Objective: The study addressed the influence of sleep as an important but overlooked contributory factor to the formation and progression of facial wrinkles and an alternative pillow was designed to reduce them.
Materials and methods: Fifteen healthy young participants of both sexes (aged 26-42 years) volunteered for this study. We used a transparent PVC pillow filled with air to demonstrate mechanical forces and deformations of the face as a consequence of sleeping on a pillow. We used a Podometer (PDMTR) (integrated fluorescent luminaire lamp) as a diagnostic device to visualize and to document the imprint of facial deformities on a glass, as seen during sleeping.
Results: We observed various facial deformities and wrinkles during sleep ('crow's feet' fine lines, lines around the mouth, flattening of the forehead, blunting of the nasofrontal angle, melolabial and nasolabial folds) and design an alternative pillow to reduce them by redistributing the pressure from the wrinkling parts of the face.