Skin treatment device, method, program

Abstract

To efficiently generate effects with respect to sagging, firmness, spots, wrinkles, and lift-up of the skin.SOLUTION: Disclosed is a skin treatment device for generating effects with respect to sagging, firmness, spots, wrinkles, and lift-up of the skin. The skin treatment device applies AC stimulation within a range of 10 kHz or higher and lower than 200 kHz to the skin, thereby generating effects that are equal to or greater than those in the case of applying AC stimulation at 1 MHz, with respect to sagging, tightening, spots, wrinkles, and lift-up of the skin.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a skin treatment device, a method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] A technology is known that activates fibroblasts present in the skin by stimulating them with a physical stimulus generating circuit (ultrasonic oscillation circuit, low-frequency generating circuit, heat generating circuit, optical wavelength oscillation circuit), thereby promoting the production of collagen and estradiol. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-334517 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned conventional techniques are targeted at a variety of physical stimuli, and it is difficult to efficiently produce effects relating to sagging skin, firmness, age spots, wrinkles, and lifting.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to efficiently produce effects relating to sagging skin, firmness, age spots, wrinkles, and lifting. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In one aspect, a skin treatment device is provided that applies an alternating current stimulus within a range of 10 kHz or more and less than 200 kHz to the skin. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to efficiently produce effects relating to sagging skin, firmness, age spots, wrinkles, and lifting. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a skin treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram illustrating a head unit of the skin treatment device of FIG 1. (A) is a front view showing the arrangement of a plurality of electrodes and a plurality of peripheral electrodes, and (B) is a front view of the electrodes. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a front view illustrating an example of an arrangement of a plurality of electrodes. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating linear parallel output regions and equally spaced output regions of the electrodes in FIG. 2(B). [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a skin treatment device according to another embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a control device built into the skin treatment device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a control device. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of two examples of AC waveforms. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 shows cell test results showing the effect on cell viability. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 shows the results of a cell test showing the effect on collagen production. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 shows the results of a cell test showing the effect on hyaluronic acid production. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 shows cell test results (Experiment 1) showing the effect on cell viability. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 shows cell test results (Experiment 2) showing the effect on cell viability. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 shows cell test results (Experiment 3) showing the effect on cell viability. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 shows cell test results (Experiment 4) showing the effect on cell viability. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Each embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] (Overall structure of skin treatment device) Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a skin treatment device 1 according to this embodiment, as an example of a specific configuration of the skin treatment device 1. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating a head unit 3 of the skin treatment device 1 according to this embodiment.

[0011] The skin processing device 1 of this embodiment is in the form of a facial beautifying device and is configured to impart beauty-related effects to the skin of the user's face. However, in a modified example, the skin processing device 1 may be configured to impart a similar beauty-related effect to a part other than the user's face in addition to or instead of the user's face. The skin processing device 1 may also be used to impart an effect other than the beauty-related effect (for example, an effect of promoting transdermal absorption of medicines).

[0012] The beauty-related effect is optional and may include any combination of one or more of the following: elimination of sagging skin, tightening, fat burning, lifting, face slimming, firmness and radiance of skin, moisturization, etc. The beauty-related effect may be a quantifiable effect or a non-quantifiable effect.

[0013] The skin processing device 1 of this embodiment is configured to impart beauty-related effects to the user's skin by applying various outputs via a plurality of electrodes that come into contact with the user's skin.

[0014] The skin treatment device 1 of this embodiment is a portable type that can be held by the user's hand, but may be applied to a movable type that is movably supported on a fixed device via an arm or the like.

[0015] The skin processing device 1 of this embodiment includes a gripping unit 2 and a head unit 3. In this case, a user can apply various outputs from the skin processing device 1 to a desired part by gripping the gripping unit 2 and applying the head unit 3 to the desired part on the user's own face or the face of another person (e.g., a patient).

[0016] The grip portion 2 has a shape that is easily gripped by the user's hand. The grip portion 2 may include a user interface 20 including various buttons such as a power on / off button, a mode switching button, and an intensity adjustment button. The various buttons may be mechanical buttons or touch switches. The grip portion 2 may also be provided with a display unit (not shown) that displays the state of the skin treatment device 1. The grip portion 2 may also be provided with an electrode (not shown) that comes into contact with the user's hand.

