THE ESSENTIAL
- Migraine affects 15% of the world’s population.
- Melanin is a naturally occurring, dark-colored pigment found in skin, hair, hair, and the membrane of the eye.
- Participants declaring that they had sunbathed or had UV sessions in the last three months were excluded from the study.
Populations with a relatively low concentration of melanin, for example people in Europe, North America and Australia, are most vulnerable to the harmful effects of UV rays. According to researchers from the University of Lodz in Poland, patients with a clear phototype are most at risk of developing skin cancer.
“Several neurological studies show that fair skin can modify the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. However, the association between migraine and skin pigmentation has not yet been studied”, they specified. This is why the scientists decided to carry out a study published recently in the journal Brain Sciences.
A link between skin pigmentation and the prevalence of migraine
As part of this work, the team recruited 148 people (33 men and 115 women) suffering from migraine and 107 controls (43 men, 64 women), that is to say not suffering from this headache. . In both groups, participants denied any history of skin diseases, skin-related autoimmune disorders, and skin cancer. “The parameters of skin pigmentation (melanin index, erythema index, etc.) were measured using a dermospectrophotometer”, specified the authors.
According to the results, an increased risk of migraine was observed in adults with lightly pigmented skin. According to the scientists, participants with a low melanin index had a three times higher risk of migraine. “Clear phototype, which results from lightly pigmented skin, was associated with the prevalence of migraine. Migraineurs should take extra precautions to protect their skin from the negative effects of UV rays,” can we read in the conclusions of the study.