Being older helps skin heal with less scarring
Older skin might heal more slowly, but it heals with less scarring than younger skin. According to new research, published in Cell Reports , the secreted compound stromal-derived factor 1 (SDF1) is present in greater amounts in younger individuals, leading to thicker scars. Older individuals have lower SDF1 levels. This finding could explain why older patients have less significant scarring from surgery or wounds, said researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. To determine what factors might influence scar formation, researchers conducted several experiments with young and old mice. They confirmed younger mice are more prone to scarring and identified SDF1 as the differentiating compound. THE STUDY Using 2mm ear piercings in the ears of both 1-month-old and 18-month-old mice, the team showed how these groups ...