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Abstract Background Chronic exposure to mild irritants including cleansing and antiseptic products used for hand hygiene generates insults to the skin. To avoid unpleasant reactions, skin protection creams are commonly employed, but some fail to afford protection against a variety of xenobiotics. In this study, two skin protection creams were assayed comparatively looking for a protective effect if any against a liquid soap and an alcohol-based gel designed for hand hygiene in medical settings. Methods Corneosurfametry and corneoxenometry are two in vitro bioessays which were selected for their good reproducibility, sensitivity and ease of use. A Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA test followed by the Dunn test was realized to compare series of data obtained. Results Significant differences in efficacy were obtained between the two assayed skin protection creams. One of the two tested creams showed a real protective effect against mild irritants, but the other tested cream presented an irritant potential in its application with mild irritants. Conclusion The differences observed for the two tested skin protection creams were probably due to their galenic composition and their possible interactions with the offending products. As a result, the present in vitro bioassays showed contrasted effects of the creams corresponding to either a protective or an irritant effect on human stratum corneum.

The article compares the electrical capacitance of the stratum corneum overlying melanocytic nevi and seborrheic keratosis using skin capacitance imaging. Skin capacitance imaging offers nonoptical pictures showing aspects invisible to the naked eye. The inflammatory and noninflammatory types of melanocytic nevi and seborrheic keratosis are distinguished by this method.

Background: Cooled hydrogel pads are used to prevent overheating effects of laser therapy. They do not induce cold injuries to the skin, but their more subtle physiological effects have not been thoroughly studied. Purpose: To describe the changes in transepidermal water loss and electrometric properties of the skin surface following application of cooled hydrogel pads. Measurements were performed on normal forearm skin of 27 healthy volunteers and on freshly excised skin from abdominoplasty. Methods: LaserAid® hydrogel pads cooled to 4°C were placed for 15 min on the forearm skin. Measurements of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and electrometric properties (Corneometer®, Nova DPM 900®) were performed before application and after removal of the cooled pads. Results: A consistent increase in corneometer units, dermal phase meter (DPM) values and TEWL were recorded at removal of the cooled hydrogel pads. Both the in vivo and in vitro assessments brought similar information. Discussion: The similar changes disclosed in vitro and in vivo suggest that a common physical process is operating in these conditions. The observed phenomenon is opposite to the predicted events given by the Arrhenius law probably because of the combination of cooling and occlusion by the pads. A dew point effect (air temperature at which relative humidity is maximal) is likely involved in the moisture content of the stratum corneum. Thus, the biological impact of using cooling hydrogel pads during laser therapy is different from the effect of a cryogenic spray cooling procedure. The better preservation of the water balance in the stratum corneum by the cooled hydrogel pads could have a beneficial esthetic effect on laser treated areas. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin weathering and photoaging of the balding scalp have not attracted much investigative attention so far. However, the concept of field cancerization, in particular actinic field carcinogenesis, is likely applicable to this part of the body. The aim of the study was to finetune the epidermal actinic changes present on hairlessness scalp. The ultraviolet light-enhanced visualization (ULEV) method was used to assess a series of 50 healthy men older than 50 years with documented baldness for over 15 years. They were scrutenized looking for altered epidermal structures corresponding to photoaging-associated changes. Attention was focused on the faint mosaic melanoderma (FMM) and atypical scaliness. Observations were made on the scalp and forehead. FMM was recognized in each case. It presented either as a single manifestation of photoaging or it was associated with an unusual pattern of discrete rimmed scaliness. In this latter case histology and morphometry disclosed keratinocyte dysplasia. A similar scaly pattern was not seen on the forehead. Subtle skin surface changes were disclosed on long-standing sunexposed balding scalps. The scaly aspect was distinct from dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis or any other common inflammatory scalp dermatosis. The presently described changes had not previously been described during early balding. It is suggested that the presently described condition may be associated with or indicative for actinic field carcinogenesis and incipient keratinocyte dysplasia.

Thanks to the recently introduced silicone image sensor technology, skin capacitance imaging has now been made possible. The dedicated device is called SkinChip. This method is easy to handle and provides information about the skin microrelief, the level of stratum corneum hydration and the sweat gland activity. The apparatus sees and measures these parameters with a 50 microm resolution. A series of conditions have been explored using skin capacitance imaging. This review summarizes relevant findings about regional variability on the body, changes occurring with ageing, effects of a hydrating formulation, reactivity kinetics of corneocytes to surfactants, acne and skin pores characteristics, as well as hyperkeratotic dermatoses and tumours.

The perifollicular and interfollicular areas of normal skin may look similar. However, some physiological and pathological processes may specifically involve a thin perifollicular rim. This review illustrates some of the methods available for highlighting the rim of the perifollicular epidermal unit. Non invasive methods rely on dermoscopy, ultraviolet light enhanced visualization (ULEV), skin capacitance imaging and cyanoacrylate skin surface strippings (CSSS). Conventional histology and immunohistochemistry may also show specific perifollicular features without, however, revealing the aspects highlighted by the specific non invasive methods. The clinically relevant modifications consist of pigmentary and hyperkeratotic perifollicular changes.