Changes with age in the moisture content of human skin.

A technique to measure the dynamic mechanical properties of human skin in vivo is described. The technique measures the propagation and attenuation of shear waves in skin tissue over a range of frequencies (8-1016 Hz). Results show that both the propagation velocity and attenuation of shear waves in skin are highly dependent upon the water content of the stratum corneum. The technique was used to measure the dynamic mechanical properties of the skin on the back of the left hand for a group of 16 men ranging in age from 24-63 years. The results suggest that aged skin has a lower water content than the skin of younger men.