[0017] The head portion 3 is provided at an end of the grip portion 2. The head portion 3 may be fixed to the grip portion 2, may be detachable, or may be movable relative to the grip portion 2.

[0018] The head part 3 can contact the skin of the user and has a shape suitable for contacting the skin of the user. The head part 3 may have, for example, a contact surface 3a that is substantially planar (including a curved surface with a relatively large radius of curvature). The contact surface 3a is a plane in which the extension direction (basic surface) of the contact surface 3a can be approximated to a substantially straight line in a side view. The shape of the contact surface 3a in a front view (i.e., the shape when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface 3a) is arbitrary, such as a rectangle, a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, etc. In this embodiment, the shape of the contact surface 3a in a front view is, for example, a circle, as shown in FIG. 2(A). Regarding the contact surface 3a of the head part 3, the center when the contact surface 3a is viewed from the front (i.e., the position of the center of gravity when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface 3a) is referred to as the "center C of the contact surface 3a".

[0019] A plurality of electrode groups are arranged for each attribute on the head unit 3, specifically, a first electrode group and a second electrode group are arranged. The plurality of electrode groups are arranged in a manner that forms the contact surface 3a of the head unit 3.

[0020] The first electrode group includes a plurality of electrodes 30 arranged in an array on the contact surface 3a. The second electrode group includes a plurality of peripheral electrodes 33 arranged on the contact surface 3a in a mutually rotationally symmetrical form centered on the center C of the contact surface 3a (which is also the center of the first electrode group) so as to surround the plurality of electrodes 30. These electrodes 30 and peripheral electrodes 33 are formed so as to be easily in contact with the user's skin, and may be flush with the basic surface of the contact surface 3a of the head portion 3, or may be slightly protruding from the basic surface of the contact surface 3a of the head portion 3.

[0021] In this embodiment, the head portion 3 has seven electrodes 30 as the first electrode group, but the number of electrodes 30 as the first electrode group is not limited to seven and may be any number equal to or greater than 2. In this embodiment, the head portion 3 also has three outer edge electrodes 33 as the second electrode group, but the number of outer edge electrodes 33 as the second electrode group is not limited to three and may be any number equal to or greater than 2.

[0022] Each of the multiple electrodes 30 has an inner electrode 31 and an outer electrode 32 spaced apart from the inner electrode 31 and surrounding the inner electrode 31. The inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 of each of the multiple electrodes 30 form a pair of electrodes for applying an output waveform of a predetermined frequency having, for example, a beauty-related effect (specifically, effects relating to sagging, firmness, age spots, wrinkles, and lifting, which will be described later) to the user's skin.

[0023] That is, in the first electrode group, the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 of each of the multiple electrodes 30 form a pair to generate a desired output waveform. In this case, the output waveform may be any, for example, an AC waveform or a pulsed DC waveform. Preferred examples of the frequency band of the AC output waveform will be described later. Also, some examples of output waveforms realized by pairing the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 will be described later.

[0024] By arranging the plurality of outer electrodes 33 constituting the second electrode group so as to surround at least a part of the plurality of electrodes 30 constituting the first electrode group, it is possible to configure the device to have a synergistic effect between the action provided by the first electrode group and the action provided by the second electrode group. In addition, by making the shape and arrangement of the plurality of outer electrodes 33 constituting the second electrode group conform to the overall shape of the assembly of the plurality of electrodes 30 constituting the first electrode group, it is possible to use the contact surface 3a of the head part 3 without waste and to secure an appropriate (in other words, sufficient) area for the electrodes constituting the second electrode group. Therefore, it is possible to prevent discomfort caused by a strong bodily sensation caused by passing a low-frequency current through an electrode with a small area.

[0025] The multiple peripheral electrodes 33 form a pair of electrodes for applying an output waveform of a predetermined frequency having, for example, a beauty-related effect (specifically, an electrical muscle stimulation effect, etc.) to the user's skin.

[0026] That is, in the second electrode group, the peripheral electrodes 33 are paired with each other to generate a desired output waveform. In this case, the output waveform may be any, for example, an AC waveform or a pulsed DC waveform. In this case, the frequency band of the output waveform may be any, for example, a high frequency or low frequency having an electrical muscular stimulation effect. Some examples of output waveforms that are realized by pairing the peripheral electrodes 33 with each other will be described later.

