The fibrous structure of the skin and its relation to mechanical behaviour

Abstract

Interpretation of the biophysical behaviour of the skin is often based on the assumption that it is a uniphasic continuum. A better insight into the complex response of the skin to radioactive, thermal, chemical or mechanical stimulii may be obtained if the skin’s fibrous structure is considered. Several complex features in the mechanical behaviour of the skin can be accounted for in this way. Furthermore, this structural approach facilitates the use of non-invasive mechanical tests for diagnosing alterations in the skin constituents after exposure to external stimuli, e.g. in determining whether radiation will result in changes of the elastin or collagen and whether the fibers themselves are affected or their structure altered.