| Title | In vitro transepidermal water loss: differences between black and white human skin. | | Author(s) | Wilson D, Berardesca E, Maibach HI | | Institution | Department of Dermatology, University of California Medical School, San Francisco. | | Source | Br J Dermatol 1988 Nov; 119(5):647-52. | | MeSH | Adolescent
Adult
African Continental Ancestry Group
Aged
Child
Child, Preschool
Comparative Study
Epidermis
European Continental Ancestry Group
Female
Humans
In Vitro
Male
Middle Aged
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Skin Pigmentation
Skin Temperature
Water Loss, Insensible
| | Abstract | In vivo transepidermal water loss studies are characterized by large inter-individual variability and biased by environmental effects and eccrine sweating. An in vitro technique for measuring transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was used to compare TEWL in two racial groups--blacks and whites. In both groups a significant correlation between skin temperature and increased TEWL was found (P less than 0.01). Furthermore, black skin had a significantly higher mean TEWL than white skin, corrected log TEWL 2.79 and 2.61 micrograms/cm2/h, respectively. The difference in TEWL between the groups could because measurements were made in the absence of eccrine sweating and other vital functions. The higher TEWL in black skin could be explained on the basis of a thermoregulatory mechanism. The anatomical and physiological differences in the stratum corneum between different races are discussed. | | Language | eng | | Pub Type(s) | Journal Article
| | PubMed ID | 3207618 |
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