Mechanical Properties and Barrier Function of Healthy Human Skin

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the mechanical properties and the epidermal barrier function of the skin in vivo. A suction cup device commonly used for measurement of skin mechanics was used to provide a defined stress to the skin using the ventral forearm in 16 healthy volunteers. The integrity of the barrier function was assessed by trans-epidermal water loss and skin capacitance. In the first part of the study, changes in barrier function were measured following the application of standardized strain to the skin barrier. In the second part of the study changes in skin mechanics were assessed following standardized barrier removal. The Wilcoxon signed rank test and Spearman's rank correlation were used for statistical analysis. Significant increases were established in trans-epidermal water loss (p < 0.01) with concomitant significant decreases in capacitance (p < 0.05) following 400 mbar and 600 mbar of suction, suggesting that the mechanical integrity of the skin barrier was disrupted. A significant increase in distensibility (p < 0.05) and hysteresis (p < 0.01) was found following stripping, relating the role of the skin barrier to the overall mechanical properties of the skin. This study showed that the water permeability of the epidermis was significantly affected by the application of mechanical stress to the skin and vice versa, the mechanical properties of the skin were altered when the barrier was compromised. These observations suggest that the mechanical strength of the skin barrier may play a role in the development of, for example, friction dermatitis and other skin diseases affected by mechanical stress.

An elastic second skin

“…A DermaLab® USB (Cortex Technology, Hadsund, Denmark) with a suction cup was used to evaluate skin elasticity following methods described in the literature 32,33 .…”

Excessive Weight Favours Skin Physiology - Up to a Point: Another Expression of the Obesity Paradox

“…A decrease in these parameters seems to suggest a better biomechanical behaviour even in the presence of lower hydration levels [34,36]. The multidirectional mean RRT has been reported to be sensitive to discriminate between different skin conditions, although some doubts remain regarding its significance.…”

“…Nevertheless, we noted that individuals with BMI between 25 and 39.9 exhibited higher levels of epidermal hydration in all anatomical areas, which contrasts with the lowest values found in the morbidly obese group (Table 1). This occurrence might affect skin biomechanics, once the influence of hydration on skin mechanical properties has been referred for a long time [8,20,34,36]. …”

Tolerability and hydrating effects of an anti-aging gynaecological collagen cream in women in menopause

“…Fundamentally, the ability of moisturisers to restrain the transepidermal water loss and to increase the water content in the stratum corneum is an essential, though not unique, property required to improve also the skin mechanics [8][9][10][11][12]. However, many other components exert a synergistic beneficial effect on the epidermis through various mechanisms [12].…”