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Mechanical properties of skin altered significantly in pregnancy
The results underlined the fact that
pregnancy exerts profound changes in
skin properties at various sites.
S
kin mechanical properties
change significantly during
pregnancy and remain altered
4 months post delivery, results of
a clinical comparative study show.
Caroline Baudouin, PhD, of Labo-
ratoires Expanscience, Epernon,
France, explained that pregnancy is
a particular physiological state that
induces major physical changes.
From a mechanical point of view,
the abdomen is the most affected
area by continuous and progres-
sive stretching of the skin. Except
for stretch marks, no comparison
of mechanical properties of nonle-
sional skin between nonpregnant
and pregnant women and women
in delivery has been performed.
Dr Baudouin and colleagues set
out to investigate skin mechanical
properties of the highly-stressed
abdomen and the less stressed
thigh in pregnant women and
women before and after delivery.
Fifteen nonpregnant and 26 preg-
nant women in their eighth month
of pregnancy and 4 months after
delivery participated. Mechanical
properties of nonlesional skin were
measured under suction stress with
a Cutometer MPA580 with a 2mm
diameter aperture.
On the abdomen, under a one-cy-
cle strain-time test, nonlesional
skin in pregnant women was sig-
nificantly less extensible and
more viscous than in nonpregnant
women. After delivery, a loss of
tonicity was also observed vs non-
pregnant and pregnant conditions.
Repetitive measurements con-
firmed these results and showed
that nonlesional skin extensibil-
ity of women post delivery was
higher than in pregnant and non-
pregnant conditions. On the thigh,
a decrease in tonicity was also
observed during pregnancy and
after delivery.
Dr Baudouin concluded that skin
mechanical properties changed
significantly during pregnancy and
remained altered 4 months post
delivery. As expected, mechanical
properties of abdominal skin were
impacted during pregnancy. Inter-
estingly the team also measured
mechanical changes on thigh skin,
which is less subject to stretching.
The results underlined the fact
that pregnancy exerts profound
changes in skin properties at vari-
ous sites.
PracticeUpdate Editorial Team
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References: 1.
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Available from
www.pbs.gov.au, accessed July 2016.
2.
Dummer R
et al.
Ann Oncol
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Kakavand H
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ABN 18 004 244 160, 54 Waterloo Road, Macquarie Park, NSW 2113. Phone (02) 9805 3555. Item No.: MEL0168. Date of preparation:
September 2016.
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