A Quantitative, Cross-Sectional and Observational Study to Characterize Age-Related Structural Changes in Facial Skin of Chinese Women Using Line-Field Confocal Optical Coherence Tomography (LC-OCT)

Inclusion criteria

• Chinese female, aged between 20 and 70 years (inclusive) at the time of signing consent.
• Willing and able to provide written informed consent.
• Fitzpatrick Skin Phototype II or III.
• Willing to comply with all study procedures, including removal of facial makeup and avoidance of intensive skincare (e.g., retinoids, strong acids) on the test areas for 3 days prior to the visit as per instructions.

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnant, planning pregnancy, or breastfeeding (as hormonal changes significantly affect skin properties).
• Presence of temporary tanning, sunburn, or significant erythema on the face or measurement areas.
• Presence of facial piercings, tattoos, too much fluff or significant scarring that would interfere with imaging or measurements in the areas of interest.
• History of any aesthetic or surgical procedure on the face (e.g., laser therapy, chemical peels, injectable fillers, botulinum toxin, plastic surgery) within the past 12 months.
• Current diagnosis or visible signs of a skin disease (e.g., psoriasis, eczema, active acne, rosacea) or a systemic disease known to affect the skin (e.g., diabetes, lupus) on the face or measurement areas.
• Use of systemic medications known to affect skin physiology (e.g., oral retinoids, immunosuppressants, long-term corticosteroids) within the past 3 months, or for a cumulative duration of ≥6 months within the past 2 years.
• Participation in another clinical study on the face or arms within the past 1 month.