The Vision of the “Skin & Digital Summit” is to facilitate and create a comprehensive discussion about what digital technology can bring to skin business at large (dermatology, aesthetics, skincare).

There is little available data measuring the size of the ‘skin business’, which encompasses dermatology treatments, procedures for aesthetic dermatology and skincare products. Skin disease is the 4th most common cause of human illness.1-3 One third of the world’s population has been affected by at least one skin disease,1-3 while in Europe a new survey shows that 48% of the European population over 18 declared at least one dermatological condition.4 In total, around 3,000 skin diseases have been officially recognised.3,5 While in the US alone the dermatology treatment market is generating $75 billion,6 the worldwide aesthetic market is evaluated at $15 billion and the global skincare market will represent $200 billion by 2026.7 Overall, we estimate that “skin business” is worth around $500 billion per year.

Beyond the need for new therapeutics, aesthetics and skincare innovations, this market is facing two main challenges (poor access to care & misinformation) and digital technologies can help solving these issues. Let me share some interesting data.

1. Poor access to care: out of 2 billion people affected globally by skin conditions,8 it is estimated that more than 70% (or 1.4 billion) do not have access to a doctor for a consultation about their skin condition(s).9 Derm Assist, the AI tool from Google, has been designed to help patients identify their skin conditions10 and is set to improve access.11
   In aesthetic dermatology, consultation rates are also low since the penetration of injectable procedures among women aged 25–55 years is less than 9% in the US and less than 1% in urban China.12
   
2. Misinformation: health misinformation plagues the internet and some are referring to this is as ‘The Fake News Epidemic in Health’.13 A study carried out by dermatologists from the Hospital Clínico San Carlos in Madrid (Spain) reveals that 65% of the content shared on social networks (Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Reddit) about dermatology is imprecise or generates confusion.14,15 In a similar way beauty consumers face an “architecture of misinformation”.16

It is free of charge and very simple to attend for anyone:
• Register now for free HERE
• When : Saturday 11th December 2021 at 3pm Paris time, 9am New York time or 9pm Beijing time
• What : Live broadcast with 12 world renowned speakers who will address different subjects concerning skin & digital
  
  I look forward to meeting you on the 11th December!
  
  
  

  References
  1- Hay RJ, Johns NE, Williams HC, et al. The global burden of skin disease in 2010: an analysis of the prevalence and impact of skin conditions. J Invest Dermatol. 2014;134(6):1527-34.
  2- Hay RJ, Augustin M, Griffiths CEM, et al. The global challenge for skin health. Br J Dermatol. 2015;172(6):1469-72.
  3- Bickers DR, Lim HW, Margolis D, et al. The burden of skin diseases: 2004 a joint project of the American Academy of Dermatology Association and the Society for Investigative Dermatology. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006;55(3):490-500.
  4- EurekAlert! Almost half of people in Europe have a skin problem or disease, new EADV survey reveals. October 1, 2021. Available here.
  5- Fritsch P, Burgdorf W. The skin and its diseases: an overview. Eur J Dermatol. 2006;16(2):209-12.
  6- MDedge/Internal Medicine. Skin disease costs $75 billion a year. March 3, 2017. Available here
  7- Skincare Market Size, Research, Share & Global Trends | Compound Annual Growth Rate Forecast till 2026. Available here
  8- Jain A, Way D, Gupta V, et al. Development and Assessment of an Artificial Intelligence-Based Tool for Skin Condition Diagnosis by Primary Care Physicians and Nurse Practitioners in Teledermatology Practices. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(4):e217249.
  9- Tizek L, Schielein MC, Seifert F, et al. Skin diseases are more common than we think: screening results of an unreferred population at the Munich Oktoberfest. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2019;33(7):1421-8.
  10- BBC. Google AI tool can help patients identify skin conditions. May 18, 2021. Available here
  11- LinkedIn.com. Skin and Dermatology - When History meets AI. May 26, 2021. Available here
  12- IMCAS. [Data from Clarivate Analytics]. World Tribune - What are the trends in Asia? Industry CEOs insights. July 13, 2021. Available here.
  13- Daily Beast. The Fake News Epidemic in Health. May 2, 2018. Available here
  14- Redacción Médica. El 65% del contenido sobre Dermatología en redes sociales es "impreciso". September 3, 2021. Available here
  15- Iglesias-Puzas Á, Conde-Taboada A, Aranegui-Arteaga B, López-Bran E. "Fake news" in dermatology. Results from an observational, cross-sectional study. Int J Dermatol. 2021;60(3):358-62.
  16- Cosmetics claims expert: Social media a ‘virulent source’ of misinformation. September 23, 2020. Available here