RT Journal Article
T1 Impact of Water Exposure and Temperature Changes on Skin Barrier Function.
A1 Herrero-Fernandez, Manuel
A1 Montero-Vilchez, Trinidad
A1 Diaz-Calvillo, Pablo
A1 Romera-Vilchez, Maria
A1 Buendia-Eisman, Agustin
A1 Arias-Santiago, Salvador
K1 dermatological diseases
K1 homeostasis
K1 skin barrier
K1 temperature
K1 water
AB 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.
PB MDPI AG
SN 2077-0383
YR 2022
FD 2022-01-03
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10668/21231
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10668/21231
LA en
NO 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.
DS RISalud
RD Apr 18, 2025