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Transepidermal Water Loss

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Agache’s Measuring the Skin

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Abstract

The use of noninvasive methods for the examination of different physiological functions of the skin or for the characterization of pharmacological or pathological reactions is evolving continuously. Following the development of suitable techniques, instruments are now available for the evaluation of such different cutaneous parameters as color, elasticity, dermal blood flow, hydration of the horny layer, sebum excretion, and of course trans epidermal water loss (TEWL). This equipment adds information to the usual visual evaluation of the skin and catches information undetectable by the human eye.

Numerous advantages arise from using these techniques: independence toward investigators’ subjectivity, numerical results instead of nominal data, increased standardization of the experiments, better possibilities of interlaboratory comparisons, no requirement of highly specialized personnel, etc. Above that, the increasing automation of data acquisition allows simultaneous evaluation of several parameters allowing the development of multiple parameter kinetics in research protocols. As a consequence, these new techniques are of growing interest for dermato-cosmetic laboratories.

The aim of the present chapter is to describe the basic principles related to TEWL measurements, the development and the evolution of the different (commercial) instruments, to discuss the sources of error and variations in TEWL measurements, and to illustrate some practical examples of TEWL measurements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

    André Barel & Peter Clarys

  2. Suttersmattstr. 3, D-79540, Lörrach, Germany

    Bernard Gabard

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  1. André Barel
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  2. Peter Clarys
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  3. Bernard Gabard
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to André Barel .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medecine Vasculaire Lab. Ingénierie et de Biologie Cutanées, CHU Besancon Service Dermatologie et, Besancon, France

    Philippe Humbert

  2. Department of Dermatology, Saint Jacques University Hospital, Besançon, France

    Ferial Fanian

  3. San Francisco, California, USA

    Howard Maibach

  4. Univ. Besançon Dépt. Dermatologie, Besançon, France

    Pierre Agache

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Barel, A., Clarys, P., Gabard, B. (2017). Transepidermal Water Loss. In: Humbert, P., Fanian, F., Maibach, H., Agache, P. (eds) Agache’s Measuring the Skin. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26594-0_142-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26594-0_142-2

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Transepidermal Water Loss
    Published:
    06 June 2017

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26594-0_142-2

  2. Original

    Transepidermal Water Loss
    Published:
    30 April 2016

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26594-0_142-1

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