Cosmetic camouflage benefits youth with visible skin issues

(HealthDay)—Cosmetic camouflage can improve quality of life in children and adolescents with visible vascular and pigmentary anomalies, according to a study published in the November issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Michele L. Ramien, M.D., from the University of Montreal, and colleagues examined the effect of visible skin anomalies and their camouflage on quality of life. Data were included for 41 children and adolescents aged 5 years and older who were taught to use cosmetic camouflage. The Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) was used to assess quality of life before and six months after the intervention.

The researchers found that baseline quality of life scores demonstrated a small and small to moderate impact of vascular anomalies and pigmentary anomalies, respectively (CDLQI score 4.2 and 6.1, respectively). There was improvement in quality of life in the whole study population six months after the intervention (CDLQI score 5.1 versus 2.1), with significant improvements for facial lesions and vascular malformations. Cosmetic camouflage was well tolerated, and the likelihood of continuing with these products was higher for patients with pigmentary anomalies.

"Children and teenagers with visible vascular and pigmentary anomalies experience an impairment of quality of life that is abrogated by introduction to use of cosmetic camouflage," the authors write.

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