A 'Second Skin' to make wrinkle passe invented

                The idea sounds like fantasy: an invisible film that can be painted on your skin and give it the elasticity of youth. Bags under the eyes vanish in seconds. Wrinkles disappear. Reporting on 9 May, Harvard and MIT researchers said a “second skin” composed of commonly used chemicals deemed safe by the Food and Drug Administration can accomplish that – and so far no one has reported irritation or allergic reactions.

                For under-eye bags, one can soak the film with sunscreen without worrying of sweat or water washing it away, researchers said. They expect it can be used to treat eczema, psoriasis and other skin conditions by covering dry itchy patches with a film that moistens and soothes.

                The chemicals used are siloxanes – one atom of oxygen linked to two atoms of silicon – which form polymers, long chains of repeating units. Then they devised a two-step process. First, a polymer, a clear liquid, is applied. Next, a product is applied that links them together. By modifying the chemistry of the chains, the researchers can alter the properties of the second skin, depending on how it will be used. For example, a more permeable second skin might be used for under-eye bags while a less permeable one might hold a medication in place. It can be removed with a solution that dissolves the polymer.

                The idea for second skin originated a decade ago when Dr. R. Rox Anderson, a professor of dermatology at Harvard, was approached by Living Proof, which had been working on a polymer to be used as a hair product. What if there was a way to restore the elastic nature of skin? He thought and listed what would be needed-it has to be nearly invisible, the skin still has to be able to breathe through this stuff, and it needs to be strong and elastic enough that it actually affects the recoil of the skin.

                In one study, participants put second skin on their forearms to see how quickly the skin returned to normal after it was pinched in a suction cup – a test of elasticity. The product’s durability was tested in volunteers who wore it while running in heat and while swimming. Another application of second skin is to keep drugs like cortisone creams on the skin. Less than 10% of what is applied stay there.