Sophie Seité

Background: Little is known about sun‐exposure and sun‐protection behaviors among tattooed individuals.Objectives: This study sought to investigate the sun‐exposure and sun‐protective habits among tattooed individuals.Methods: Population‐based study using a representative sample of the general population aged ≥18 years from four countries (Brazil, China, Russia and United‐States). All participants were asked to fill in a digital structured questionnaire. We inquired about socio‐demographics, self‐evaluation of their skin phototype (from I to VI), tattoo(s) and sun‐exposure and sun‐protection habits.Results: A total of 9031 adult participants responded to the questionnaire of whom 1682 (18.6%) had ≥ 1 tattoo(s). The prevalence of tattoos was significantly higher among individuals with lighter skin tone (phototype I to III, 20.2%) compared to those with darker one (phototype IV to VI, 13.9%, p<0.001). Almost 20% percent of the tattooed individuals acknowledged heavy lifestyle sun‐exposure compared to 11% of those without tattoos (p<0.001). Multinomial analyses showed that Brazilians and those having ≥ 1 tattoo were more likely to have intermediate and intense lifestyle sun‐exposure. Tattooed individuals were more likely to report that they used regular or occasional sun‐protection methods than non‐tattooed individuals (p < 0.001 and 0.016 respectively). Multinomial analyses for regular sun‐protection methods showed significant association with respondents from Brazil and those having one tattoo, but not more than one tattoo. Limitations include mainly that this is a questionnaire‐based study and and we lack of questions about sunburns and skin cancers.Conclusions: This large population‐based study shows that tattooed individuals do have a heavily sun‐exposed lifestyle but, at the same time, display sun‐protection habits.

Introduction: Scars are visible marks from various causes, including surgery, skin injury, burning or dermatological disease, and may impact the quality of life.Objective: To assess the impact of scars on quality of life (QoL).Material and Methods: Data about sociodemography, presence, origin, and symptoms of scars were collected using an Internet survey between April and May 2020. Overall, 11,100 individuals answered the survey. In total, 48.5% of the responders had at least one scar of less than 1 year of age. Scars were mainly reported on the abdomen and face. Globally, 28.9% of subjects with recent scars reported pain, 23.7% reported burning, 35.0% reported itching, and 44.1% reported redness. Subjects were most frequently bothered by the visibility of their scars and the presence of marks. Incidences were significantly higher than for those with older scars. The average DLQI score was 7.44; it decreased to 2.90 after 1 year. Subjects with scars aged less than 3 months had their QoL more frequently impacted (33.9%) than those with scars aged 12 months or more (10.2%). In subjects reporting skin discomfort, clinical symptoms significantly impacted body movement, choice of clothes, leisure activities, and sexual life more than in those reporting no skin discomfort. Moreover, subjects felt significantly more impacted in their daily lives due to their skin discomfort. When feeling bothered by the visibility of their scars, significantly more subjects were also impacted in their body movement, choice of clothes, leisure activities, and sexual life than those subjects who did not feel bothered. Moreover, significantly more subjects felt embarrassed.Conclusion: Scars significantly impact the subjects' quality of life. This impact is even more important when caused by recent and visible scars, with a lower DLQI score in subjects with more aged than in those with recent scars.

Introduction: Hand eczema is frequent among hairdressers. The aim of this open survey was (i) to assess the prevalence and identify causing factors of hand issues encountered by hairdressers and (ii) to assess the benefit of a cosmetic skin care in clinical signs and symptoms through a clinical observational survey. Methods: The survey was conducted among 391 hairdressers and hairdresser-related professionals, collecting information on frequency of daily procedures, frequency/type/severity of hand issues, and glove usage. The satisfaction provided by a dermocosmetic containing niacinamide, glycerin, shea butter and thermal spring water was examined in an evaluation visit one month after survey initiation. Results: Investigated subjects were mostly hairdressers (73%). In their daily procedures, a majority (≥ 76%) always or often used shampoos, hair dyes, oxidants, bleachers, straighteners and perms. Overall, a majority (> 60%) of subjects always or often had hand irritation due to this use (except for straighteners). Most subjects (≥ 60%) reported using gloves in their procedures except with shampoos and straighteners. Among hand problems reported at survey initiation, the most intense was skin dryness, followed by redness, irritation, cracks, and fissures. Hand problems induced annoyance in their activities for most subjects (> 65%), leading to discontinuation of their professional activities for 28% subjects. The test dermocosmetic was applied for 1 week up to 1 month. At evaluation visit (1 month), the intensity of all hand signs and symptoms was decreased compared to initiation visit. In addition, 58.3% subjects reported return to professional activities instantly at evaluation visit versus 31.3% at initial visit. Most subjects (≥ 73%) were satisfied or very satisfied with the test cream properties. Conclusion: Our survey confirms the impact of hand issues experienced by hairdresser professionals and highlights the need for gloves and for efficient hand care products.

