Abstract: The study of frictional properties of human skin is important for medical research, skin care products and textile exploitation. In order to investigate the influence of normal load and sliding speed on the frictional properties of skin and its possible mechanism, tests were carried out on a multi-specimen friction tester. When the normal load increases from 0.1 N to 0.9 N, normal displacement and the friction coefficient of skin increase. The friction coefficient is dependent on the load, indicating that both adhesion and deformation contribute to the friction behaviour. The deformation friction was interpreted using the plough model of friction. When sliding speed increases from 0.5 mm·s^-1 to 4 mm·s^-1, the friction coefficient increases and “stick-slip” phenomena increase, indicating that hysteretic friction contributes to the friction. The hysteretic friction was interpreted using schematic of energy translation during the rigid spherical probe sliding on the soft skin surface, which provides an explanation for the influence of the sliding speed on the frictional characteristics of the skin.

Key words: normal load, sliding speed, friction coefficient, skin