Living with a skin disease remains difficult for many people, especially when it is visible on the face and on the hands.
- On the hands, the most frequent localization of dermatoses is the back of the hand (55%), followed by the fingers (43.5%), the palms (32.5%) and the nails 11.7%.
- On the face, the most frequent location of skin diseases is the cheeks (51%), followed by the forehead (43%) and the chin (35.2%).
Visible dermatoses such as eczema, acne, psoriasis, ichthyosis, vitiligo or even rosacea do not alter vital functions, but can considerably affect quality of life. These are the results ofa new international studywhich releases new and surprising figures.
“We refuse to shake hands with my daughter”
“The aim of the study was to explore the consequences of skin diseases with involvement of the face and hands, i.e. socially visible areas”, explained the authors during a press conference. “Until now, visible dermatoses had never been studied as a whole”, added Dr. Charles Taieb. To do this, 13,138 adults from 6 different countries (Canada, China, Italy, Spain, Germany and France) were invited to answer a questionnaire.
Result: three out of four patients suffering from a skin disease reported damage to the face and/or hands, and one out of ten complained. For example, 50% of respondents indicate that these conditions have led to difficulties at school. “My daughter is regularly refused to shake hands simply because she has dry skin from ichthyosis,” recounts, for example, with emotion Anne Audouze, herself suffering from this rare disease.
25.8% of patients with dermatosis localized on the hands considered it a disability at work, 26% said they had difficulty using a smartphone or computer keyboard, 32% admitted to being limited in their daily activities, 28% thought their life would have been different without the skin lesions, and 34% admitted that they had tried to hide these sores before. For dermatoses on the face: 8% of patients considered it a professional handicap, 26% thought that their life would have been different without the disease and 20% declared that their professional life would have been richer if their face had not been reached.
The marks on the hands bother as much as those on the face
Figures that surprised health professionals and patient associations present at the press conference. “Surprisingly, the involvement of the hands has significant consequences for patients, which are not limited to the functional disability generally mentioned. Dermatologists are interested in the face, but they are probably less attentive to an involvement of the hands, which can harm social life just as much or more than damage to the face”comment the specialists.
“The discomfort caused by the extremities is explained in particular, I suppose, by the fact that you can make up your face, but it is much more difficult for your hands, which you have to wash regularly during the day”, analyzes Pr Marie Aleth Richard, dermatologist (CHU of Marseille – Hôpital de la Timone).“These data are important to consider when considering the burden of chronic skin diseases.” concludes Professor Bernard Cribier, head of the dermatology department of the University Hospitals of Strasbourg.
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