Copyright
©2013 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
Prevalence of sensitive skin and its biophysical response in a Mexican population
Diana Hernández-Blanco, Juan Pablo Castanedo-Cázares, Adriana Ehnis-Pérez, Isabel Jasso-Ávila, Bertha Torres-Álvarez, Department of Dermatology, Hospital Central “Dr. Ignacio Morones Prieto”, San Luis Potosí 78210, Mexico
Luis Conde-Salazar, Instituto Nacional de Medicina y Seguridad en el Trabajo, CNNT-Madrid, 73 Torrelaguna, Madrid 28040, Spain
Author contributions: Hernández-Blanco D, Castanedo-Cázares JP, and Ehnis-Pérez A designed the study; Hernández-Blanco D, Ehnis-Pérez A and Jasso-Ávila I conducted the experiments; Castanedo-Cázares JP, and Ehnis-Pérez A performed the statistical analyses; Castanedo-Cázares J, Torres-Álvarez B, and Conde-Salazar L edited and wrote the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Dr. Bertha Torres-Álvarez, Department of Dermatology, Hospital Central “Dr. Ignacio Morones Prieto”, 2395 Venustiano Carranza Ave., San Luis Potosí 78210, Mexico. torresmab@yahoo.com.mx
Telephone: +52-444-8342795 Fax: +52-444-8342795
Received: January 17, 2013
Revised: January 19, 2013
Accepted: January 23, 2013
Published online: February 2, 2013
Revised: January 19, 2013
Accepted: January 23, 2013
Published online: February 2, 2013
Core Tip
Core tip: Self-diagnosed sensitive skin can be found in one-third of Mexican subjects, but using the lactic acid stinging test, we identified a prevalence of 50%. Baseline biophysical measures did not predict the test response, but alterations in subsequent measurements support the hypothesis of a dysfunctional skin barrier. One subgroup presented a slow response to the test, suggesting that other pathways, such as an altered neurosensitive response, are involved. This study indicates a higher prevalence of sensitive skin in subjects with lighter skin phototypes compared to darker ones. These findings suggest that pigmentation may confer a protective mechanism against sensitive skin.