[Physiological Characteristics of the Facial Skin in Ethnic Tibetan Population Living at High Altitudes].

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of skin physiological parameters in ethnic Tibetan population living at ultra-high (4700 m) and high (3650 m) altitudes on the Xizang Plateau. Methods: Using a multi-stage cluster random sampling method, this study measured facial skin parameters related to the skin barrier system such as sebum secretion (SM), skin pH (pH), corneum moisture content (CM), and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), as well as melanin-related parameters such as erythema (E), melanin (M), individual typology angle (ITA), lightness (L), red-green chromaticity (a value, a), and yellow-blue chromaticity (b value, b) in ethnic Tibetans living at ultra-high (average altitude: 4700 m) and high (average altitude: 3650 m) altitudes. The control group primarily measured the skin parameters of unexposed areas (neck) in the high-altitude population, serving as the baseline reference values for skin parameters. Results: A total of 627 participants were enrolled, including 164 from ultra-high-altitude regions and 257 from high-altitude regions (128 males and 293 females; average age [48.03 ± 13.39] years), as well as 206 controls (72 males and 134 females; average age [48.67 ± 12.50] years). Other physiological indicators were mostly within normal ranges. Comparison of parameters showed that, compared with the high-altitude population, the ultra-high-altitude population showed significantly higher E value ( Conclusion: There are significant differences in skin parameters between ethnic Tibetan population at ultra-high and high altitudes on the Xizang Plateau. Altitude, gender, and age affect skin parameters, particularly those related to changes in the skin barrier system and melanin-related skin structures.