In vivo measurements of skin barrier: comparison of different methods and advantages of laser scanning microscopy

A major function of the skin is to provide a protective barrier at the interface between external environment and the organism. For skin barrier measurement, a multiplicity of methods is available. As standard methods, the determination of the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) as well as the measurement of the stratum corneum hydration, are widely accepted, although they offer some obvious disadvantages such as increased interference liability. Recently, new optical and spectroscopic methods have been introduced to investigate skin barrier properties in vivo . Especially, laser scanning microscopy has been shown to represent an excellent tool to study skin barrier integrity in many areas of relevance such as cosmetology, occupation, diseased skin, and wound healing.