OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the perception of skin sensitivity in Belgium. METHODS: A representative nationwide sample of the Belgian population aged 15 and over was taken. The individuals were questioned by telephone and selected as per the quotas method. RESULTS: To the question "Do you have sensitive skin", 22.2% of men and 31.2% of women answered "sensitive" or "very sensitive". Women had significantly more sensitive skin than men and were more prone to dermatosis. The no response rate was less than 5%. Sensitive skin was significantly more frequent in inhabitants of large cities (p=0.001) than in inhabitants of medium sized towns and in those living in rural areas. A total of 34.0% of the population with very sensitive skin, 10.1% with sensitive skin, 10.1% with slightly sensitive skin and 3.7% with non sensitive skin also presented with a dermatological condition. Those with dermatosis more frequently reported sensitive or very sensitive skin (52.1% versus 24.2%). A history of childhood atopic dermatitis or eczema was more frequent in patients with sensitive or very sensitive skin (22.6% versus 12.9%). Subjects who declared that they had dry or oily skin also significantly more frequently reported sensitive or very sensitive skin than those with normal skin. Subjects with sensitive or very sensitive skin reddened more easily for no reason (28.9% versus 15.1%) and after exposure to the sun (60.0% versus 38.1%). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study of sensitive skins to be conducted in a representative Belgian population. Thus, more than two million Belgians would appear to have sensitive or very sensitive skin. This is probably a much higher figure than the population spontaneously reporting this condition to a dermatologist. These specialists should therefore systematically ask their patients this question. The non response rate was negligible, which indicates that the term "sensitive skin" is meaningful to the immense majority of people.