[0027] In this embodiment, each of the multiple electrodes 30 has an inner electrode 31 with an outer peripheral edge shaped like a regular hexagon, an outer electrode 32 with an inner peripheral edge and an outer peripheral edge shaped like a regular hexagon, and an outer electrode 32 with an outer peripheral edge shaped like a regular hexagon spaced apart from the inner electrode 31 and surrounding the inner electrode 31. That is, the outer electrode 32 is disposed outside the outer periphery of the inner electrode 31 (in other words, outside in the radial direction) so that the center of the inner electrode 31 (center of gravity position in a front view; the same applies below) and the center of the outer electrode 32 (center of gravity position in a front view; the same applies below) coincide with each other.

[0028] In this embodiment, the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the shapes of the inner peripheral edge and outer peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 of each of the multiple electrodes 30 are formed into a regular hexagon with rounded corners, so that the dimension between the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 is constant throughout the entire space S between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 (see FIG. 2(B)). In this case, due to the symmetry and uniformity of the distance from the inner electrode 31 to the outer electrode 32, uniform electrical application with suppressed electrical bias is realized between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32. However, the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the shapes of the inner peripheral edge and outer peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 may be formed into a shape that is not rounded.

[0029] In this embodiment, all of the multiple electrodes 30 have the same shape. However, some of the multiple electrodes 30 may have different shapes (in other words, some of the electrodes have the same shape), or all of the multiple electrodes 30 may have shapes different from one another. That is, the multiple electrodes 30 may all be arranged to have the same shape, or may have two or more different types of electrodes with different shapes.

[0030] One electrode 30 (reference symbol 30c in FIG. 2A) is disposed such that the center of the inner electrode 31 coincides with the center C of the contact surface 3a. Furthermore, six electrodes 30 (reference symbol 30a in FIG. 2A) are disposed around the electrode 30 (reference symbol 30c in FIG. 2A) disposed at the center C of the contact surface 3a, on a circumference centered on the center C of the contact surface 3a, at equal intervals from one another.

[0031] The dimension Li between opposite sides of the outer periphery of the inner electrode 31 is not limited to a specific value, but may be set to any value within a range of about 2 to 5 mm, merely as an example.

[0032] The distance between the centers of the inner electrodes 31 of adjacent electrodes 30 is not limited to a specific value, but may be set to any value within a range of about 4 to 12 mm, for example only.

[0033] In this embodiment, as described above, each of the multiple electrodes 30 is configured such that the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 is formed into a regular hexagon (more specifically, a regular hexagon with rounded corners; the same applies below), and the inner and outer peripheral edges of the outer electrode 32 are formed into regular hexagons, and the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 are combined so that the center of the inner electrode 31 and the center of the outer electrode 32 coincide with each other.

[0034] In addition, the multiple electrodes 30 are arranged in an array such that the multiple outer electrodes 32 are adjacent to one another (see FIG. 3(A)), in contact (see FIG. 3(B)), or integrated (see FIG. 3(C) in this embodiment). The outer electrodes 32 of adjacent electrodes 30 may be integrated (in other words, overlap or be common), but are arranged so as not to cross each other.

[0035] In this embodiment, the electrodes 30 are arranged in such a manner that at least a part of the outer electrodes 32 of the adjacent electrodes 30 is common, that is, in the manner shown in FIG. 3(C). In this case, the outer electrodes 32 are formed in a mesh shape, specifically, in a honeycomb shape, when viewed from the front. Furthermore, the outer edge of the outer electrodes 32 is formed in a regular hexagon, and the electrodes 30 are arranged so that at least a part of the outer electrodes 32 of the adjacent electrodes 30 are integrated (in other words, overlapping or common), so that there is no gap between the electrodes 30 (in other words, no wasted space), and the number and arrangement of the electrodes 30 are adjusted according to the size and shape of the contact surface 3a, and the electrodes 30 can be arranged so as to fill the entire surface of the contact surface 3a.

[0036] Furthermore, by assembling a plurality of electrodes 30 each consisting of an inner electrode 31 and an outer electrode 32 surrounding it to form an electrode assembly, the expandability and freedom of arrangement of the electrodes can be increased, and the shape of the entire electrode assembly can be freely adjusted according to the area to which beauty-related effects are to be imparted. Specifically, for example, the shape of the entire electrode assembly may be a shape that fills an approximately circular range as in this embodiment, a shape that fills an approximately elliptical range, a shape that fills an approximately rectangular range, or even a shape that fills an approximately gourd-shaped range.

