Skin quality affects quality of life for 85% of people, leaving more than one-third of individuals feeling self-conscious, insecure or anxious, a Galderma survey found.
Galderma, which sells skincare products including the dermal filler Sculptra, surveyed more than 11,000 people in 11 countries about skin quality and concerns. About 90% of respondents reported skin-quality concerns. Fine lines and wrinkles, dry skin and dull skin were the most common concerns, affecting 37% to 41% of respondents. The skin concerns primarily affected respondents’ faces.
Issues varied by location, with respondents in urban areas more likely to have skin-quality concerns and the nature of the worries differing somewhat between continents. Dry skin was the top concern in North America and Europe, but only third in Asia and outside the top four in Latin America. Lines and wrinkles were among the top two concerns in every region.
The concerns translated into quality-of-life issues. Respondents called all the skin concerns bothersome, with scarring—including from acne—and fine lines and wrinkles being their most annoying issues.
Respondents, particularly younger people, were open to acting to improve skin quality. About 70% of people aged 18 to 34 rated skin quality as 8 out of 10 in importance. Most respondents were likely to take the first steps to improve the skin quality of their face at age 26. Respondents were most satisfied with hyaluronic acid injectables, a class that includes Galderma’s Restylane.
Galderma presented the survey results alongside details of a skin quality assessment tool it created with global dermatology experts. Physicians use the scale to score skin’s texture, discoloration, firmness and hydro-lipid balance. Almost all practicing clinicians deemed the scale valuable for their clinics, a study found.
The dermatology company is pitching the scale as a way for clinicians to identify treatment priorities and framing its products as ways to address a range of skin-quality concerns. Galderma’s injectable aesthetics business, which includes Restylane and Sculptra, grew (PDF) 13.1% to $648 million in the first quarter. The company’s dermatology skincare sales rose 17% over the same period.