Eczema may be a well-known condition, but according to a report by Massive Science, there is no known test to indicate one’s predispo­sition to it, short of a flare-up. A novel tool from researchers in Switzerland could change this.

While trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) often is currently the go-to parameter to measure water loss as an indicator of barrier function (or dysfunction), electrical impedence (EI) spectroscopy offers new insights in the characte­rization of skin tissue.

In a summary of this technique, published on Clinical­Trials.​gov, researchers at the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research explained that allergic disorders such as atopic dermatitis have been associated with impaired barrier function. EI spectroscopy sends a harmless electrical signal through the skin and the response of the tissue is analyzed. This response is influenced by cellular properties including shape, orientation and size.

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