Polarization-resolved second-harmonic-generation (SHG) microscopy is useful for assessment of collagen fiber orientation in tissues. In this paper, we investigated the relation between wrinkle direction and collagen orientation in ultraviolet-B-exposed (UVB-exposed) skin using polarization-resolved SHG microscopy. A polarization anisotropic image of the SHG light indicated that wrinkle direction in UVB-exposed skin is predominantly parallel to the orientation of dermal collagen fibers whereas no-UVB-exposed skin was dominated by collagen orientation parallel to the meridian line of body. The method proposed has the potential to become a powerful non-invasive tool for assessment of cutaneous photoaging.

Date Published: 13 February 2009
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 7183, Multiphoton Microscopy in the Biomedical Sciences IX, 71831X (13 February 2009); doi: 10.1117/12.808672

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7183:
Multiphoton Microscopy in the Biomedical Sciences IX
Ammasi Periasamy; Peter T. C. So, Editor(s)