Abstract
Sensitive skin is a very frequent condition, the prevalence of this syndrome has been studied in different countries in Europe, in United States and in Japan. The aim of the study was to evaluate the epidemiology of sensitive skin in the Indian population, like this has never been studied in this country. A representative nationwide sample of the Indian population aged 15 and over was selected. Individuals were selected as per the quota method (based on sex, age, householder profession, rural/urban location, and region). In total, 27.9% of men and 36.7% of women declared having “sensitive” or “very sensitive” skin. The difference between the 2 sexes was very significant. Of these, 5.1% of men and 7.2% of women reported having “very sensitive” skin. The subjects complaining about “sensitive” or “very sensitive” skin were 2–4 times more likely to declare suffering from atopic dermatitis, acne, psoriasis, or vitiligo. They were 2 to 3 times more reactive to climatic factors, environmental factors, cosmetics and food intake. In conclusion, although less frequently reported than in other countries, sensitive skin is a frequent condition in India, affecting about one third of the population.
Highlights
The concept of sensitive skin was introduced by Frosch [1] and Thiers [2]
The first epidemiological study of sensitive skin was conducted in the United Kingdom in 2001 [7]; studies were conducted in many countries throughout the world, including Belgium, China, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the United States of America, Brazil, Japan, and Russia [8,9,10,11,12,13]
Skin Sensitivity Related to Cosmetics and Food Intake
Summary
The concept of sensitive skin was introduced by Frosch [1] and Thiers [2]. Sensitive skin is characterized by the occurrence of sensations of tingling, prickling, heat, burning, pain, or itching, and occasionally by erythema in response to multiple physical (UV radiation, heat, cold, or wind), chemical (cosmetics, soaps, pollution, or water), psychological (stress), and/or hormonal (menstrual cycle) factors that should not provoke such sensations [3,4,5,6]. The first epidemiological study of sensitive skin was conducted in the United Kingdom in 2001 [7]; studies were conducted in many countries throughout the world, including Belgium, China, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the United States of America, Brazil, Japan, and Russia [8,9,10,11,12,13]. These studies used similar methodologies based on surveys of samples of the population aged 15 years and older.
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