[0037] By forming a pair of electrodes by the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 spaced apart from the inner electrode 31 and surrounding the inner electrode 31, the distance between the pair of electrodes (i.e., the dimension d between the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32) can be adjusted to any value by changing the size of the inner electrode 31 or the outer electrode 32 or by changing the width of the outer electrode 32. The dimension d between the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 is not limited to a specific value, but is preferably 1.0 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less, more preferably 1.6 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less, and most preferably about 1.8 mm.

[0038] As in this embodiment, it is preferable that the shape of the outer periphery of the inner electrode 31 and the shape of the inner periphery of the outer electrode 32 of the electrode 30 have straight lines and parallel portions. This makes it possible to more effectively suppress electrical bias and realize uniform electrical application.

[0039] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 of the electrode 30 and the shape of the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 are both straight and have a parallel portion SP, and in the region between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 in this parallel portion SP (the "straight parallel output region" which is the dark gray shaded portion in Fig. 4), uniform electrical application with suppressed electrical bias is realized. In addition, the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the shape of the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 are formed into a regular hexagon with rounded corners, so that the dimension d between the outer peripheral edge of the inner electrode 31 and the inner peripheral edge of the outer electrode 32 is constant throughout the entire space S between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32, and uniform electrical application with suppressed electrical bias is realized in the region between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 in the rounded portion (the "equidistant output region" which is the portion between the straight parallel output regions in Fig. 4).

[0040] It is preferable that the ratio of the area of ​​the outer electrode 32 to the area of ​​the inner electrode 31 of each of the electrodes 30 (referred to as the "internal / external electrode area ratio") is within a predetermined range. The internal / external electrode area ratio is preferably 0.8 to 1.2, more preferably 0.9 to 1.1, even more preferably 0.95 to 1.05, and most preferably 1.0. By setting the internal / external electrode area ratio within an appropriate range, good electrical application between the internal electrode 31 and the external electrode 32 is achieved.

[0041] It is preferable that the ratio of the total area of ​​the space S between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 to the total area of ​​the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 of the multiple electrodes 30 (referred to as the "ratio of the inter-electrode area to the electrode area") is within a predetermined range. The ratio of the inter-electrode area to the electrode area is preferably 0.6 to 1.6, more preferably 0.6 to 1.2, even more preferably 0.7 to 1.1, and most preferably 0.9 to 1.0. By setting the ratio of the inter-electrode area to the electrode area within an appropriate range, good electrical application between the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32 is realized.

[0042] 1 to 4 are merely examples, and any electrode configuration may be used as long as the output waveform of the AC stimulation in the range of 10 kHz to 200 kHz described below can be applied to the user's skin. Therefore, the present invention can be applied to various electrode configurations, such as a concentric two-ring electrode configuration as shown in FIG. 5, a concentric three-ring electrode configuration, a linearly arranged electrode configuration, and an electrode configuration including ring-shaped electrodes separated in the circumferential direction.

[0043] However, in this embodiment, the electrode 30 is configured to contact the user's skin with a surface thereof. That is, the electrode 30 acts on the user's skin with a surface thereof and does not pierce the skin. In addition, in the case of an electrode with a pointed tip, it acts on the user's skin with a point thereof and pierces the skin. From this viewpoint, the minimum dimension of the outer shape of the cross section of the electrode 30 (cross section when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface 3a) is preferably 1 mm or more.

[0044] Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the control device 100 built into the skin treatment device 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 100. In Fig. 7, peripheral devices 160 are diagrammatically shown in association with the hardware configuration of the control device 100.

[0045] The control device 100 is electrically connected to a power source 90, and is also electrically connected to the first electrode 31, the second electrode 32, and the third electrode 33. The power source 90 may be realized by an internal battery that can be mounted in the skin processing device 1, and / or an external power source that can be connected to the skin processing device 1. The control device 100 may have a power supply circuit that generates various operating power sources based on the power source 90. The control device 100 may also include a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, an integrated circuit, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), or the like.

