title: Pore volume is most highly correlated with the visual assessment of skin pores.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many studies have been focused on evaluating assessment techniques for facial pores amid growing attention on skin care. Ubiquitous techniques used to assess the size of facial pores include visual assessment, cross-section images of the skin surface, and profilometric analysis of silicone replica of the facial skin. In addition, there are indirect assessment methods, including observation of pores based on confocal laser scanning microscopy and the analysis of sebum secretion and skin elasticity. The aim of this study was to identify parameters useful in estimating pore of surface in normal skin.
  
  
  METHODS
  The severity of pores on the cheek area by frontal optical images was divided on a 0-6 scale with '0' being faint and small pore and '6' being obvious and large pore. After the photos of the frontal cheek of 32 women aged between 35 and 49 were taken, the size of their pores was measured on a 0-6 scale; and the correlation between visual grading of pore and various evaluations (pore volume by 3-D image, pore area and number by Optical Image Analyzer) contributing to pore severity investigated using direct, objective, and noninvasive evaluations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The visual score revealed that the size of pores was graded on a 1-6 scale. Visual grading of pore was highly correlated with pore volume measured from 3-D images and pore area measured from 2-D optical images in the order (P < 0.01). Visual grading of pore was also slightly correlated with the number of pores in size of over 0.04 mm(2) (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High correlation between pore score and pore volume can be explained by 3-D structural characteristics of pores. It is concluded that pore volume and area serve as useful parameters in estimating pore of skin surface.
authors.affiliation: DERMAPRO LTD. , Skin Research Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Back
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Koh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D046169:Dermoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010781:Photography / Q000379:methods*; D016062:Porosity; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D064232:Visual Analog Scale
keywords: noninvasive evaluation; pore area; pore number; pore of skin surface; pore volume