Measurement of transepidermal water loss, stratum corneum hydration and skin surface pH in occupational settings: A review

Background The skin provides a permeable barrier which may be impaired in occupational settings. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL), stratum corneum hydration (SCH) and skin surface pH (SSpH) have been used in occupational settings to predict early onset of occupational skin diseases, to measure the e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Skin research and technology Vol. 25; no. 5; pp. 595 - 605
Main Authors: Jansen van Rensburg, Sané, Franken, Anja, Du Plessis, Johannes Lodewykus
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.09.2019
Subjects:
Agriculture
Bioengineering
Body Water - physiology
Epidermis - physiology
Humans
Hydration
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Industry
Nursing
Occupational diseases
Occupational Diseases - physiopathology
Occupational exposure
occupational skin exposure
Organism Hydration Status - physiology
pH effects
Printing
Skin
skin barrier function
skin bioengineering
skin condition
Skin diseases
Skin Diseases - physiopathology
Skin Physiological Phenomena
Stratum corneum
Studies
Water loss
Water Loss, Insensible - physiology
skin bioengineering
occupational skin exposure
skin barrier function
skin condition
ISSN:0909-752X, 1600-0846, 1600-0846
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Background The skin provides a permeable barrier which may be impaired in occupational settings. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL), stratum corneum hydration (SCH) and skin surface pH (SSpH) have been used in occupational settings to predict early onset of occupational skin diseases, to measure the effectiveness of prevention strategies for occupational skin diseases, and to assess skin condition during exposure. The aim was to compare the findings, identify shortcomings in the methodology and data reporting and furthermore, to make recommendations for future studies. Materials and Methods A literature study was conducted on studies published before December 2018 to provide a review on the measurement of TEWL, SCH and SSpH in occupational settings. Results TEWL, SCH and SSpH were previously measured in a wide variety of industries. Results between studies were highly variable, due to different study designs and different anatomical positions measured. Not all of the measurement conditions were reported and variations in study objectives led to data being reported and interpreted differently for most studies. Conclusion Incomplete reporting of methodology hinders comparison of bioengineering measurements. No bioengineering method has been proven useful as a predictive tool for occupational skin diseases, however, it is useful in the acute assessment of skin condition. It is recommended that future studies on TEWL, SCH and SSpH adhere to guidelines for occupational settings as far as possible to enable comparison between studies.
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ISSN:0909-752X
1600-0846
1600-0846
DOI:10.1111/srt.12711