[0046] In the example shown in FIG. 7, the control device 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 111, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 112, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 113, an auxiliary storage device 114, a drive device 115, and a communication interface 117, all connected by a bus 119, as well as a wired transceiver unit 125 and a wireless transceiver unit 126 connected to the communication interface 117.

[0047] The auxiliary storage device 114 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and is a storage device that stores data related to application software and the like.

[0048] The wired transceiver 125 includes a transceiver capable of communicating using a wired network. A peripheral device 160 is connected to the wired transceiver 125. However, a part or all of the peripheral device 160 may be connected to the bus 119 or to the wireless transceiver 126. The peripheral device 160 may include the above-mentioned multiple electrodes 30, a mobile terminal such as a user's smartphone, or the like. In the case where the mobile terminal is included, the user may be able to perform various settings related to the skin processing device 1 via the mobile terminal.

[0049] The wireless transmission / reception unit 126 is a transmission / reception unit capable of communicating using a wireless network. The wireless network may include a wireless communication network of a mobile phone, the Internet, a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), etc. The wireless transmission / reception unit 126 may also include a Near Field Communication (NFC) unit, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication unit, a Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi) transmission / reception unit, an infrared transmission / reception unit, etc.

[0050] The control device 100 may be connectable to a recording medium 116. The recording medium 116 stores a predetermined program. The program stored in the recording medium 116 is installed in the auxiliary storage device 114 of the control device 100 via the drive device 115. The installed predetermined program can be executed by the CPU 111 of the control device 100. For example, the recording medium 116 may be a recording medium that records information optically, electrically, or magnetically, such as a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, a flexible disk, or a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory that records information electrically, such as a ROM or a flash memory. The recording medium 116 does not include a carrier wave.

[0051] The control device 100 uses the power source 90 to generate one or more output waveforms that can be applied to the skin via the multiple electrodes 30.

[0052] In this embodiment, the control device 100 generates an AC waveform M0 (AC stimulation) having a frequency between AC stimulations in a range of 10 kHz or more and less than 200 kHz. In this case, the control device 100 generates the AC waveform M0 so that it can be applied to the user's skin via the first electrode 31 (inner electrode 31) and the second electrode 32 (outer electrode 32). That is, the generated AC waveform M0 can be applied to the user's skin with the first electrode 31 as the positive electrode (or negative electrode) and the second electrode 32 as the negative electrode (or positive electrode).

[0053] In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the term "AC waveform" is a concept that includes not only a sine wave but also any waveform having bipolarity.

[0054] In this embodiment, the AC waveform M0 may be a square wave, but preferably has a sinusoidal shape, i.e., a shape that gradually changes toward a peak value, which can eliminate or reduce inconveniences that may occur when the AC waveform is a square wave (e.g., discomfort to the user due to a sudden increase in current).

[0055] For example, the AC waveform M0 may have a waveform as shown in two examples in Fig. 8. Fig. 8 shows the output waveform (time-series waveform) of the AC waveform M0 with the horizontal axis representing time and the vertical axis representing voltage value. In Fig. 8, ΔT1 and ΔT3 represent sections (ranges) corresponding to one period of the output waveform.

[0056] 8, the AC waveform M0 has multiple peak voltage values ​​during a half cycle (ΔT1 / 2), including a first peak voltage value Vp1 and one or more second peak voltage values ​​Vp2.

[0057] The first peak voltage value Vp1 is a peak voltage value that appears at the beginning of a half cycle, and the second peak voltage value Vp2 appears after the first peak voltage value Vp1 and is smaller in magnitude than the first peak voltage value Vp1. The second peak voltage value Vp2 may occur multiple times in a gradually decreasing manner as shown in Fig. 8. The second peak voltage value Vp2 is preferably smaller than half the magnitude of the first peak voltage value Vp1.

[0058] Here, the AC waveform M0 has a frequency between AC stimuli in the range of 10 kHz or more and less than 200 kHz, and thus can provide the following excellent effects to the skin to which it is applied.

[0059] In this embodiment, the voltage value of the AC waveform M0 is preferably 300V or less peak-to-peak. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 8, the first peak voltage value Vp1 and the second peak voltage value Vp2 are 150V or less.

[0060] Figures 9 to 12 show some test results that demonstrate the superiority of AC stimulation in the range of 10 kHz or more and less than 200 kHz.

