ABSTRACT
Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) is considered to be an indicator of the func-
tional state of the cutaneous barrier (1-3). TEWL is believed to be related to
irritant sensitivity and has been used to evaluate the clinical condition of the
skin. Damage to the skin barrier from skin disease and physical or chemical
trauma increases TEWL from an unperturbed baseline value. In addition,
TEWL is affected by environmental factors that include skin temperature, rela-
tive humidity of the air, occlusive factors, and mechanical abrasion. Physiologi-
cal factors, such as cutaneous blood flow, stress, diurnal rhythm, eccrine and
sweat gland density, and the thickness and composition of the stratum
corneum, affect TEWL as well (4-10).
