PracticeUpdate: Dermatology - Vol 1 - No.1 - 2017

CONFERENCE COVERAGE 10

Mechanical properties of skin altered significantly in pregnancy

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.

The results underlined the fact that pregnancy exerts profound changes in skin properties at various sites.

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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 2015; 26 (Suppl 5): 126–32. 3. Kakavand H et al. Pathology 2016;48(2):194–202. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Australia Pty Ltd, 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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