[0061] 9 to 11 are test results showing the effect at 165 kHz, which is within the range of AC stimulation from 10 kHz to less than 200 kHz, and are compared with a control and 1 MHz. The "control" corresponds to the result when the head unit 3 of the skin treatment device 1 is placed against the skin, but no output waveform is applied from the head unit 3 to the skin.

[0062] Here, the test method is as follows.

[0063] (Step S1) NB1RGB, which are normal human neonatal fibroblasts, were seeded on a 60 mm dish at a density of 2.0 × 105 cells / dish and cultured for 24 hours in a CO2 incubator (CO2 concentration = 5%, 37°C). NHDF (NB) cells may be used instead of NB1RGB cells.

[0064] (Step S2) The test medium was replaced with 0.5% FBS-containing test medium (EMEM 8 mL), and the facial massager was applied every 24 hours for 3 days according to the test conditions. The temperature of the medium liquid surface and the liquid were measured before and after application of the facial massager.

[0065] (Step S3) The culture supernatant was collected in a 15 mL tube (Cat No. 23-2265, Crystalgen, USA) and frozen (-20°C). The collagen and hyaluronic acid production promoting effects in the collected culture supernatant were evaluated using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). In addition, the cell count in the 60 mm dish from which the culture supernatant was removed was evaluated by MTT assay.

[0066] The method for measuring collagen by ELISA is as follows.

[0067] (Step S1) 150 μL of PBS was placed in a high-adsorption 96-well plate (Cat No. 3855, Thermo Scientific, USA), and 50 μL of the culture supernatant sample was added, followed by standing overnight at 4° C. A type I collagen solution (Cat No. 009-001-103, RCK, USA) was used as a standard substance.

[0068] (Step S2) The microplate was washed with 200 μL of PBS(-) containing 0.05% Tween 20 (PBS-T, Tween 20: CAS No. 9005-64-5, Sigma-Aldrich, USA), and 150 μL of 1% Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA, Cat No. PRL68700-50G, Proliant, USA) solution was added and allowed to stand at 37° C. for 1 hour.

[0069] (Step S3) After washing with 200 μL of PBS-T, 100 μL of a 100 ng / mL biotin-labeled anti-type I collagen antibody (Cat No. 600-406-103, ROCKLAND, USA) solution was added, and the mixture was allowed to stand at 37° C. for 1 hour.

[0070] (Step S4) After washing with 200 μL of PBS-T, 100 μL of Streptavidin-HRP (Cat No. CJ30H-1, Agilent Technologies, USA, diluted 1:10,000) solution was added and allowed to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

[0071] (Step S5) After washing with 200 μL of PBS-T, 100 μL of 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS, Cat No. 5110-0010, KPL, USA) solution was added and color development was confirmed.

[0072] (Step S6) After the dye in the 96-well plate was uniformly mixed, the absorbance at 405 nm (OD405) was measured using a microplate reader.

[0073] (Step S7) The collagen production rate of the facial massager application group was calculated by taking the OD405 of the control as 100%. In addition, the OD405 of the facial massager application group was divided by the OD570 measured by the MTT assay to calculate the collagen production rate per cell.

[0074] The method for measuring hyaluronic acid by ELISA is as follows.

[0075] (Step S1) 100 μL of a hyaluronan binding protein (HABP, Cat No. BC40, Hokudo, Japan, 1:5500) solution prepared with PBS was added to a highly adsorbent 96-well plate and incubated overnight at 4° C.

[0076] (Step S2) The immobilized HABP solution was removed, and the plate was washed with 200 μL of PBS-T solution. Then, 150 μL of 1% BSA solution was added, and the plate was incubated at room temperature for 1 hour.

[0077] (Step S3) After removing the BSA solution and washing with 200 μL of PBS-T, 100 μL of culture supernatant diluted 100-fold with PBS(-) was added and incubated at room temperature for 1 hour. Sodium hyaluronate (Cat No. 087-04511, Wako, Japan) was used as a standard substance.

[0078] (Step S4) The culture supernatant was removed, and the plate was washed with 200 μL of PBS-T. Then, 100 μL of a biotin-labeled HABP (Cat No. BC41, Hokudo, Japan, diluted 1:2000) solution prepared in PBS(-) containing 0.5% BSA was added, and the plate was allowed to stand overnight at 4°C.

