Abstract
A detailed examination of the diffusion behavior of water vapor in stratum corneum samples obtained from humans, guinea pig and neonatal rat, a well as in human air fibers, was carried out. It has been found that, as with most polymeric films above the glass transition temperature, diffusion of water vapor into stratum corneum and hair is characterized by a concentration-dependent Fickian diffusion coefficient. Generally, the intrinsic diffusion coefficient (mean diffusion coefficient corrected for swelling) in the keratin samples investigated increases with the water content. If swelling effects are not taken into account, the mean diffusion coefficient - concentration dependence exhibits a distinct maximum in most cases. A phenomenological description of the hydration/ dehydration process in keratins, based on sorption, desorption and diffusion data, is presented.
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