BACKGROUND: The human skin is greatly affected by external factors such as UV radiation (UVR), ambient temperature (T), and air humidity. These factors oscillate during the year giving rise to the seasonal variations in the skin properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of seasons, environmental T, relative and absolute humidity on the skin parameters of Caucasian women, perform a literature review and discuss the possible factors lying behind the found changes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We measured stratum corneum (SC) hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), sebum level, erythema index, and elasticity parameters R2 and R7 on the forehead and the cheek of Caucasian women from the Czech Republic throughout the year. We also performed a non-systematic literature review focused on the seasonal variations in these skin parameters. RESULTS: We confirmed a well-documented low SC hydration and sebum production in winter. In spring, we found the lowest TEWL (on the forehead) and the highest SC hydration but also the highest erythema index and the lowest elasticity presumably indicating skin photodamage. For most of the skin parameters, the seasonal variations probably arise due to a complex action of different factors as we extensively discussed. CONCLUSION: The data about the seasonal variations in the skin parameters are still highly inconsistent and further studies are needed for better understanding of the normal skin changes throughout the year.
- MeSH
- Skin Physiological Phenomena * MeSH
- Skin * metabolism MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Water Loss, Insensible MeSH
- Seasons MeSH
- Sebum MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Generally, skin properties are highly specific for each individual depending on various factors such as genetic predisposition, age, gender, body region, health and lifestyle. In this study, we measured various skin parameters on forehead, temple and cheek of 442 Caucasian women between 23 and 63 years, and evaluated differences between these facial regions and also the relationship between skin parameters and age of the volunteers. We measured transepidermal water loss (TEWL), stratum corneum hydration, skin gloss, melanin level, individual typology angle (ITA), erythema, sebum level and elasticity (R7). We observed significant negative relationship between age and TEWL, elasticity and skin lightness represented by ITA. Sebum, melanin and erythema levels increased up to the age of 50, when menopause usually takes place, and then decreased again. Evaluating the skin parameters on the forehead, temple and cheek area, we observed the biggest differences between the cheek and the forehead. The cheek possessed the worst skin parameters, such as the highest TEWL and erythema values and the lowest hydration.
- MeSH
- White People MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Epidermis metabolism MeSH
- Erythema epidemiology MeSH
- Skin Physiological Phenomena * MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Face * MeSH
- Water Loss, Insensible MeSH
- Elasticity MeSH
- Sebum metabolism MeSH
- Age Factors MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Presented here are three cutaneous sebaceous tumors (one carcinoma and two sebaceomas), each demonstrating a focal glandular pattern representing apocrine differentiation. The patients, two males and one female, each clinically presented with a small solitary nodule or tumor on the scalp. None of the patients had features of Muir-Torre syndrome. Surgical removal of the lesions was performed in all cases. None of the patients developed recurrence or metastasis after surgery (follow-up ranged from 18 to 24 months). The glandular areas represented a minor but significant component of the lesions and appeared as glands of various complexity, mostly as simple round or elongated tubular structures lined by a row of cuboidal to columnar cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm and round nuclei, with or without a distinct nucleolus. Decapitation secretion was evident but not prominent. In both sebaceomas, at least a portion of the glands had a peripheral small-cell layer that appeared similar to the basal/myoepithelial cells of normal eccrine and apocrine ducts. In some glands, the basal/myoepithelial cells seemed to have undergone hyperplasia, resulting in two or more rows of cells that even formed small islands, with an overall appearance reminiscent of basal cell hyperplasia in the prostate, arising in the basal layer of the prostatic glands. The descriptive terms seboapocrine carcinoma or seboapocrine sebaceoma are proposed for such lesions. These tumors may be viewed as rare histopathological variants of sebaceous carcinoma and sebaceoma, with a second type of differentiation along the lines of the folliculosebaceous-apocrine unit.
- MeSH
- Apocrine Glands pathology MeSH
- Cell Nucleolus ultrastructure MeSH
- Cell Nucleus ultrastructure MeSH
- Cytoplasm ultrastructure MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Hyperplasia MeSH
- Carcinoma pathology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle pathology MeSH
- Sebaceous Gland Neoplasms pathology MeSH
- Follow-Up Studies MeSH
- Sebum MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Scalp pathology MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Case Reports MeSH
- MeSH
- Balneology MeSH
- Skin Physiological Phenomena MeSH
- Hydrogen-Ion Concentration MeSH
- Skin Tests MeSH
- Skin MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Mineral Waters MeSH
- Sebum MeSH
- Humidity MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Comparative Study MeSH
- MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Dermatitis, Seborrheic therapy MeSH
- Sebum physiopathology MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- MeSH
- Acne Vulgaris drug therapy MeSH
- Biomedical Research MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Drug Evaluation methods MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Sebum drug effects MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Publication type
- Comparative Study MeSH
