Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37259058›Full record

ArticleBMC women's health2023

The menstrual cycle regularity and skin: irregular menstrual cycle affects skin physiological properties and skin bacterial microbiome in urban Chinese women.

Laiji Ma, Hong Jiang, Tingting Han, Yanqin Shi, Man Wang, Shanshan Jiang, Suzhen Yang, Lingyun Yao, Qingwen Jia, Li Shao

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC women's health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Cosmetic Interventions for Skin Microbiome Modulation: Current Strategies and Future Directions.Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI) · 2026
    Review
  3. Menopause, Menstrual Cycle, and Skin Barrier Function.Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI) · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Laiji MaSchool of Perfume and Aroma Technology, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai, 201418, China.
Hong JiangSchool of Perfume and Aroma Technology, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai, 201418, China.
Tingting HanR&D Innovation Center, Shandong Freda Biotech Co., Ltd., Jinan, 250101, Shandong, China.
Yanqin ShiSchool of Perfume and Aroma Technology, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai, 201418, China.
Man WangShanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, South Campus, Shanghai, 201499, China.
Shanshan JiangR&D Innovation Center, Shandong Freda Biotech Co., Ltd., Jinan, 250101, Shandong, China.
Suzhen YangR&D Innovation Center, Shandong Freda Biotech Co., Ltd., Jinan, 250101, Shandong, China.
Lingyun YaoSchool of Perfume and Aroma Technology, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai, 201418, China.
Qingwen JiaR&D Innovation Center, Shandong Freda Biotech Co., Ltd., Jinan, 250101, Shandong, China. jqw1971@163.com.
Li ShaoSchool of Perfume and Aroma Technology, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai, 201418, China. teamo-lily@163.com.
Shanghai Institute of Technology · CNShandong Iron and Steel Group (China) · CNShanghai Sixth People's Hospital · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe regularity of the menstrual cycle directly affects women's health. Many studies have focused on menstrual health; however, menstrual cycle regularity-related variations in skin physiological characteristics and skin microbiota have been seldom investigated.

methodsTo investigate the menstrual cycle regularity-related variations in skin physiological characteristics and skin microbiota of 197 cases of Chinese women aged 18-35 years living in shanghai in 2021. Based on a self-evaluation questionnaire, the volunteers were divided into three groups C1 (those with a regular menstrual cycle), C2 (those with a less regular menstrual cycle) and C3 (those with an irregular menstrual cycle). The physiological parameters of facial skin were measured by non-invasive methods and the skin microbiome was analyzed by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing.

resultsIn the C3 group, the hydration content was significantly decreased (p < 0.05), the TEWL was significantly increased (p < 0.05), and the sebum content was increased (p > 0.05), indicating that the skin barrier integrity weakened with increased menstrual cycle irregularity. Additionally, the melanin level, L value and b value were significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in the C3 group, but the a value was significantly increased (p < 0.001), which indicated that the skin color became darker. Furthermore, the skin microbiota diversity decreased with increasing cycle irregularity, but the differences were not significant. The skin microbiota composition showed that the proportion of Firmicutes, Acinetobacter, Staphylococcus and Cutibacterium were increased in those with an irregular menstrual cycle, indicating that alterations in the ratio of bacterial phyla and/or genera might disturb skin homeostasis. Spearman correlation analysis revealed strong correlations between the microbiota and skin physiological parameters. Based on the associations among hormones, skin physiological parameters and skin microbiota, it is possible that the skin physiological parameters, as well as the skin microbial diversity and composition, change with hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle.

conclusionsAn irregular menstrual cycle can affect skin physiological characteristics and the skin microbiota. Female with an irregular menstrual cycle should strengthen skin care practices and use skin care products with moisturising and soothing effects to protect their skin.

Indexed as

East Asian PeopleMenstruation DisturbancesMicrobiotaSkinChinaFemaleHumansMenstrual CycleRNA, Ribosomal, 16SRNA, Ribosomal, 16SHormonesMenstrual cycleSkin barrierSkin microbiotaSkin physiological parametersTEWL

Identifiers

PMID37259058
PMCPMC10230734
OpenAlexW4378904289

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.