title: Effect of oral intake of choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid on skin, nails and hair in women with photodamaged skin.
abstract: Chronic exposure of the skin to sunlight causes damage to the underlying connective tissue with a loss of elasticity and firmness. Silicon (Si) was suggested to have an important function in the formation and maintenance of connective tissue. Choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid ("ch-OSA") is a bioavailable form of silicon which was found to increase the hydroxyproline concentration in the dermis of animals. The effect of ch-OSA on skin, nails and hair was investigated in a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study. Fifty women with photodamaged facial skin were administered orally during 20 weeks, 10 mg Si/day in the form of ch-OSA pellets (n=25) or a placebo (n=25). Noninvasive methods were used to evaluate skin microrelief (forearm), hydration (forearm) and mechanical anisotropy (forehead). Volunteers evaluated on a virtual analog scale (VAS, "none=0, severe=3") brittleness of hair and nails. The serum Si concentration was significantly higher after a 20-week supplementation in subjects with ch-OSA compared to the placebo group. Skin roughness parameters increased in the placebo group (Rt:+8%; Rm: +11%; Rz: +6%) but decreased in the ch-OSA group (Rt: -16%; Rm: -19%; Rz: -8%). The change in roughness from baseline was significantly different between ch-OSA and placebo groups for Rt and Rm. The difference in longitudinal and lateral shear propagation time increased after 20 weeks in the placebo group but decreased in the ch-OSA group suggesting improvement in isotropy of the skin. VAS scores for nail and hair brittleness were significantly lower after 20 weeks in the ch-OSA group compared to baseline scores. Oral intake of ch-OSA during the 20 weeks results in a significant positive effect on skin surface and skin mechanical properties, and on brittleness of hair and nails.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calomme
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Timchenko
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: De Paepe
authors.forename: K De
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Paepe
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Demeester
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rogiers
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clarys
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vanden Berghe
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002794:Choline; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009262:Nails / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012824:Silicic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012825:Silicon / Q000097:blood; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D012824:Silicic Acid; D002794:Choline; D006909:Hydroxyproline; D012825:Silicon