How to grow a second skin

Scientists have developed a new material than can smooth wrinkles

As skin ages, it loses its elasticity, but now scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found a way to restore its healthy, youthful properties. Their ‘second skin’ is applied in a two-step process. First, a cream containing a silicon-based polymer is rubbed onto the skin, then a second cream acts as a catalyst to form a strong, transparent, flexible film that protects and tightens the skin. With further development, the team hope that it can also be used to deliver drugs and treat skin conditions such as eczema. Exciting stuff.

 

Written by the How It Works team

This article first appeared in How It Works issue 88

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