Los Angeles, Jul 24 (IANS): Scientists have shown that lack of quality sleep can lead to ageing of skin, says a study.

In a first-of-its-kind clinical trial, physician-scientists at University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Centre, US, found that sleep quality impacts skin function and ageing.

The recently completed study demonstrated that poor sleepers had increased signs of skin ageing and slower recovery from a variety of environmental stressors, such as disruption of the skin barrier or ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

Poor sleepers also had worse assessment of their own skin and facial appearance, reports Science Daily.

The research team, led by lead investigator Elma Baron, director of the Skin Study Centre at UH Case Medical Centre, presented their data recently at the International Investigative Dermatology Meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland, in an abstract titled 'Effects of Sleep Quality on Skin Ageing and Function'.

"Our study is the first to conclusively demonstrate that inadequate sleep is correlated with reduced skin health and accelerates skin ageing. Sleep deprived women show signs of premature skin ageing and a decrease in their skin's ability to recover after sun exposure," said Baron, who is also associate professor of dermatology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.