Skin capacitance imaging of acne lesions.

BACKGROUND: Little information is available about specific functional characteristics of skin in acneic patients. OBJECTIVE: To determine a capacitance mapping of lesional skin in acne in order to predict drug affinity according to the hydrophilic-lipophilic characteristics. METHOD: Skin capacitance imaging based on silicon image sensor technology was used with the SkinChip device. RESULTS: The non-optical images obtained by this means clearly identified low capacitance comedones contrasting with a perifollicular rim of high capacitance in inflammatory papules. This method also showed sweating and the follicular pores distributed in a pinpoint pattern. CONCLUSION: The objective mapping of skin surface capacitance showed large differences between acne lesions and the surrounding skin. The low capacitance of comedones contrasted with the high capacitance of the perifollicular area in inflammatory papules. These electrometric characteristics reflecting the corneocyte hydration may influence drug affinity to acne lesions.