The influence of age and sex on skin thickness, skin collagen and density.

Forearm skin collagen, dermal thickness and collagen density were measured in a large number of normal subjects as a standard reference for future studies. Skin collagen decreased with age and was less in the females at all ages. There is a direct relationship between skin collagen and dermal thickness but variations in collagen density in disease limit the use of dermal thickness as a guide to changes in its collagen content.