Our next joint webinar with NBIC brings together both academic and industry expertise and takes a broad approach to research and development in skin and vaginal health and through life stages with a particular focus on non-invasive sampling methods and pre-clinical models. Join us on Tuesday 19 October, 09:00 – 12:00 UK time.
Sign up now at: bit.ly/3Eo2Zec ️
Speakers:
David Caballero-Lima from Labskin
Marnie Peterson from Perfectus Biomed
Chiara Heide from BrightCure
Rachel Grabenhofer from Cosmetics & Toiletries
Julie Thornton from the University of Bradford
Gill Westgate from CCUK
Oliver Worsley from Sequential Skin
Kelly Moffat from CosmosID
Ryan Kean from Glasgow Caledonian University
Myths: True False
T/F Genital (vulval) skin is less resilient to irritants than arm skin?
False: Vulval skin has a protective occlusive layer which helps protect it against irritating effects of menses blood whereas arm skin does not and becomes irritated. The partially occluded environment is an adaptation to the environment. Labia skin also maintains resilience with age vs arm skin.
T/F Genital health is impaired with type 2 diabetes
True: Insulin resistance is linked to darker pigment in the inguinal areas (top of thigh) and to sexual dysfunction after the menopause; possibly associated with decline in androgen receptors and disturbed vascularity in the vagina
T/F The pH of the skin in the genital area is the same as other body sites?
False: Vulva – no – its higher and vaginal pH is raised after the menopause
T/F. Friendly bacteria prefer an acidic environment
True: In the female genital area there are acid producing bacteria that keep the PH lower. A disturbance to the pH is associated with problems such as vaginosis
T/F. Washing skin in standard soaps can increase skin pH by as much as three units from Ph 5 to pH 8 which takes time to recover?
True: Important to wash feminine areas with lower Ph products
T/F Vaginal pH rises during menstruation?
True: Thus menstruation is a critical time for looking after the intimate skin of the female genital area
T/F changes to the genital skin can be as a result of urine incontinence which influences the barrier function
True: dermatitis can be triggered by urinary incontinence
T/F The vaginal microbiota helps protect the female genital tract from disease?
True: atrophic vaginitis is associated with altered local bacterial strains with low abundance of lactobacillus
