Many stem cells, which could become
skin cells, found in aged skin!

Skin deterioration with aging is a major cause of sagging facial skin. The youthfulness of skin depends on cells. However, skin cells are shrouded with mystery because they are difficult to observe. There has been award-winning research aimed to observe these cells.
Shiseido recently developed a technology for electron microscopy analysis and succeeded in observing the cells deep under the skin (dermal cells) 3-dimensionally for the first time through a research jointly conducted with Kyoichi Matsuzaki, Senior Professor of the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department at the International University of Health and Welfare School of Medicine and the National Institute for Physiological Sciences.
Observation of the dermal layer with this technology shows that the dermal cells of young subjects have vertical and horizontal thin dendrites whereas the cells of aged subjects have lost dendrites and have deteriorated. This is the first finding of skin cell deterioration.

Further observation of the skin revealed that the skin around the sebaceous glands is in good condition even in elderly subjects. Sebaceous glands exist throughout the skin and supply sebum to the skin. Many stem cells that can become new skin cells were observed around these glands. With these findings, it is evident that sebaceous glands act as reservoirs of stem cells.

It is believed that stem cells are lost with aging although they are important cells that can become skin cells. However, even in the skin of aged subjects, well maintained stem cells were found in these reservoirs.

It will soon be possible to rejuvenate skin by utilizing stem cells from reservoirs and inducing them into the skin to replace the deteriorated cells with new ones.
Shiseido will use these findings to develop new skin care products.