Globally, there is an increasing prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, including in Southeast Asia, which ranges from 6% to 70%. Vitamin D plays an important role in calcium metabolism and bone health. Melanin is one factor that contributes to vitamin D deficiency. It has photoprotective properties that inhibit vitamin D synthesis, but the mechanism has not been fully understood. To determine the mechanism of the association between melanin and vitamin D, this systematic review was conducted on 11 articles, including cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, and randomised controlled trials published from 2010 to 2020. The search included Pubmed, EBSCO, and Proquest databases, and data were synthesised from 11 studies. This critical review found nine of the 11 studies reported a significant association between melanin and vitamin D, while two reported non-significant results. Of the nine significant studies, eight reported that people with higher melanin have lower vitamin D levels, while one study suggested that melanin levels do not necessarily associate with lower vitamin D levels. In conclusion, the review establishes a significant association between melanin and vitamin D.

Background: Acne vulgaris (AV) is a chronic inflammation of the pilosebaceous unit of the skin that occurs in 85% of adolescents and can continue into adulthood. The skin of the facial area has an essential role in socializing, therefore, facial AV can contribute to the accumulation of psychosocial stress. The prevalence of individuals with AV seeking treatments is low in some countries. This study aimed to determine the association between psychosocial burdens due to AV and medical treatment-seeking behavior in young adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in February 2020 among 100 medical students with AV. The ASEAN Lehmann criteria were used to objectively assessed AV. Psychosocial burden was determined by the Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI) questionnaire and then classified into unaffected (score 0), mild (score 1-5), moderate (6-10), and severe (11-15). History-related AV was obtained through a questionnaire. The analysis was performed using the chi-square test. Results: Of the 100 medical students with AV, 82% had suffered from mild to severe psychosocial burdens. The mean score of the CADI was 4.03. However, only 44% of students sought treatment from doctors for their AV. There was a significant association between psychosocial burden and medical treatment-seeking behavior (p=0.014). Conclusions:The psychosocial burden of acne vulgaris in young adults is high, however, medical treatment-seeking behavior is low. Therefore, psychosocial management is an essential aspect in treating patients with AV.

Background: Acne is the most common skin disorder, especially in adolescents and youths. Inflammation due to acne may leave scar tissue. The scar severity may correlate with gender and skin type. Objective: This study aims to investigate the correlation between gender, skin type, and acne scar severity in youth. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with 132 (81 female) medical college students aged from 18 to 23 participated in the study. Skin type was assessed using a Baumann Skin Type questionnaire. Acne scar severity was evaluated using the Qualitative Global Scarring Grading. Skin examination was conducted through the image from the face photograph. Lambda test was used to confirm the correlation between gender, skin type, and acne scar severity. Multiple logistic regression was applied to determine the odd risk of gender and skin type to moderate-severe acne scar. Significance was set at p<0.05. Results: Most of the participants (80.3%) had oily skin, and 22 participants (16.7%) had moderate-severe acne scar. A weak positive correlation was confirmed between skin type and acne scar severity (p<0.01, r=0.3). Oily skin type has 4.3 times greater risk of developing more severe acne scar (p<0.01, 95%CI = 1.90-9.90). Conclusion: Skin type is correlated with acne scar severity. Oily skin type is at greater risk of developing severe acne scar.