Title : Prevalence of skin sensitization among undergraduate females at BUITEMS caused by exposure to cosmetic products
Abstract:
The health risks associated with the use of cosmetic products become currently an emerging public health problem especially among university undergraduates. In current studies prevalence of Skin sensitization among undergraduate female students at BUITEMS due to cosmetic usage was found to be relatively high i.e. 62% while 38% female undergraduates reported as non-sensitized skin (face). Clinical manifestation of adverse reactions on face skin (sensitized skin) caused by cosmetic use includes acne, redness, burns, itching/inflammation, dullness/discoloration, dehydration and allergies were the most commonly reported side effects in this study. The main reason for such adverse reactions includes sharing of cosmetics, careless behaviour towards cosmetic use safety regulations, over use of cosmetics on daily basis, multiple cosmetic products usage simultaneously without following proper guidelines, purchasing cheap or low-quality makeup/cosmetic products from nearby local shops etc. Besides Mothers' education/occupation, fathers' income, financial status etc were found to be statistically significant predictors for cosmetic use elevation potential risk of skin sensitization among female undergraduate students. Thus, the development of educational intervention to raise female awareness about harmful effects of the chemicals contained in cosmetics after prolonged use is important.
