Comparison of clinical and computerized image analyses in the assessment of skin ageing in smokers and non-smokers.

Tobacco smoke and UV radiation are extrinsic risk factors for accelerated skin ageing. In this study the effects of smoking on wrinkling and ageing were assessed in males living in Northern Finland, where cumulative sun exposure is low. Smoking habits, age and facial wrinkling were estimated from facial photographs of 41 smokers and 48 non-smokers by eight panellists, using a blinded standardized assessment. Wrinkling of 26 smokers and 31 non-smokers was also assessed by computerized image analysis. The panellists identified 68% of the smokers correctly as being smokers and the smokers were estimated as being an average of 2.1 years older than their age by the panellists, whereas the non-smokers were estimated as being an average of 0.7 years younger than their age (p < 0.05). No significant difference in skin wrinkling was found between the groups by either clinical assessment or by computerized image analysis. In conclusion, even in the absence of increased wrinkling, the smokers looked older than their age and a majority of them could be identified as smokers by their facial features alone.