Dr Kerstin ORTLECHNER
Dermatologue
Skin burnout - The new threat for millenials?
Objectives: SKIN BURNOUT - the new threat for millenials?
Diagnose primary a Periorificial Dermatitis (PD).
Raise the awareness for evidence-based and individual appropriate skin care.
Provide a scientific approach to individual skincare and the management of periorificial dermatitis.
Introduction: The younger generation has become greater consumers of skin care products, with a desire to start taking care of their skin early. This is characterized by a need for high-performance products, which is reflected in the dramatic increase in usage. It can be attributed to the impact of social media. Our skin is constantly on display. People are confronted with the idea of forever looking good - 24/7 selfie ready! This desire to strive for the perfect complexion has been linked to excessive use of cosmetics and directly correlated with a worrying silent epidemic of periorificial dermatitis (PD).
Materials / method: A Questionnaire based study investigating the aetiology of PD was conducted, with particular emphasis on the significance of the overconsumption of products and the exponential increase of PD.
Results: Social media networks have provided easy to access platforms for influencers to present misinformed information surrounding skin care and products. Moreover, these platforms have played a role in increasing the amount of self-proclaimed “experts”, presenting their audience with advice on skin care and remedies. The issue in this case is that the information presented is often to fulfill a certain requirement, which calls into question both the validity and reliability of the advice. The bad repercussion is the alarming increase in PD, a benign inflammatory facial dermatosis.
Conclusion: When social media is saturated with influencers touting secrets to their perfect skin, truth seems hard to find. Contemplating the potentially devastating outcomes, it shines light on the importance of calling out the edited scientific reports. Although it is at the heart of our profession to provide a scientific approach to skincare, science is often couched in statistics and probability, which does not make for a glamorous marketing tool. It is therefore our responsibility to educate our patients, which will in turn provide them with the knowledge and tools to make more informed decisions.
