Thin, invisible ‘second skin’ could eliminate wrinkles and deliver medical treatments

Even if you try to love the skin you’re in, chances are that you’d make a few tweaks if you could. But what if instead of plastic surgery or questionable cosmetic potions, you could put on a second skin that eliminated some of those imperfections?

Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard say that the material they’ve developed can seamlessly smooth the appearance of wrinkles and sagging under the eye. And the same “second skin” could have a wide range of medical applications.

The material might sound familiar. Initially developed by skin and haircare company Living Proof, the so-called Strateris treatment (now under development with a spin-off company called Olivo Labs) was briefly introduced to a small number of dermatology practices in 2014.

At the time, it was marketed solely as a under-eye solution to wrinkles - and it’s no longer available for sale. But a paper published Monday in Nature Materials tests the limits of the unique skin coating, and the researchers involved say it could actually find its best use in patients with severe skin problems such as eczema or psoriasis, which can both cause extremely dry and itchy skin.

That’s because the system - which goes on the skin in two steps, each a simple application of a gel or cream - locks in moisture as well as the thickest, stickiest ointments can. And instead of washing off or becoming less effective as it smears away onto clothing and other surfaces, the second skin can stay on for at least 24 hours, or until users deliberately rub and peel it off. In tests of 25 users, just two had visible “edges” after 16 hours of wear.

Study co-author Barbara A. Gilchrest, acting president of the American Skin Association, said that she hopes to see the material used to treat eczema and psoriasis, which can be debilitatingly uncomfortable in the elderly. These conditions largely come down to the skin’s failure as a barrier between the body and the outside world, she explained, and artificially supporting that barrier with a new layer of “skin” could keep patients more comfortable.

“The only thing we have to offer people at present is a heavy moisturizer, which does work temporarily . . . but it’s not at all ideal,” Gilchrest said. “This heavy layer of moisturizer looks and feels greasy. It gets all over your clothes and bedclothes. It’s just really not very good.”