Publication: Impact of Water Exposure and Temperature Changes on Skin Barrier Function.
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Identifiers
Date
2022-01-03
Authors
Herrero-Fernandez, Manuel
Montero-Vilchez, Trinidad
Diaz-Calvillo, Pablo
Romera-Vilchez, Maria
Buendia-Eisman, Agustin
Arias-Santiago, Salvador
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
MDPI AG
Abstract
The frequency of hand hygiene has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is little evidence regarding the impact of water exposure and temperature on skin. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of water exposure and temperature on skin barrier function in healthy individuals. A prospective observational study was conducted. Temperature, pH, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), erythema and stratum corneum hydration (SCH) were measured objectively before and after hot- and cold-water exposure and TempTest® (Microcaya TempTest, Bilbao, Spain) contact. Fifty healthy volunteers were enrolled. Hot-water exposure increased TEWL (25.75 vs. 58.58 g·h-1·m-2), pH (6.33 vs. 6.65) and erythema (249.45 vs. 286.34 AU). Cold-water immersion increased TEWL (25.75 vs. 34.96 g·h-1·m-2) and pH (6.33 vs. 6.62). TEWL (7.99 vs. 9.98 g·h-1·m-2) and erythema (209.07 vs. 227.79 AU) increased after being in contact with the hot region (44 °C) of the TempTest. No significant differences were found after contact with the cold region (4 °C) of the TempTest. In conclusion, long and continuous water exposure damages skin barrier function, with hot water being even more harmful. It would be advisable to use cold or lukewarm water for handwashing and avoid hot water. Knowing the proper temperature for hand washing might be an important measure to prevent flares in patients with previous inflammatory skin diseases on their hands.
Description
MeSH Terms
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Erythema
Dermatitis
COVID-19
Spain
Pandemics
Immersion
Healthy Volunteers
Hand Hygiene
Temperature
Hand Disinfection
Water
Humans
Erythema
Dermatitis
COVID-19
Spain
Pandemics
Immersion
Healthy Volunteers
Hand Hygiene
Temperature
Hand Disinfection
Water
Humans
DeCS Terms
Voluntarios sanos
Temperatura
Pandemias
Inmersión
Humanos
Higiene de las manos
Eritema
Desinfección de las manos
Dermatitis
Concentración de iones de hidrógeno
Temperatura
Pandemias
Inmersión
Humanos
Higiene de las manos
Eritema
Desinfección de las manos
Dermatitis
Concentración de iones de hidrógeno
CIE Terms
Keywords
dermatological diseases, homeostasis, skin barrier, temperature, water
Citation
Herrero-Fernandez M, Montero-Vilchez T, Diaz-Calvillo P, Romera-Vilchez M, Buendia-Eisman A, Arias-Santiago S. Impact of Water Exposure and Temperature Changes on Skin Barrier Function. J Clin Med. 2022 Jan 7;11(2):298.