Introduction: Balneotherapy (BT) is the treatment of disease through the use of thermal spring water (TSW). It has been used for centuries and remains a popular form of treatment for dermatologic diseases such as atopic dermatitis (AD). Recent findings highlighted the role of the gut microbiota in AD and the possible crosstalk between gut and skin microbiomes in this pathology. Nevertheless, changes in the composition of the gut microbiota after balneotherapy remain to be elucidated. Methods: A total of 96 patients, with moderate to severe AD according to the SCORAD, were enrolled. Stool samples were collected prior and post a 3-week balneotherapy at the thermal care center of La Roche-Posay (France). Composition of the gut microbiota was assessed by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Results: Species associated with high gut microbiota richness tended to correlate negatively with disease severity (SCORAD) and positively with SCORAD reduction, while species associated with low richness displayed the opposite pattern. Relative abundance of 23 species was significantly altered during BT, these changes being significantly associated with SCORAD reduction during BT, suggesting that gut microbiota composition and AD progression were associated through the treatment. Microbial functions related to gut-brain axis such as GABA and tryptophan metabolism were also altered by the treatment. Long-standing AD patients exhibited a better gut microbial profile than recently diagnosed patients, with higher MSP richness and species associated with SCORAD reduction. Conclusion: In patients with AD, clinical disease parameters such as SCORAD or disease duration are intricately linked to the gut microbiota composition. SCORAD reduction occurring during BT was also associated with gut microbiota. The gut-brain-skin axis via neurotransmitter such as GABA should be further studied in diseases such as AD.

Background: Increased allergy frequency may have a significant impact on the skin, one of the largest targeted organs for allergic and immunological responses. Methods: An online survey of 2036 adults as a representative sample of the French general population was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of self-reported allergies, the populations who report allergies and the skin conditions related to allergies. Results: In general, 20.2% of French adults (average age 45 ± 15.8 years) reported allergies. These allergies were respiratory allergies (55.3%), skin allergies (48.8%) and food allergies (27.9%), and 78.9% indicated that their reported allergies were diagnosed by a doctor. In addition, 53.2% of individuals reporting an allergy also indicated that they experienced associated skin reactions. In comparison to those who did not report an allergy, these individuals were 1.5 to 4 times more likely to have a skin disease and 3 times more likely to have sensitive skin or skin reactions when using skincare products. Conclusion: It is estimated that over 10 million French adults have allergies. These data will help increase awareness among the allergic population and healthcare professionals about the burden associated with allergies and the need for management to reduce their health impact.

Background: Sensitive skin is related to environmental factors.Objectives: We aimed to investigate the roles of poorly known associated and triggering factors on sensitive skin in a large global population.Methods: A survey was administrated to a representative sample of the adult population aged 18–75 years in five different countries (Brazil, China, France Russia, and the United States). All participants answered a web‐based questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, sensitive skin and environmental factors.Results: Among the 10 743 included individuals (5285 men and 5458 women), 48.2% declared that they had sensitive skin. The group with sensitive skin reported significant increases in fatigue, dust or sweating and to a lesser extent food or tobacco consumption. The members of this group also declared that they experienced more sleep disorders than individuals without sensitive skin. Sensitive skin was very frequent in pregnant women, women with painful menstruations or women using contraceptive pills.Conclusions: This large cohort study identified new factors, including female hormonal status, fatigue, sleep disorders and food, associated with sensitive skin. These associations suggest that sensitive skin is not restricted to an epidermal disorder but may be included in a larger context. The identified factors are potential upstream drivers of neurogenic inflammation in sensitive skin.