Epidermal Barrier

Defect

Epidermal Barrier:
Is an effective barrier which
prevents dehydration from the
loss of body water, poisoning
from the absorption of noxious
substances, and systemic
infection from invading surface
microorganisms.
The epidermal barrier resides
within the most superficial
layer of the skin, the stratum
corneum. 
• Sweat glands and sebaceous glands → produce acidic protective
hydrolipid film that covers the outer layer of the skin.
• Provide epidermal barrier that protects the skin, contains a complex
microbial ecosystem consist of numerous bacteria.
• Have balance pH between 5.4 and 5.9 in healthy skin.
• Altered conditions of hydrolipid film can lead to a shift in the
microbial load → promote disease.
• Pathogenic bacteria usually prefer pH value above 6.
• When human skin is treated with CAP, the hydrolipid film interacts
directly with the chemical compounds of the plasma.
• Helmke investigate the effect of CAP on pH of the hydrolipid film of
diseased skin.
• They use dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma source to treat
lipid films of wool wax, pork sebum and human lipid films with CAP
and observed significant decreases in pH values.
• A treatment for only five seconds was sufficient to result in a decrease
of pH.
• These studies provide first evidence for the potential treatment of
epidermal barrier defects.