Proposal of a self‐assessment questionnaire for the diagnosis of sensitive skin

Abstract

Background Sensitive skin is very common and distressing. Its diagnosis may be difficult with the tools/methods available at the moment. Aims To assess the reliability of a self‐assessment questionnaire for the diagnosis of sensitive skin, using the results of lactic acid stinging test (LAST) as a reference for the identification of subjects suffering from this condition. A further objective was to identify the questionnaire cutoff score that better discriminates between subjects with or without sensitive skin. Patients/methods Among the adult volunteers included in this observational, cross‐sectional study, both LAST‐positive subjects, who were considered as having sensitive skin (“patients”), and negative ones (“controls”) completed the questionnaire. It consisted of a part for self‐assessing and quantifying (0–10) sensitive skin and another one that included 10 items, each referring to a specific, potentially triggering stimulus. A cumulative score (questionnaire‐based skin sensitivity score, 0–10) was calculated from the sum of all items considered capable of triggering unpleasant skin sensations in real‐life experience. Results One hundred and sixty‐two subjects were enrolled, 102 patients and 60 controls; 98 subjects thought they had sensitive skin. The mean questionnaire‐based skin sensitivity score was significantly higher among patients than controls and correlated with skin sensitivity self‐assessments. A cutoff value of 3 was set for the identification of LAST‐positive subjects, with 79% accuracy. Conclusions The study self‐assessment questionnaire seems to be a reliable tool for diagnosing sensitive skin in clinical practice. These results led us to identify a numerical cutoff for detecting propensity to experience sensitive skin.

Results from an extended study on the reliability of a questionnaire for the diagnosis of sensitive skin: Confirmations and improvements

“…In the previous study, a cut-off of 3 was established with 79% accuracy (i.e., being able to predict whether the subject would be positive or negative on the LAST test). When applying the cut-off of 3 to the larger population of this study, accuracy decreases to 74.7%, with a more noticeable decrease in specificity and an increase in sensitivity when compared with the previous results [13].…”

“…Exposure to hot/dry air and exposure to cold/humid air showed lower p values than the 4 already known items, namely age, sensitivity to sun exposure, use of cosmetics and exposure to wind but were significant too. In addition, the significance of the 4 items found in the previous study [13] was further strengthened.…”

“…The statistical analysis performed on the data was virtually identical to that used in the previous study [13].…”

“…The subjects enrolled during this study period were added to those already included in the previous study (162 subjects, 116 women and 46 men, mean age 29 ± 11.1 years) [13] and assessed cumulatively. The population included in this extension of the study shared the same inclusion and exclusion criteria adopted for the previous one.…”

“…In a recent study [13] we evaluated the reliability of a self-assessment questionnaire specifically aimed at diagnosing sensitive skin, using lactic acid stinging test (LAST) positivity as a reference for the identification of subjects suffering from this condition [12,14,15]. The questionnaire consists of 10 items, each referring to a stimulus potentially triggering unpleasant skin sensations in real-life experience.…”