Dermoscopic Skin Pattern Differences between Male and Female Young Adults: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Dermoscopy is a rapidly evolving non invasive diagnostic tool that utilises an easy-to-use hand-held dermatoscope attached to mobile phones. It captures clear and magnified images of the skin’s surface and subsurface structures. Aim: To determine the dermoscopic differences in the male and female skin. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Government Medical College, Thrissur, Kerala, India from October 2021 to November 2021 after getting ethics committee approval. A total of 82 first-year MBBS students, aged 18-25 years who had no prior skin conditions and were willing to participate in the study were included. Questionnaire was given to obtain personal details. Dermoscopic photographs of the lateral aspect of the forearm was taken- Skin surface changes, vascular patterns and pigmentation patterns were the main parameters considered. The data was coded and entered into Microsoft Excel, expressed as frequencies and percentages. A Chi-square test (χ2 ) was used to determine whether the observations differed between males and females. Results: There were 82 study subjects, comprising 37 males and 45 females, aged 18-25 years. None of the subjects regularly used sunscreen or moisturiser. The duration of sun exposure was never more than two hours per day. The Chi-square test showed a significant difference in pigmentation and hair pattern on the lateral side of the forearm among males and females. Small brown globules showed a p-value=0.027, eccrine skin hypopigmentation-p-value=0.002, follicle skin hypopigmentationp-value=0.011 and hair changes- p-value=0.002. Conclusion: Understanding the differences between male and female skin helps identify physiological and hormonal influences on skin, guides personalised dermatological assessment, and improves diagnostic accuracy and treatment strategies.