[0079] (Step S5) The biotin-labeled HABP solution was removed, and the plate was washed with 200 μL of PBS-T. Then, 100 μL of Streptavidin-HRP solution (1:10,000) prepared in PBS(-) containing 0.5% BSA was added, and the plate was allowed to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

[0080] (Step S6) The Streptavidin-HRP solution was removed, and the plate was washed with 200 μL of PBS-T. Then, 100 μL of ABTS solution was added, and color development was confirmed.

[0081] (Step S7) After the dye in the 96-well plate was uniformly mixed, the absorbance at 405 nm (OD405) was measured using a microplate reader.

[0082] (Step S8) The OD405 of the control group was set as 100%, and the hyaluronic acid production rate of the facial massager application group was calculated. In addition, the OD405 of the facial massager application group was divided by the OD570 measured by MTT assay to calculate the hyaluronic acid production rate per cell.

[0083] By repeatedly performing the above tests while changing the frequency, the inventors of the present application discovered that when applying AC stimulation in the range of 10 kHz to less than 200 kHz, the effects on the skin regarding sagging, firmness, age spots, wrinkles, and lifting are equivalent to or greater than RF of 1 MHz or more, which is also used in medical devices. In addition, this is fundamentally different from the principle of ablation, which creates physical pores in the microchannel (i.e., the epidermis (superficial dermis layer)), and the effect can be obtained without forming pores in the skin. The test results are explained in detail below.

[0084] It is widely known that the increase in fibroblasts promotes collagen production and hyaluronic acid production. It is also known that the increase in collagen production rate and hyaluronic acid production rate can improve the effects on sagging skin, firmness, wrinkles, and lifting (for example, see the following paper). Paper 1: “Radiofrequency facial rejuvenation: Evidence-based effect” by Moetaz El-Domyati et al., J Am Acad Dermatol. 2011 March; 64(3): 524·535. doi:10.1016 / j.jaad.2010.06.045 Paper 2: "IF-06 RF Breaks Through the Limits of Skin Whitening with Cosmetics" by Sakiya Koike et al., 1st Japan Society of Cosmetic Chemists program, conference theme: What's next for SCCJ? Diverse Cosmetic Technologies Weaving the Future 9 to 11 are graphs showing the test results, comparing the effect of applying an AC stimulus of 165 kHz on cell survival rate with that of a control and that of applying an AC stimulus of 1 MHz. In each figure, "*" indicates a significant difference based on a T-test, and "*" indicates a p-value of 0.05 or less.

[0085] When AC stimulation of 165 kHz was applied, the cell viability (viability of fibroblasts) increased by 31% compared to the control, as shown in Figure 9, and this increase was more significant than the 20.9% increase when AC stimulation of 1 MHz was applied. When AC stimulation of 165 kHz was applied, the collagen production rate increased by 8.3% compared to the control, as shown in Figure 10, and this increase was more significant than the 7.5% increase when AC stimulation of 1 MHz was applied. When AC stimulation of 165 kHz was applied, the hyaluronic acid production rate increased by 16.3% compared to the control, as shown in Figure 11, and this increase was more significant than the 9.6% increase when AC stimulation of 1 MHz was applied.

[0086] FIG. 12 is a graph showing the results of a new experiment 1 conducted on a different occasion from the tests of FIG. 9 to FIG. 11. In experiment 1, the control, 165 kHz, 1 MHz, and 500 kHz were compared. The cell viability of 165 kHz increased by 19.7% compared to the control, and was equal to or greater than that of 1 MHz (10% increase) or 500 kHz (9.4% increase). The results of FIG. 12 confirmed the same effect as FIG. 9. The results of FIG. 12 also show that 1 MHz and 500 kHz have almost the same effect. As can be seen from Table 1 below, the cell viability of 165 kHz increased significantly and significantly compared to 500 kHz or 1 MHz.

[0087] [Table 1] FIG. 13 is a graph showing the results of a new experiment 2. In experiment 2, the control, 1 MHz, 40 kHz, 199 kHz, and 1 kHz were compared. The cell survival rates of 40 kHz and 199 kHz increased by 15.3% and 13.3%, respectively, compared to the control, and were increased to the same or greater extent than 1 MHz (2.0%). It was also found that the cell survival rate of 1 kHz did not increase compared to the control, and did not increase to the same or greater extent than 500 kHz or 1 MHz. The cell survival rates of 40 kHz and 199 kHz were significantly and significantly increased compared to 500 kHz or 1 MHz. The cell survival rates of 40 kHz and 199 kHz were also significantly and significantly increased compared to 1 kHz. Table 2 below is a table showing the results of experiment 2.

