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Sensitive skin: an epidemiological study
Author(s) -
Willis C.M.,
Shaw S.,
De Lacharrière O.,
Baverel M.,
Reiche L.,
Jourdain R.,
Bastien P.,
Wilkinson J.D.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2001.04343.x
Subject(s) - medicine , itching , epidemiology , population , incidence (geometry) , dermatology , sensitive skin , cohort , adverse effect , surgery , environmental health , physics , optics
Background There is a growing awareness that some individuals exhibit heightened skin sensitivity, particularly on the face, and have a high incidence of adverse reactions to cosmetics and toiletries. Objectives To carry out an epidemiological study to assess the prevalence of sensitive skin and cosmetic‐related adverse events in a U.K. population, and to examine possible factors that may be associated with sensitive skin. Methods Self‐assessment questionnaires were sent out to 3300 women and 500 men, randomly selected, who were over the age of 18 years and lived within a 10‐mile radius of High Wycombe (Bucks.). Fifty non‐responder women were also questioned by telephone to ensure that the postal responders were representative of the population as a whole. Results The response rates were 62% for women and 52% for men, with the incidence of self‐reported skin sensitivity being 51·4% and 38·2%, respectively. Ten per cent of women and 5·8% of men described themselves as having very sensitive skin. Fifty‐seven per cent of women and 31·4% of men had experienced an adverse reaction to a personal product at some stage in their lives, with 23% of women and 13·8% of men having had a problem in the last 12 months. Among the women, symptoms of cosmetic‐induced subjective sensory skin discomfort (burning, stinging, itching etc.) occurred more commonly in the sensitive skin cohort (53%) than in those who regarded themselves as non‐sensitive (17%). An atopic diathesis in women did not appear to be a predictive factor for sensitive skin, the incidence of self‐perceived sensitive skin being equivalent for atopics (49%) and non‐atopics (51%). Furthermore, some 34% of atopic women described themselves as being non‐sensitive. Nevertheless, the incidence of atopy was higher among the women in the sensitive skin group (49%) than among those in the non‐sensitive group (27%). Dry skin and a predilection for blushing/flushing were associated factors for sensitive skin. Conclusions Our survey indicates that sensitive facial skin is a common problem for women and men in the U.K. and points to the need for the development of personal products designed for this skin phenotype.