aspect of the invention, the invention relates to a system for evaluating skin condition. The system of the present invention includes an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of the target stratum corneum, preferably the upper stratum corneum; a data acquisition unit that acquires data on the target stratum corneum hole from the acquired image; an evaluation unit that refers to the obtained data and evaluates that the subject's skin condition is bad if there is a stratum corneum hole; and a display unit that displays the results evaluated by the evaluation unit, or , further comprising a database unit for storing data relating to the reference value of the stratum corneum hole existence rate set in advance, and referring to the data acquired by the data acquisition unit instead of the evaluation unit, A calculation unit that calculates the ratio of the number of cells having stratum corneum holes to the number of cells as the stratum corneum hole abundance ratio; It may have an evaluation unit.

The image acquisition unit may be one or more devices selected from the group consisting of Raman microscopes, multiphoton microscopes, confocal microscopes, laser scanning microscopes, and optical coherence tomographs. Raman microscopes include non-linear Raman microscopes such as stimulated Raman scattering microscopes or coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopes.

For example, the system for evaluating the skin condition of the present invention includes a database unit that stores data relating to a preset reference value for the existence rate of stratum corneum holes; part; a data acquisition part including a non-linear Raman microscope such as a stimulated Raman scattering microscope or a coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscope that acquires data about the stratum corneum hole of interest from the acquired image; see data acquired by the data acquisition part , a calculation unit that calculates the ratio of the number of cells having stratum corneum holes to the total number of stratum corneum cells of the subject as the existence rate of stratum corneum holes; if the calculated abundance rate of stratum corneum holes is higher than the reference value, It may have an evaluation unit that evaluates that the condition is bad; and a display unit that displays the result of evaluation by the evaluation unit.

The present invention also provides a beauty counseling method for supporting a subject's beauty treatment, including presenting the subject with the results evaluated by the skin condition evaluation method and/or system of the present invention. This beauty counseling method may further include proposing a cosmetic treatment or cosmetic determined to have an effect of improving skin condition by the evaluation method of the candidate cosmetic or cosmetic treatment of the present invention. The proposal in the beauty counseling method may be aimed at improving the skin condition of a subject evaluated as having poor skin condition by the skin condition evaluation method and/or system of the present invention. It may be intended to prevent deterioration of the skin condition for subjects who were not evaluated as.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to specific examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

measuring device:
A stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscope described in Non-Patent Document 4 was used for the measurement. A Ti:sapphire laser (790 nm, 76 MHz, pump light) and a tunable Yb fiber laser (1014-1046 nm, 38 MHz, Stokes light) were used as laser light sources. The laser intensity when the laser scanner was inserted was 120 mW for each. SRS images in the CH stretching region (2800 to 3100 cm ^-1 ) were acquired at 80 × 80 μm (500 × 500 pixels), horizontal resolution of 1 μm, and 30 frames/s.

Skin tissue measurements:
As shown in Table 1 below, the skin of the abdomen or eyelids of 9 healthy subjects of various ages (30s to 70s) was treated as it was without chemical treatment according to the method described in Non-Patent Document 4. was measured by the above SRS microscope in the state. To construct a three-dimensional image of the obtained data, horizontal cross-sectional images acquired at intervals of 0.5 μm to 1 μm in the depth direction with the functional group-specific luminance of 2850 cm ⁻¹ derived from lipids and 2930 cm ⁻¹ derived from proteins were used. Using.

Stratum corneum hole measurement:
Wavenumber images of 2850 cm ⁻¹ and 2930 cm ⁻¹ were obtained for stratum corneum cells in the upper stratum corneum of the skin tissue of each subject, respectively. Cavities with a diameter of about 10 μm to 20 μm in lipids and proteins were identified as stratum corneum holes in the 2850 cm ^-1 and 2930 cm ^-1 wavenumber images, respectively. and calculated the average value. In addition, the total number of stratum corneum cells in the obtained image was counted, and the ratio of the number of cells having stratum corneum holes to the total number of stratum corneum cells was calculated according to the above formula and defined as the existence rate of stratum corneum holes.

