Climate Change Is Already Associated with Negative Impacts on Skin Diseases

More than 40% of the countries in the world have reported climate-related changes in the prevalence and/or severity of skin diseases, with a disproportionate impact on low-income countries.

Climate change poses a growing threat to skin health due to rising temperatures, extreme weather events, altered rainfall patterns, climate-related migration and ecosystem disruption, all of which influence the incidence and severity of skin conditions.

These were the conclusions reached by a study by the Global Observatory of Access to Skin Health (SkinObservatory), a leading global initiative led by Dr. Esther Freeman in collaboration with the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) and L’Oreal Dermatological Beauty.

Double vulnerability of some nations

The report, which covers a total of 136 countries, was presented at the 2026 Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV), held in Vienna, Austria.

It compiled information from 136 countries and determined that 42.6% reported changes in the prevalence and/or severity of skin diseases related to climate change. The proportion was higher in low-income countries, where it reached 55.6%, and in lower-middle-income countries, at 52.5%.

Among lower-middle-income countries, the figure reached 52.5%. In contrast, the percentage fell to 43.8% in upper-middle-income countries and 28.3% in high-income economies.

The researchers warn that this difference reflects a double vulnerability. On the one hand, many of these nations are exposed to extreme temperatures, floods or changes in rainfall patterns. On the other, they have more limited health systems to respond to these challenges.

“Despite being the countries with the fewest resources and contributing the least to climate change, they are more likely to report climate-related dermatological changes,” the authors said.

Among the 58 nations that reported specific effects, the most frequent change corresponded to heat-related diseases. Some 81% reported an increase in heat rashes, while 75.9% reported changes in inflammatory skin diseases, the Europa Press news agency reported.

Important geographical contrasts

In addition, 62.1% observed changes in infectious diseases and half in vector-borne diseases, such as those associated with mosquitoes and ticks.

Lead researcher Esther Freeman explained that rising temperatures and humidity can promote sweating and irritation, while extreme heat and pollution can trigger or worsen inflammatory processes.

“The most important finding of our study is that climate change is already associated with negative impacts on skin diseases, and these effects disproportionately affect low-income populations,” she said.

She also stated that higher temperatures and increased humidity promote sweating and skin irritation. In turn, extreme heat, air pollution and other environmental factors can trigger or worsen inflammatory processes.

Changes in temperatures and rainfall alter the habitats of insects and other disease-transmitting vectors, allowing them to expand into regions where they were previously uncommon, she added.

The study detected important geographical contrasts. The Western Pacific region recorded the highest number of reports of climate-related dermatological changes, with 64.7% of countries. It was followed by the Eastern Mediterranean and Southeast Asia, both with 60%.

In Europe, by contrast, only 16.1% of participating countries reported this type of alteration.