506 JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE 300[ ß y = 142.63 * 10^(-7.4730e-3x) r= •.510 200 ]© 10 20 30 40 50 60 Blood flow parameter Finter-L Figure 4. Relationship between the surface morphology parameter sWp and the blood flow parameter Fi ..... L in the cheek. 100' 80' 60' 40' S1 y = 26.707 * 10^(-3.4332e-3x) r=- -0.362 0 20 40 60 80 100 Blood flowparameter Frest Figure 5. Relationship between the surfacemorphology parametersWa and the blood flow parameter in the cheek. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BLOOD FLOW IN THE CHEEK AND SKIN MORPHOLOGY IN PERIPHERAL REGIONS Table V shows correlations between the blood flow parameters in the cheek and the surface morphology parameters in several peripheral regions of the cheek (e.g. the corner of the mouth, the nasolabial groove, the lower eyelid, and the outer corner of the eye). No correlation was observed in the lower eyelid, in the nasolabial groove, or in the outer corner of the eye. Correlations were observed in many blood flow parameters (but not in Fmin) at the corner of the mouth. Figure 7 shows the relationship between sWq and the blood flow parameter Fma x at the corner of the mouth. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SKIN ELASTICITY, BLOOD FLOW PARAMETERS, AND THE SKIN MORPHOLOGY OF THE CHEEK The elasticity of the cheek skin did not correlate with any of the blood flow or mor- phological parameters (data not shown). RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE WATER CONTENT OF THE STRATUM CORNEUM, BLOOD FLOW PARAMETERS, AND THE SKIN MORPHOLOGY OF THE CHEEK The water content of the stratum corneum of cheek skin showed no correlation with any of the blood flow or morphological parameters (data not shown).

BLOOD FLOW IN FACIAL SKIN 507 B1 B2 B3 S2 B4. .... ß Figure 6. Replica photos. A replica of a subject with a high cheek blood flow and a low three-dimensional morphological parameter sWa (B l-B4) and a replica of a subject with a low cheek blood flow and a high sWa (S1-S4) (as numbered in Figure 5). DISCUSSION In this study, we examined the relationship between the blood flow and the morpho- logical structure of the skin. In the forehead, no correlation was noted between the parameters of the blood flow and those of the surface morphology. In the cheek, however, a significant negative correlation was observed between the blood flow parameters and the parameters of the surface morphology. There was little or no correlation between the blood flow parameters and age in the forehead, or between the surface morphology