Sensory Neuron Activation from Topical Treatments Modulates the Sensorial Perception of Human Skin via PNAS Nexus

Neural signaling of skin sensory perception from topical treatments is often reported in subjective terms such as a sensation of skin “tightness” after using a cleanser or “softness” after applying a moisturizer.

However, the mechanism whereby cutaneous mechanoreceptors and corresponding sensory neurons are activated giving rise to these perceptions has not been established.

Here, we provide a quantitative approach that couples in vitro biomechanical testing and detailed computational neural stimulation modeling along with a comprehensive in vivo self-assessment survey to demonstrate how cutaneous biomechanical changes in response to treatments are involved in the sensorial perception of the human skin.