The Effects Of Age And Sex On The Thickness Of Epidermis And The Number Of Melanocytes Were Determined In Human Skin Samples By Using Histological Methods

In this light microscopic study, the effects of age and sex on the thickness of epidermis and the number of melanocytes were determined in human skin samples by using histological methods. Skin samples from a group of various ages including 10 men and 10 women were fixed in 10 % formaldehyde solution.The formalin fixed skin samples were processed using routine histologic procedures and embedded in paraffin. In this study, the most consistent results are in the epidermis of aging individuals is flattenning of the dermo-epidermal junction and decreased number of dermal papilla. However, it was found that numbers of melanocytes in epidermis decreased with age and changed with sex. Consequently, there is a significant statistical difference between epidermis thickness and age ( p< 0,0001 ). However, a high negative correlation was determined between epidermis thickness and age ( r= -0,8047). In conclusion epidermal thickness decrease %80 with age. But there is a no significant statistical difference between epidermis thickness and sex ( p= 0,7622). Also, there is a significant ( p