Non-thermal plasmas induced electrostatic stress on corneocyte desquamation

The advent of non-thermal plasma brought a breakthrough in exploring its clinical applications in dermatology to bolster tissue generation in the domain of plasma medicine. This study aimed to investigate the effect of non-thermal plasma on the corneocyte of the skin cells, in treating superficial skin diseases via the process of corneocyte desquamation, a probable mechanism for skin cell proliferation. The postulated brick and mortar arrangement of corneocytes in the stratum corneum was modeled consisting of three corneocytes and three corneodesmosomes in a simulation domain of 40.30 × 3.00 μm² using Maxwell 2D finite element analyzer. The corneocyte desquamation was quantified by the weakening of corneodesmosomes due to electrostatic pressure (~530 MV/m) on the corneodesmosome surface exceeding its tensile strength (~76 MPa). A mathematical model displaying a relationship between the plasma potential and the skin tensile strength is also presented in this investigation. The non-thermal plasma could emerge as a clean and dry therapy to treat superficial skin diseases. Our study propels investigating the interaction of non-thermal plasma with the wet tissue in the deeper layer (dermis) of the skin cells and also, the development of such instruments for a comprehensive skin treatment.