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Effect of oral intake of choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid on skin, nails and hair in women with photodamaged skin

Archives of Dermatological Research volume 297, pages 147–153 (2005)Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 08 March 2006

An Erratum to this article was published on 10 January 2006

Abstract

Chronic exposure of the skin to sunlight causes damage to the underlying connective tissue with a loss of elasticity and firmness. Silicon (Si) was suggested to have an important function in the formation and maintenance of connective tissue. Choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid (“ch-OSA”) is a bioavailable form of silicon which was found to increase the hydroxyproline concentration in the dermis of animals. The effect of ch-OSA on skin, nails and hair was investigated in a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study. Fifty women with photodamaged facial skin were administered orally during 20 weeks, 10 mg Si/day in the form of ch-OSA pellets (n=25) or a placebo (n=25). Noninvasive methods were used to evaluate skin microrelief (forearm), hydration (forearm) and mechanical anisotropy (forehead). Volunteers evaluated on a virtual analog scale (VAS, “none=0, severe=3”) brittleness of hair and nails. The serum Si concentration was significantly higher after a 20-week supplementation in subjects with ch-OSA compared to the placebo group. Skin roughness parameters increased in the placebo group (Rt:+8%; Rm: +11%; Rz: +6%) but decreased in the ch-OSA group (Rt: −16%; Rm: −19%; Rz: −8%). The change in roughness from baseline was significantly different between ch-OSA and placebo groups for Rt and Rm. The difference in longitudinal and lateral shear propagation time increased after 20 weeks in the placebo group but decreased in the ch-OSA group suggesting improvement in isotropy of the skin. VAS scores for nail and hair brittleness were significantly lower after 20 weeks in the ch-OSA group compared to baseline scores. Oral intake of ch-OSA during the 20 weeks results in a significant positive effect on skin surface and skin mechanical properties, and on brittleness of hair and nails.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Dr. André Moreels and the technical staff of The Medical Centre, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, for blood sampling of the study subjects. ch-OSA was developed by Dirk Vanden Berghe for Bio Minerals n.v. This study was supported by a grant of Bio Minerals n.v.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

    A. Barel, A. Timchenko & P. Clarys

  2. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610, Wilrijk-Antwerp, Belgium

    M. Calomme, N. Demeester & D. Vanden Berghe

  3. Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

    K. De. Paepe & V. Rogiers

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  1. A. Barel
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  2. M. Calomme
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  4. K. De. Paepe
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  6. V. Rogiers
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  7. P. Clarys
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  8. D. Vanden Berghe
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Correspondence to M. Calomme.

Additional information

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00403-006-0650-8

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Barel, A., Calomme, M., Timchenko, A. et al. Effect of oral intake of choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid on skin, nails and hair in women with photodamaged skin. Arch Dermatol Res 297, 147–153 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-005-0584-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-005-0584-6

Keywords

  • Photodamaged skin
  • Silicon
  • Orthosilicic acid
  • Nails
  • Hair