Abstract
By the analysis of skin surface lipids, the activity of the sebaceous glands in normal or abnormal conditions and the functions of skin surface lipids can be studied. There are various methods to collect skin surface lipids, e.g., the cup method, etc. Among all of these methods, the most widely used is the cup method, which gives excellent accuracy and reproducibility. However, the use of this method is painful for the subject, and it is difficult to use on small animals. To overcome these disadvantages, a new device for the sampling of skin surface lipids was made and compared with the cup method. The device consisted of a cell and a collector. The cell was fixed in the sampling position, vaccumed by an aspirator, and as solvent flowed through the cell, the skin surface lipids were collected. By this suction method, the same degree of accuracy and reproducibility as the cup method was obtained. The use of this device allows a reduction of sampling time, removal of samples from any part of the body and experiments on most small animals. Also the discomfort of the subject is reduced.
