Standardized trauma (tape stripping) in human vulvar and forearm skin. Effects on transepidermal water loss,...

Mechanical trauma to genital skin may favor the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. To study differences between vulvar and forearm skin in epidermal repair after standardized trauma, transepidermal water loss, capacitance and pH of forearm and vulvar skin in 10 healthy premenopausal women were monitored for 7 days after a standardized trauma induced by tape stripping to glistening. Vulvar and forearm skin showed similar responses immediately after tape stripping: a sudden increase in transepidermal water loss and capacitance. Forearm skin, however, reacted more intensely than vulvar skin; forearm skin readings remained significantly higher than normal values for 2 days after tape stripping, whereas vulvar skin readings were not significantly different from normal. Thus, vulvar skin did not respond as extensively as forearm skin, presumably because it is a less complete barrier against excess body water loss. On the other hand, vulvar skin seemed to recover faster from skin damage than forearm skin, probably because of its higher epidermal cell turnover.