Prevalence and Hereditary Factors of Sensitive Skin in Children

The Special Interest Group (SIG) on Sensitive Skin of the International Forum for the Study of Itch (IFSI) defines sensitive skin as a syndrome causing unpleasant sensations like stinging, burning, and itching in response to normally non-irritating stimuli, without identifiable skin lesions. Sensitive skin affects approximately 40% of adults globally, with rates potentially reaching 50% to 85% in some studies. Factors influencing this prevalence may include genetics, environment, and cosmetic habits. While sensitive scalp is reported to increase with age, sensitive skin's frequency may slightly decrease. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of sensitive skin in children under six years old through a survey of their mothers.

The results showed the following findings:

• A total of 608 mothers participated in the survey, with an average age of 33.6 years.
• Among them, 44.6% expressed concern about their child's skin, with higher concern noted in those with only one child (49.6%) compared to those with multiple children (41.5%).
• The prevalence of sensitive skin among children was found to be 53.9%, with girls reporting higher rates (58.2%) than boys (48.7%). 
• Children were categorized as having sensitive skin based on mothers' reports of "very sensitive" (9.7%) or "sensitive" (43.6%) skin.
• Dry skin was reported in 93.2% of children with very sensitive skin, and itching was noted in 45.8% of these cases.
• Additionally, mothers observed tingling or burning sensations and sleep difficulties among their children, with nocturnal wakefulness reported in a significant percentage across the sensitivity categories.
• The analysis revealed that children with sensitive skin (n = 324) were more likely to have mothers with sensitive skin (76.9% vs. 48.9%), be girls, have mothers concerned about their skin, report dry skin, have associated skin disorders, and experience nocturnal wakefulness.
• Multivariate analysis supported these findings, although the significance of sex differences and nocturnal wakefulness varied. Additionally, several triggers for skin sensitivity were identified, with significant associations found for exposure to cold, urination or defecation activities, soaps, and creams.

In conclusion, this is a pioneer study to assess the prevalence of sensitive skin in children under six, finding a rate of 53.9%, which correlates with adult prevalence. Sensitive skin in children is more common in females, associated with skin dryness, and shares similar triggering factors with adults.

The study also suggested that the presence of hereditary component, as children with mothers who have sensitive skin are 3.5 times more likely to have it themselves. While the reliance on maternal reports for diagnosis is a limitation, the consistent responses about triggering factors shows mothers have a good understanding of sensitive skin. Overall, the findings highlight both genetic and environmental influences on sensitive skin in young children.

Source: Misery L, Taïeb C, Brenaut E, Huet F, Abasq-Thomas C, Sayag M, Bodemer C. Sensitive Skin in Children. Acta Derm Venereol. 2020 Jan 23;100(1):adv00039. doi: 10.2340/00015555-3376. PMID: 31742650; PMCID: PMC9128939.