Fragility of epidermis in newborns, children and adolescents

Abstract

Within their first days of life, newborns' skin undergoes various adaptation processes needed to accommodate the transition from the wet uterine environment to the dry atmosphere. The skin of newborns and infants is considered as a physiological fragile skin, a skin with lower resistance to aggressions. Fragile skin is divided into four categories up to its origin: physiological fragile skin (age, location), pathological fragile skin (acute and chronic), circumstantial fragile skin (due to environmental extrinsic factors or intrinsic factors such as stress) and iatrogenic fragile skin. Extensive research of the past 10 years have proven evidence that at birth albeit showing a nearly perfect appearance, newborn skin is structurally and functionally immature compared to adult skin undergoing a physiological maturation process after birth at least throughout the first year of life. This article is an overview of all known data about fragility of epidermis in 'fragile populations': newborns, children and adolescents. It includes the recent pathological, pathophysiological and clinical data about fragility of epidermis in various dermatological diseases, such as atopic dermatitis, acne, rosacea, contact dermatitis, irritative dermatitis and focus on UV protection .

Adhesives Used for Diabetes Medical Devices

“…So, atopic dermatitis patients are found to be more susceptible 5 . Furthermore, children were more on risk than adults to develop a contact dermatitis in this study, which may be due to their more fragile skin and hyperreagibility of their immune system 6 . At this time, there are less examinations, if people with diabetes type 1, especially children, have a higher risk to develop type 4 allergies than individuals without an immune disease.…”

American cutaneous leishmaniasis triggered by electrocoagulation

“…It is important to differentiate this case, wherein an immunocompetent patient had a previous subclinical Leishmania infection, from the previously referenced cases in which the parasite was inoculated by agents other than phlebotomine sand flies 2,3 . It is believed that disease activation was triggered by the electrocoagulation procedure, characterized as the known locus minoris resistentiae phenomenon 12 .…”

A New Dermocosmetic Balm for the Management of Xerosis: Results from a Non-Interventional, Non-Comparative, Prospective Multicenter Study

“…Conversely, in the elderly, xerosisis the result of age-related physiological changes of the skin (senile xerosis). [1][2][3] Xerosis is caused by several physiopathological factors influencing the integrity of the skin barrier, resulting in modifications of the stratum corneum, the composition of intracellular lipids and of the hydrolipidic film, as well as the trans epidermal water loss and the cutaneous pH. 1,4 Depending on the pathology, there is a predominance of either keratinization or intercorneocytar lipid problems.…”