OBJECTIVES: Skin characteristics change depending on the external environment\nsuch as UV, temperature and humidity. But the research how to affect\nthe regional climate, age and seasonal variation on the skin conditions\nwas not well studied. Therefore, we investigated the seasonal variation in the\nskin by comparing Beijing women and Guangzhou women by age groups.\nMETHODS: 440 healthy Chinese women participated in this study. The skin\nhydration, sebum secretion, TEWL and skin pH were measured on the cheek\nfront. All the parameters were analyzed in terms of the age, season and region.\nRESULTS: The skin hydration in Beijing was lower than that in Guangzhou\nand significantly decreased during winter than summer. The sebum secretion\nin their 20s and 30s was significantly high in summer in both regions, and this\nphenomenon was more remarkable in Guangzhou (p < 0.05). The skin pH increased\nwith age during winter, but it decreased in the old age groups in Beijing\nduring summer. TEWL increased during winter, and differences in TEWL\nbetween summer and winter were greater in the old age groups. CONCLUSIONS:\nSkin hydration and barrier function decreased more during a\ncold, dry winter than summer. The barrier dysfunctions such as an increase in\nTEWL and pH occurred more commonly in old age groups. The greater the\ndifferences between summer and winter climates, the greater damage to skin\nbarrier and skin hydration. The sebum secretion was more affected by hot,\nhumid summers. Further, the aged skin was influenced by seasonal variation\nexcept for sebum secretion.
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