Figure 5.

Representative images of split-thickness human skin after microdermabrasion through a mask applied to the skin surface to control tissue removal in three dimensions. The left column shows skin abraded to remove the stratum corneum (microdermabrasion at −30 kPa for 20 s) and the right column shows skin abraded to remove full epidermis (microdermabrasion at −50 kPa for 60 s). The sites of tissue removal as determined by the mask geometry are shown by staining with green dye in the en face images shown in the top row (A, B). The depth of tissue removal at the sites of microdermabrasion is shown in the histological sections with H&E staining in the middle row, where stratum corneum was removed (C) and full epidermis was removed (D). The arrows point to the areas of abrasion. Finally, the same histological sections shown in parts (C) and (D) are shown again using fluorescence optics (E, F). The permeation of sulforhodamine into the skin is seen after sulrorhodamine had been applied to the skin surface for 12 h.