Researchers Develop Facial Glycation Imaging Device via Cosmetics & Toiletries

A research team with LG Household & Health Care in Seoul, Korea, have developed and validated a novel facial glycation imaging system (FGIS) for assessing the skin glycation index (SGI) in facial skin.

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They believe the device will be a valuable tool for studies on skin aging and anti-glycation cosmetic products.

The FGIS includes illumination (white light-emitting diode, ultraviolet light-emitting diode) and image acquisition modules to capture face images. An image analysis algorithm was then used to calculate advanced glycation end product (AGE)–related autofluorescence and total skin reflectance and obtain the SGI.

To validate the device, they performed a study that included 36 healthy Korean women, which was published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. The women were between 20-59 years (five subjects, aged 20-29 years; eight, 30-39 years; 13, 40-49 years; and 10, 50-59 years.)

The illumination module of the device features white light-emitting diode (LED) and UV LED light sources; a 365 nm short pass filter (Ruisen Optics, CN) was mounted in front of the UV LED light sources to specifically excite skin AGEs, such as pentosidine.