Copper-Infused Products for Antiaging Skin Therapy and Improvement of Skin Pathologies

The positive effect of copper oxide-impregnated products on the skin was also demonstrated in two double-blind randomized trials using copper-impregnated pillowcases.

Borkow et al. reported a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study. Fifty-seven volunteers aged 40 to 60 years slept on either a copper oxide-impregnated or a control pillowcase during the study period of 4 weeks. Facial photographs at baseline and after 2 and 4 weeks were evaluated by a dermatologist and a cosmetologist. Sleeping on a copper oxide-impregnated pillowcase resulted in a significant reduction of wrinkles and crow’s-feet and resulted in an overall improved facial appearance at both 2 and 4 weeks compared to sleeping on a normal pillowcase.

A similar study was conducted by Baek et al., although a longer study period was chosen (8 weeks), and facial photographs were also evaluated by GFM PRIMOS three-dimensional (3D) image analysis at baseline and at 4 and 8 weeks. Results from 61 volunteers using either a copper oxide-impregnated or control pillowcase showed a significant decrease of crow’s-feet in the copper group and no decrease in the control group. The 3D analysis revealed a decrease of facial wrinkles in the copper group but failed to detect changes in the control group.

These results were substantiated by Dykes, who studied the effect of copper oxide-impregnated socks on skin elasticity. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 60 healthy volunteers in which about half of the group wore copper oxide-impregnated socks and the other half wore identical socks without copper for 4 weeks, skin elasticity on the side of the ankle was measured at baseline and after 2 and 4 weeks using a cutometer. The results showed an increase of mean net skin elasticity of 6.4% at 2 weeks and a significant increase of 31.4% at 4 weeks in the group using copper socks but no increase in elasticity in the control group.

In a preliminary clinical study regarding the safety of adult diapers impregnated with copper oxide in elderly patients, an improvement of skin appearance was found. Sixteen patients used the copper diapers daily for a period of half a year. During the study period, no skin irritation or adverse reactions related to the diapers were observed. After 1 month of usage, an improved skin appearance in the diaper area was observed in all participants. Arendsen et al. studied the effect of copper-impregnated compression stockings on the skin condition lipodermatosclerosis secondary to chronic venous insufficiency. In a double-blind, randomized, controlled study, they included patients with bilateral lipodermatosclerosis. The participants were given pairs of study compression stockings, of which one of the pairs was impregnated with copper and the other was a control stocking. This study demonstrated a significant reduction of lipodermatosclerosis using copper-impregnated stockings.

（To be continued）

Copy from cmr.asm.org

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