Effects of freezing on human skin permeability.

The percutaneous absorption of water was measured in-vitro at 30 degrees C for pale caucasian abdominal skin which had been stored at -20 degrees C for up to 466 days and compared with fresh skin. Prolonged freezing of the skin did not affect the absorption of water which had a mean permeability coefficient of 1.71 +/- 0.62 X 10(-3) cm h-1 (180 diffusion experiments with 39 skin specimens). No significant difference was found between the absorption of water through human skin which was fresh or had been frozen. The mean permeability coefficient for skin which had not been frozen was 1.30 +/- 0.55 X 10(-3) cm h-1 for 6 skin specimens.