Estimation of In Vivo Water Content of the Stratum Corneum from Electrical Measurements

Abstract

In vivowater content in the epidermal stratum corneum can be estimated by means of low frequency susceptance measurements. In thein vitrocalibration necessary to find thein vivowater content, the stratum corneum will have a uniform distribution of water across its thickness. However,in vivostratum corneum has an increasing water concentration profile from the outermost towards the innermost parts. This paper will investigate the possibility of estimating the equilibrium water content in thein vivostratum corneum non-invasively from electrical susceptance measurements. Given a known shape of the water concentration profile in thein vivostratum corneum and the dependence of susceptance on the water content, it is possible to calculate the water contentin vivobased on analytically derived expressions for the water concentration profile. A correspondence betweenin vivoandin vitrowater content needed for this purpose is also established.