In vivo friction properties of human skin.

In vivo frictional properties of human skin and five materials, namely aluminium, nylon, silicone, cotton sock, Pelite, were investigated. Normal and untreated skin over six anatomic regions of ten normal subjects were measured under a controlled environment. The average coefficient of friction for all measurements is 0.46+/-0.15 (p<0.05). Among all measured sites, the palm of the hand has the highest coefficient of friction (0.62+/-0.22). For all the materials tested, silicone has the highest coefficient of friction (0.61+/-0.21), while nylon has the lowest friction (0.37+/-0.09).