How to recognize “Barrier Damage” (Transepidermal Water Loss – TEWL) in dry skin and how is it treated in a clinical setting?

Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) is the evaporation of water from the skin due to the breakdown of the protective lipid (fat) barrier in the skin’s top layer. Symptoms include persistent dryness, tightness, flaking, burning, and sudden redness reactions even to products that wouldn’t normally irritate the skin, regardless of how much the skin is moisturized. In a clinical setting, this condition is treated with intensive “Barrier Repair Mesotherapy” treatments that do not exfoliate the skin but instead contain ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids, and hyaluronic acid. Additionally, the barrier is rebuilt from the outside using medical masks that lock in moisture and low-current galvanic iontophoresis systems.