Axillary skin: biology and care

Abstract

SynopsisIn skin care, the axilla is a biologically unique site requiring specialized attention and care. This area of skin is often subject to hair removal techniques, such as shaving and plucking. These procedures damage the skin leading to erythema and dryness in the short term, and in some cases, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIHP) in the long term. This study will (i) briefly review the biology and unique properties of axillary skin, and (ii) describe the characteristics of the irritation and damage induced by contemporary skin care habits and resolution of these responses by the use of efficacious skin moisturizing technology. With respect to the latter, we propose that there are five groups of compounds, defined according to their mechanism of action, which are particularly relevant to the care of damaged axillary skin. Ré suméDans le domaine des soins de la peau, l'aisselle est un site biologiquement unique qui nécessite une attention et des soins spécialisés. Cette zone de la peau est souvent exposée à des techniques d'épilation, tels que le rasage et l'arrachage. Ces procédures endommagent la peau ce qui peut conduire à des érythèmes et provoquer de la sécheresse à court terme, et dans certains cas, une hyperpigmentation post-inflammatoire (PIPH) dans le long terme. Cet article (i) passe brièvement en revue la biologie et les propriétés uniques de la peau axillaire, et (ii) décrit les caractéristiques de l'irritation et des dommages induits par les habitudes actuelles des soins de la peau, pour proposer les solutions à ces réactions cutanées qui consistent en une technologie efficace d'hydratation. En ce qui concerne ce dernier point, nous estimons qu'il y a cinq groupes de composés, définis en fonction de leur mécanisme d'action, qui sont particulièrement pertinents pour le soin de la peau axillaire endommagé.

The impact of different hair‐removal behaviours on the biophysical and biochemical characteristics of female axillary skin

“…Visual assessments showed that hair removal by shaving, plucking and waxing leads to increases in axillary erythema and skin dryness scores. These results in Asian consumers are broadly consistent with earlier observations showing that hair removal results in axillary erythema and skin dryness in white subjects [4][5][6]. In the present study, shaving was associated with significantly less erythema but significantly greater skin dryness 30 min after hair removal compared with the other techniques.…”

“…As far as we are aware, this is the first study to identify the principal cytokines associated with the inflammatory process triggered by axillary hair removal. This provides further details about the skin response step proposed in the axillary irritation cycle [6]. The results also suggest that buffer scrubs are a suitable technique (albeit with limitationssee below) for detecting some of the inflammatory response biomarkers associated with axillary irritation induced by hair removal.…”

“…Little is known about the inflammatory process underlying the visible irritation and weakened skin barrier associated with axillary hair removal. Damage inflicted to the axillary skin barrier, such as removal of corneocytes by shaving, is likely to cause the release of pro-inflammatory mediators from epidermal keratinocytes and mast cells, which in turn will lead to skin irritation and erythema [6]. In contrast, hair plucking and waxing may trigger a deeper inflammatory response at the level of the hair follicle.…”

“…Histological evaluation of axillary skin in Filipino women demonstrated that hair plucking is associated with melanosome leakage into the dermis, leading to increased pigmentation [9]. This effect was accompanied by mononuclear cell and macrophage infiltration, which is usually associated with the production of inflammatory cytokines, which in turn stimulate melanocytes to produce more pigment-containing melanosomes [6,9].…”

Wanted, dead and alive: Why a multidisciplinary approach is needed to unlock hair treatment potential

“…Fatigue testing consists of small repetitive tensile force applied until the fibre fails. This is a more real‐world description of forces acting on hairs because real‐world breakage is messy, involving multiple forces (Figure ), but the long testing cycle duration and variability limits its utility. All conventional physical tests require long (>4 cm) fibres that have a homogeneous morphology and composition.…”