Wearable Technology and the Skin

WELCOME TO THE BLOG!!

I'm convinced Wearable Technology is here to stay and will only grow as these incredible devices become more tightly integrated into our lives. Who doesn't love near instantaneous feedback about our health status or reviewing how many calories our latest workout burned?

Fundamentally, a wearable device is an electronic device that we physically wear on our body that has a sensor or has some type of interactive interface with the wearer. Probably the most common current wearable is the smartwatch but wearables can be found interfacing with just about any part of the body. There are wearable rings, eyeglasses, earbuds...this is a field that is expanding incredibly fast.

One constant, regardless of the type of wearable or its function, is that all these devices must to touch the skin. And that's where I enter this narrative. The goal of this blog is to merge my clinical, scientific and consulting experiences to describe how to make wearable devices safer and more comfortable to wear.

Dermatologist Insight on Skin Irritation from Wearables

Rash from smartwatch

I feel like I have plenty of experience from which I can draw upon.

As a Dermatologist, I've taken care of patients with skin issues related to wearables.

As a Consultant I've worked with wearable device companies since 2014 to help with all manners of questions as they pertain to the skin, especially dermatologic complications. I've consulted on just about every type of interface there is (wrist-worn, face-worn, ear-worn, etc).

One thing I've found is that most companies developing wearables are focused on the technological aspects of developing their device. They have incredible scientists, engineers, physicians, leaders and designers but usually lack dermatologic expertise. This blog and BOHLD Consulting is meant to bridge the gap. I'll be posting a series of content meant to introduce different concepts about what what the medical literature supports as possible causes of wearable related skin irritation and my perspective on how to overcome some of these roadblocks. I'll also generate content on what I think is important for how to make wearable devices comfortable.

Welcome to the Blog!