Measurement of skin condition:
1) Evaluation by luminance value of 2850 cm ^-1 /2930 cm ^-1 The ratio of luminance values at 2850 cm ^-1 /2930 cm ^-1 in the 2850 cm ^-1 and 2930 cm ^-1 wave number images of the stratum corneum of each subject obtained by the method is used as the lipid/protein ratio to evaluate the skin condition. did. In other words, the lower the value of 2850cm ^-1 /2930cm ^-1 , the lower the amount of intercellular lipid and the worse the skin condition.
2) Evaluation by Plumpness The skin tissue used for the measurement of stratum corneum holes was visually observed by three expert panels, and the plumpness was evaluated in three stages according to the following evaluation criteria.
Plumpness = 3: good, 2: normal, 1: bad

result:
FIG. 1 shows a 2930 cm ⁻¹ wavenumber image and a 2850 cm ⁻¹ wavenumber image in the upper stratum corneum of the epidermis of each subject's skin tissue. As shown in FIG. 1, many stratum corneum holes were found in subjects F and G, but no stratum corneum holes were found in subjects A, E, H and I.

FIG. 2 shows the number of stratum corneum holes in images of the upper stratum corneum of each subject. FIG. 3 shows the existence rate of stratum corneum holes in objects A to F in the same image as in FIG. 2 and 3, stratum corneum holes are found only in subjects C, D, F, and G, and in particular, in subjects F and G, the number of stratum corneum holes and their abundance are high. On the other hand, in subjects A, B, E, H, and I, stratum corneum holes were not observed. In addition, the number of stratum corneum holes in subjects C and D was very small, and the existence ratio was less than 0.1.

FIG. 4 shows the ratio of luminance values at 2850 cm ⁻¹ /2930 cm ⁻¹ for objects A to F. As shown in Fig. 4, in subjects A to E, the ratio of luminance values at 2850 cm ^-1 /2930 cm ^-1 is relatively high, suggesting that the amount of intercellular lipids is high and the skin condition is good. In , the numerical value is low, suggesting that the skin condition is poor.

Comparing FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, it can be seen that the ratio of the luminance value at 2850 cm ^-1 /2930 cm ^-1 is low in the target with a large number of stratum corneum holes and a high abundance of stratum corneum holes. In addition, from Fig. 5, subjects with a large number of stratum corneum holes and/or a high abundance of stratum corneum holes have a low plumpness value, but no stratum corneum holes and/or a low abundance of stratum corneum holes. A correlation was also observed in that the subject had a high plumpness difference value. Therefore, it is suggested that the skin condition of subjects with stratum corneum holes or with a high ratio of stratum corneum holes is poor. In particular, although subjects E and F were close in age, it is worth noting that the number of stratum corneum holes and skin conditions are contrasting.

The mechanism of denucleation, in which nuclei disappear and are filled with keratin after disappearance in the process of normal stratum corneum cell differentiation, is not well understood. However, stratum corneum holes suggest that some problems occur in the nucleus disappearance and protein filling steps in the process of stratum corneum cell differentiation, and that skin cell differentiation and turnover are not performed normally. It is possible that In addition, the stratum corneum hole may suggest that the barrier function and moisturizing function of the stratum corneum are impaired.

From the above experimental results, it was found that the skin condition was worse when stratum corneum holes were present, and worse than when the ratio of holes was high. Therefore, by using the existence and/or existence rate of the stratum corneum hole as an index, the skin condition can be easily and objectively evaluated.

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily and objectively evaluate the skin condition by using the presence and/or the existence ratio of the stratum corneum hole as an index, and the deterioration of the skin condition based on such a method/system. It becomes possible to screen cosmetics and cosmetic treatments for preventing and/or ameliorating , as well as cosmetic counseling.

Claims (11)

