An International Study on Sensitive Skin Across Continents in Over 20,000 Women: Geographic and Age-Related Differences, Menstrual Regularities and Cycle Phase influence, and Effect on WEMWBS score

Author(s): Claire Deloche, Charbel Skayem, Charles Taieb, Natalia Kovylkina, Julie Faure, Deuel Eamilao, Rossella E Nappi

The term "sensitive skin"(SS) encompasses the experience of unusual sensations like tingling, burning, or prickling, potentially accompanied by pain or itching, caused by various factors [1,2]. Physical (such as UV rays, temperature extremes, or wind), chemical (like cosmetics, soaps, water, or pollution), psychological (such as stress), or hormonal (related to menstrual cycles) factors have been described [1-4]. While "SS" commonly refers to facial skin, it can also affect other parts of the body like scalp, hands, or genitals. In women, SS can have a significant impact on their lives due to associated discomfort, inconvenience, and potential limitations. Studies on the prevalence of SS in the general population are scarce, and most of them are limited to one region [1-8]. Our objective was to conduct an international study in 20 countries in order to assess the prevalence of SS in women aged 18-55 y.o. A representative sample of women, 18 and 55 y.o, was recruited in 20 countries [United States n=1200; Canada n=1200; France n=1200; Argentina n=750; Brazil n=1200; Chile n=750; China n=1200; Egypt n=1000; Germany n=1200; Greece n=751; Italy n=1200; Mexico n=1200;Nigeria n=500; Poland n=1200; Saudi Arabia n=1200; South Africa n=800; Spain n=1200; Thailand n=750; Turkey n=750;] using a stratified, proportional quota sampling (PQS) with a replacement design. PQS was used based on the distribution of the population according to age, sex, environment (large cities, towns, and rural areas), and income, in each participating country, in order to guarantee national representativeness of the sample.