[0088] [Table 2] FIG. 14 is a graph showing the results of a new experiment 3. In experiment 3, a comparison was made with 500 kHz, which had shown equivalent cell survival rates in experiment 1 instead of 1 MHz. The cell survival rate at 40 kHz increased by 10.9% compared to the control, and was equal to or greater than that at 500 kHz (2.3%). Furthermore, the cell survival rate at 40 kHz was significantly increased compared to 500 kHz and 300 kHz, showing a remarkable increase. Table 3 below is a table showing the results of experiment 3.

[0089] [Table 3] FIG. 15 is a graph showing the results of a new experiment 4. In experiment 4, the cell survival rates of 1 MHz, 90 kHz, 70 kHz, 20 kHz, and 10 kHz were compared. It was found that 90 kHz, 70 kHz, 20 kHz, and 10 kHz significantly proliferated compared to 1 MHz. Table 4 below is a table showing the results of experiment 4.

[0090] [Table 4] From the above, it was found that frequencies of 10 kHz to less than 200 kHz significantly proliferate fibroblasts to a degree equal to or greater than that of 1 MHz. Therefore, it is found that applying AC stimulation in the range of 10 kHz to less than 200 kHz to the skin can provide beauty-related effects (effects caused by the proliferation of fibroblasts, such as effects related to sagging skin, firmness, age spots, wrinkles, and lifting) equal to or greater than that of 1 MHz.

[0091] By the way, when using a frequency range called RF or 500 kHz, effects due to the proliferation of fibroblasts, such as effects on sagging skin, firmness, age spots, wrinkles, and lifting, can be expected, but there are disadvantages due to the relatively high frequency, such as high power consumption and risk of burns.

[0092] In this respect, according to this embodiment, it is possible to obtain effects equivalent to or greater than those of RF without using the frequency range called RF. That is, according to this embodiment, an AC stimulus having a frequency significantly lower than that of the frequency range called RF (within the range of 10 kHz or more and less than 200 kHz) is applied to the skin, so that it is possible to obtain beauty-related effects equivalent to or greater than those of RF while improving safety and making it suitable for home use.

[0093] Although each embodiment has been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims. In addition, it is also possible to combine all or a plurality of the components of the above-described embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1 Skin treatment device 2 Grip part 3 Head section

Claims

1. A skin treatment device that applies an alternating current stimulus within a range of 10 kHz or more and less than 200 kHz to the skin.

2. The effect is equal to or greater than that of applying an AC stimulus of 1 MHz to the skin, and produces effects related to sagging, firmness, age spots, wrinkles, and lifting of the skin. The skin treatment device according to claim 1 .

3. The skin treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the AC stimulation in the range of 10 kHz or more and less than 200 kHz produces the effect by promoting proliferation of fibroblasts or collagen production in the skin.

4. A plurality of electrodes that can be brought into contact with the skin of a user; a power source electrically connected to the plurality of electrodes; a control device that generates one or more types of output waveforms that can be applied to the skin via the plurality of electrodes based on the power source; The one or more output waveforms include an AC stimulus in the range of 10 kHz to less than 200 kHz; The alternating current stimulation in the range of 10 kHz or more and less than 200 kHz has an effect equal to or greater than that of applying an alternating current stimulation of 1 MHz to the skin, and produces effects related to sagging, firmness, age spots, wrinkles, and lifting of the skin.

5. This skin treatment method provides an effect on the skin relating to sagging, firmness, age spots, wrinkles, and lifting, which is equal to or greater than the effect of applying an AC stimulus of 1 MHz to the skin, by applying an AC stimulus within the range of 10 kHz or more and less than 200 kHz to the skin.

6. This skin treatment program provides an AC stimulus within the range of 10 kHz to 200 kHz to the skin, which has an effect equivalent to or greater than that of applying an AC stimulus of 1 MHz to the skin, and produces effects relating to sagging, firmness, age spots, wrinkles, and lifting of the skin.

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