A method for evaluating skin condition in a subject, comprising:
The above-mentioned method, wherein the presence of stratum corneum holes in the stratum corneum of the subject is measured, and the skin condition of the subject is evaluated as poor when the stratum corneum holes are present ;
Here, the stratum corneum hole refers to a cavity with a diameter of about 10 μm to 20 μm in which lipids and proteins do not exist in stratum corneum cells observed in images obtained by nonlinear optical method or linear optical method. A method for evaluating skin condition in a subject, comprising:
The above method , wherein the skin condition of the subject is evaluated using the ratio of stratum corneum holes in the stratum corneum of the subject as an index;
Here, the stratum corneum hole refers to a cavity with a diameter of about 10 μm to 20 μm in which lipids and proteins do not exist in stratum corneum cells observed in images obtained by nonlinear optical method or linear optical method . 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the existence ratio of stratum corneum holes is the ratio of the number of cells having stratum corneum holes to the total number of stratum corneum cells. further comprising acquiring an image of the stratum corneum of the subject by a nonlinear optical method or a linear optical method ;
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the presence or rate of stratum corneum holes is measured in the acquired image. A skin condition evaluation method performed by one or more computers, comprising:
A procedure for obtaining data about stratum corneum holes in an image of the stratum corneum of a subject obtained by nonlinear or linear optics ;
a procedure of referring to the acquired data and evaluating that the subject's skin condition is poor if a stratum corneum hole exists in the subject's stratum corneum;
displaying the evaluated results ;
Here, the stratum corneum hole refers to a cavity with a diameter of about 10 μm to 20 μm in which lipids and proteins do not exist in stratum corneum cells observed in images obtained by nonlinear optical method or linear optical method. A skin condition evaluation method performed by one or more computers, comprising:
A procedure for obtaining data on a preset reference value for the existence rate of stratum corneum holes;
A procedure for obtaining data about stratum corneum holes in an image of the stratum corneum of a subject obtained by nonlinear or linear optics ;
A step of referring to the acquired data and calculating the ratio of the number of cells having a stratum corneum hole to the total number of stratum corneum cells of the subject as the existence ratio of the stratum corneum hole;
a procedure for evaluating that the subject's skin condition is poor when the calculated existence rate of stratum corneum holes is higher than the reference value; and
displaying the evaluated results ;
Here, the stratum corneum hole refers to a cavity with a diameter of about 10 μm to 20 μm in which lipids and proteins do not exist in stratum corneum cells observed in images obtained by nonlinear optical method or linear optical method. A method of screening candidate cosmetics or cosmetic treatments for skin condition improving effects, comprising:
measuring the prevalence of stratum corneum holes in images of the stratum corneum of a subject obtained by nonlinear or linear optics before and after application of a candidate cosmetic or cosmetic treatment to the skin;
Comparing the measured stratum corneum hole abundance ratio before and after application;
Determining that the candidate cosmetic or cosmetic treatment has an effect of improving skin condition when the prevalence of stratum corneum holes after application is lower than that before application;
the method , comprising
Here, the stratum corneum hole refers to a cavity with a diameter of about 10 μm to 20 μm in which lipids and proteins do not exist in stratum corneum cells observed in images obtained by nonlinear optical method or linear optical method. A beauty counseling method for supporting a subject's beauty treatment, comprising:
A method comprising presenting to a subject the results evaluated by the method according to any one of claims 1-6. 9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising proposing to the subject a cosmetic treatment or cosmetic determined to be effective in improving skin condition by the screening method according to claim 7. A system for evaluating skin condition,
an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of the target stratum corneum by a nonlinear optical method or a linear optical method ;
a data acquisition unit that acquires data on the target stratum corneum hole from the acquired image;
an evaluation unit that refers to the data acquired by the data acquisition unit and evaluates that the subject's skin condition is poor if a stratum corneum hole exists;
The system having a display unit for displaying the results evaluated by the evaluation unit ,
Here, the stratum corneum hole refers to a cavity with a diameter of about 10 μm to 20 μm in which lipids and proteins do not exist in stratum corneum cells observed in images obtained by nonlinear optical method or linear optical method. A system for evaluating skin condition,
a database unit that stores data relating to a preset reference value for the existence rate of stratum corneum holes;
an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of the target stratum corneum by a nonlinear optical method or a linear optical method ;
a data acquisition unit that acquires data on the target stratum corneum hole from the acquired image;
a calculation unit that refers to the data acquired by the data acquisition unit and calculates the ratio of the number of cells having stratum corneum holes to the total number of stratum corneum cells of the target as the existence ratio of stratum corneum holes;
an evaluation unit that evaluates that the subject's skin condition is poor when the calculated existence ratio of stratum corneum holes is higher than the reference value;
The system having a display unit for displaying the results evaluated by the evaluation unit ,
Here, the stratum corneum hole refers to a cavity with a diameter of about 10 μm to 20 μm in which lipids and proteins do not exist in stratum corneum cells observed in images obtained by nonlinear optical method or linear optical method.

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