Variation in skin biology to climate in Shanghai, China

Abstract

Purpose: To explore the relationship between climate and skin condition, and to investigate the variation of skin biology to climatic change.

Methods: In total, 2005 healthy Chinese volunteers living in Shanghai (aged 13–69 years) were recruited. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and SCH were tested on six sites (forehead, cheek, nasolabial, inner forearm, dorsal hand, and palm) by noninvasive devices between January 2005 and December 2012. The corresponding climate data were recorded by local Weather Bureau.

Results: TEWL was increased with atmospheric pressure and decreased with temperature, steam pressure, and relative humidity (p < 0.05). SCH was increased with steam pressure and decreased with atmospheric pressure (p < 0.05); there was no obvious trend between SCH and temperature and SCH and relative humidity. To investigate the climate parameters together, we introduced these correlated factors into the multivariate linear regression model which demonstrated that temperature and steam pressure were main factors related to skin biological parameters. At different sites, the effect of climatic factors on skin biology was diverse.

Conclusion: Skin biological parameters are associated with climatic factors. Different sites have different sensitivity to climate factors.

Keywords:

• Climate
• skin biology
• steam pressure
• stratum corneum hydration
• temperature
• transepidermal water loss

Acknowledgements

We thank all colleagues in the Skin and Cosmetic Research Center for their help and acknowledge doctors for reviewing, critiquing, and otherwise improving the manuscript. We also gratefully acknowledge the comments of reviewers.

Declaration of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.