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Thursday, October 28, 2004

Water and the Skin

Water and the skin

The skin acts as a water reservoir and participates in the fluid regulation of the whole body. The skin tissue volume of a 70kg man is about 7 litres. The extracellular matrix (water outside the cells) comprises two-thirds of this volume, and consists of about 50% fluid. One third of the tissue layer consists of interchangeable water which is stored mainly in the dermis. Skin thickness depends on the amount of collagen fibres, cellular substances and interstitial fluid content. The fluid content of the skin determines its biophysical properties such as turgor, elasticity and distensibility. Increasing fluid content leads to a greater skin thickness.

Effects of dehydration

It is not surprising, therefore, that dehydration is associated with changes in the appearance of the skin. In mild dehydration the skin may appear flushed, dry and loose, with a loss of elasticity. (Loss of elasticity may be demonstrated by pinching the skin on the back of the hand and observing the time taken for the skin to return to its normal position. Recovery will be slower if the body is dehydrated.) However, loss of skin elasticity is also associated with ageing, and hence, dehydrated skin may appear to be older than it actually is.

Eisenbeiss et al used ultrasound to study the effects of body water and skin thickness. They found that slight changes in the water distribution of the body, eg due to water retention or dehydration, influence the thickness and echodensity of the dermis, eg skin thickness increased after fluid infusion. These changes were more pronounced at the forehead than on the lower legs.


The above is extracted from a draft report of the published scientific literature on the impacts of water on health by Hilary Forrester, commissioned by Water UK and published in July 2002.

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Good hydration makes you feel and look better. Did you notice that so many skin products now claim to hydrate the skin?

Click Here for more Hydration 101 Tips about the type of water you should be putting in your body.

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