What can damage the epidermal barrier

Leather – it is a powerful defense mechanism of the human body. It is a kind of protective wall that protects the structures of the body from "attack"; aggressive factors from the environment. In the Middle Ages, each castle was surrounded by a similar fortress wall, on which soldiers were stationed day and night to protect the wall from attack. And if the skin – this is the wall that protects the human body, then who protects the skin itself?

The estet-portal.com knows the answer to this question. In today's article, read about the epidermal barrier – the main protector of our skin, and how and why it can be broken.

• What threatens the body with damage to the epidermal barrier
• Hydrolipid film – protection of the epidermal barrier
• What factors can damage the epidermal barrier
• What can damage the of the epidermal barrier

What threatens the body with damage to the epidermal barrier

The epidermal barrier is also called the lipid barrier of the skin, and it is one of the important subjects of study in a new direction in skin science – Corneology.

The structure of the epidermal barrier in many respects resembles that very fortress wall: scales of the stratum corneum, corneocytes – these are the bricks that form the basis of the wall, they are interconnected by protein jumpers by desmosomes, and lipids act as cement.

It is the latter that play the most important role in protecting the skin, since the ability of the skin to withstand any “attacks” depends on the state of the hydrolipid mantle. from outside.

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Epidermal barrier:
• hydrolipid film – protection of the epidermal barrier;
• what factors can damage the epidermal barrier;
• which may cause damage to the epidermal barrier.

Hydrolipid film – epidermal barrier protection

 

 

Hydrolipidic, water-fatty or acidic mantle – it is a structure that provides strength and reliability of the entire epidermal barrier. In its structure, it is a film lying on the surface of the skin, which consists of sweat, fat and acids. The hydrolipidic mantle can be compared to the plaster that covers any wall. Since the surface of human skin is an acidic environment, most of the bacteria that get on its surface are not able to survive – the fortress wall seems to be watered with poison, poisoning enemies climbing it.

Read also: How to differentiate a complex pigmented nevus of the skin.

Only one thing can destroy such a strong defense: inept handling of the protective wall. Frequent use of alkaline agents destroys the hydrolipidic mantle of the epidermal barrier, which creates a fertile ground for the development of inflammatory process.

What factors can damage the epidermal barrier

Destroy the epidermal barrier can be the negative impact of some factors. Among them are: 

• solvents, degreasers and cleaners – they are able to dissolve the hydrolipid mantle and the lipid layer of the epidermal barrier, causing water to evaporate from the surface of the skin;

• frequent use of scrubs – exfoliating the corneocytes too often can thin the skin, making it much more vulnerable;

Read also: Is verrucous nevus dangerous  how to handle it.

• lack of fatty acids – it is fatty acids that ensure the normal functioning of the lipid barrier;

• ultraviolet radiation – capable of provoking oxidative reactions in lipid layers, as a result of which the latter are damaged; 

 

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• diseases of the skin lead to its drying out, the occurrence of microdamages, which also contributes to an increase in the permeability of the epidermal barrier.

What can damage the epidermal barrier

Violation of the integrity of the epidermal barrier is a very serious and even dangerous condition, not only for the skin, but for the whole organism. First of all, the violation of the epidermal barrier leads to the fact that moisture begins to evaporate intensively from the surface of the skin, as a result of which the skin dries, flakes, its tightness and discomfort are felt. Skin hypersensitivity occurs: it reacts sharply to any environmental influences, including the use of cosmetics.

Read also: Fragile skin: clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of epidermolysis bullosaa

Injury to the epidermal barrier – it is an open door for microbes, allergens and toxins that penetrate the skin, provoking the development of inflammatory and allergic processes.

This is why protecting the epidermal barrier is such an important aspect of skincare. Moreover, recent studies show that the repair of damage to the epidermal barrier should be a mandatory component of complex therapy for almost any skin disease.

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