Relationship between skin hydration and elasticity in normal weighted subjects and the influence of age

Skin is the largest organ of the human body. It is a protective organ and of all its known functions, the most significant is the capacity to adapt itself to the contours of the body. The current study aims to determine the extent to which hydration influences or is influenced by elasticity, by comparing the parameters of hydration and elasticity. A convenience sample of 42 volunteers was selected all of whom were female, healthy and with normal BMI according to WHO. The “barrier” function was characterized by the transepidermal water loss (Tewameter TM300); the superficial epidermal hydration was measured by Moisturemeter SC and Corneometer and the “envelope” function was assessed by the Cutometer MPA580 and by the reviscometer RV600. Measurements were taken on the face (zygomatic and frontal areas), in the breast and in the abdominal areas. The most significant results show that almost all hydration and elasticity parameters fluctuate with age, which corresponds to previous studies. Moreover, there is some interaction between hydration parameters and some elasticity descriptors that should be investigated in future studies.