Il dermatologo e il cosmetico: risultati di un’ inchiesta SIDAPA

The scientific committee of the SIDAPA (Società Italiana Dermatologia Allergologica Professionale ed Ambientale) planned a questionnaire which was sent by e-mail to 500 randomly selected Italian dermatologists. These dermatologists were working in different hospitals, university departments and private clinics in different regions of the country. The aim of the investigation was to gather information about the dermatologists' prescriptions of cosmetics, to find out which are the most prescribed cosmetics and how dermatologists face some practical problems connected with the prescription of cosmetics for conditions such as sensitive skin and allergic dermatitis. All data were entered into a data base and statistically analysed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Scientists) IBM version 1.1. The response rate to the questionnaire was 25.4% of the dermatologists. According to the results, 59.2% of dermatologists prescribe up to 40 cosmetics per week, while 41.8% prescribe more than 40 cosmetics per week. 93.6% of them prescribe detergents, 89.6% recommend sun blockers, 85.6% shampoos and 85.1% moisturizers. Surprisingly enough, 72% of dermatologists say they prescribe camouflage products. Other cosmetic products such as anticellulite, anti-wrinkle and anti-stretch mark products, anti-perspirants deodorants and products for hair removal, make-up and make-up removal and skin lighteners are less frequently prescribed. The prescription of liquid detergents far outweighs the prescription of other types. For the commonest dermatoses of the scalp, dermatologists usually prescribe shampoos applied twice a week; only in the case of scalp psoriasis are 3 applications per week recommended. More than half of dermatologists try out free samples of cosmetic products on their own skin, particularly moisturizers, deodorants, shampoos and sunblockers. More than 70% of the respondents consult the suppliers' data sheets, especially for anti-wrinkle products, emollients/moisturizers and sunblockers. Less than 50% of dermatologists perform an exclusive evaluation of the chemical composition of a new cosmetic product. 89.6% of dermatologists are aware of the problem of sensitive skin, a common self-diagnosed skin condition. If contact allergy to a hapten has been previously diagnosed in a patient, dermatologists say they check the composition of the cosmetic product before prescribing: 84% check "always" and 15.2% "often". In conclusion, dermatologists now prescribe a lot of cosmetics, especially those which are usually used in the treatment of skin diseases, such as moisturizers/emollients, detergents and sunblockers. Dermatologists also focus their attention on the characteristics of the cosmetic products as well as on their patients' problems.