Background: Biophysical skin measurement techniques are widely used to quantify the skin barrier function. In clinical research usually several parameters are subsequently measured in the same skin areas. In this study, possible interfering effects of subsequent measurement procedures on transepidermal water loss (TEWL), stratum corneum hydration (SCH) and skin surface pH were investigated.
Methods: An exploratory study was conducted. Twelve young (mean age 32.9 ± 7.2 years) and 12 elderly (mean age 68.3 ± 2.5 years) subjects without any skin diseases were enrolled. The parameters TEWL, skin surface pH, SCH, sebum content, and surface evaluation of living skin were obtained successively in pairs from 4 contralateral volar forearm skin areas.
Results: SCH and skin surface pH seemed to be unaffected by previous measurement procedures. TEWL was systematically increased after pH and systematically decreased after stratum corneum measurements.
Conclusions: Measurements per se might interact with the skin, thus changing its characteristics. If several skin barrier function parameters need to be assessed subsequently in the same skin areas, we recommend that TEWL should be measured first followed by all others.