usefulness of sebum check film for measuring the secretion of sebum

• Published in: Archives of Dermatological Research Vol. 302; no. 9; pp. 657 - 660
• Main Authors: Furuichi, Megumi, Makino, Teruhiko, Matsunaga, Kenji, Hamade, Eriko, Yokoi, Hideharu, Shimizu, Tadamichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01-11-2010; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Absorbent Pads - utilization; Allergic diseases; atopic dermatitis; Biological and medical sciences; Dermatitis, Atopic - diagnosis; Dermatitis, Atopic - pathology; Dermatitis, Atopic - physiopathology; Dermatology; Diagnostic Self Evaluation; Feasibility Studies; Humans; Immunopathology; Lipid Metabolism; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Paper; Palmitic Acids - analysis; Polypropylenes; sebum; Sebum - metabolism; Self-checking; Skin - metabolism; Skin - pathology; Skin allergic diseases. Stinging insect allergies; Sebum; Self-checking; Atopic dermatitis; Film; Allergy; Immunopathology; Skin disease; Dermatology; Secretion; Check; Atopy
• ISSN: 0340-3696; 1432-069X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00403-010-1076-x

Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) often present with dry skin, and the reduced secretion of sebum may be responsible for the impaired skin barrier function. A sebum check film enables the patient to self-evaluate the skin sebum content. This study compared the sebum check film with a sebumeter. The skin sebum content of the forehead was measured using a sebum check film and a sebumeter. The findings of the sebum content of healthy controls showed that the sebum dot fields on the sebum check film were significantly correlated with the sebum content measured using the sebumeter (r = 0.774, p < 0.001). In addition, the sebum fields on the sebum check film of AD patients (n = 26) were significantly less than those on the sebum check film of the controls (n = 30; p < 0.05). Furthermore, the analysis of the sebum fields on the sebum check film of the AD patients was significantly correlated with their sebum content findings that were obtained using a sebumeter (r = 0.592, p < 0.01). These findings indicate that the sebum check film is easy to use for measuring the sebum secretion and is suitable for self-checking the sebum contents by AD patients for daily skin care.