Interestingly, the microbiomes of skin remained very stable over time, regardless of all the exposure and disruptions to our skin stemming from typical interactions like routine contact with other people, wearing our clothing, and interacting with the environment. Instead of acquiring microbes from the surroundings people reside in, they retained their personal microbial signatures. However, the stability of skin microbiomes did vary across both individuals and microbial strains; some showed more alterations and modifications than others.
Certain parts of the body showed a higher degree of variation in their microbial communities than others did. Oily skin sites like the auditory canal or back had the most stable microbiomes but even dry, highly exposed sites like the palm of the hand, showed incredible stability over time. However, sites with large amounts of diversity in their microbial communities were also the least stable, suggesting factors like personal hygiene or variable environments could play a role in that steadiness.
This study unfortunately only focused on a small number of healthy adults. The scope of the study can be expanded to more individuals and also to include adults with skin disorders like eczema. "Future studies can use the knowledge of the relative stability of the skin microbial communities in healthy adults to understand how various exposures or disease state may alter these skin microbes," Segre says. "For example, studies in acne patients could explore whether specific strains bloom during adolescent acne flares or change with medications such as antibiotics."
Source: Cell, AAAS