Your skin temperature may hold the secret to comfort

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How hot or cold you feel might be more closely connected to your skin than you think.

New research from the University of Nottingham has revealed that the temperature of certain parts of the skin—especially the face and hands—is a strong indicator of how comfortable a person feels in their surroundings.

These insights could help shape the future of wearable devices and smarter heating and cooling systems in homes, offices, and public buildings.

The study, published in the journal Energy and Built Environment, brings together findings from 172 separate studies conducted since the year 2000, making it the most detailed analysis so far on the relationship between skin temperature and human comfort.

The researchers found that some parts of the body are more sensitive to changes in temperature than others, making them especially useful to monitor.

For example, cooling the skin in certain areas such as the back or chest can make people feel much more comfortable, while applying local heat has a far weaker effect.

This finding is particularly important for designing climate control systems that focus on improving comfort without wasting energy.

The study also uncovered differences between groups of people.

Older adults, for instance, are less sensitive to heat, which may put them at greater risk of overheating during hot weather. Some studies also suggest that women are more sensitive to temperature changes than men, though results are not always consistent.

Climate background plays a role too—people who grew up in warmer regions tend to react differently to heat and cold compared with those from cooler climates. This means that comfort is not a one-size-fits-all experience, and personalized approaches may be needed.

The Nottingham team has also been exploring new technologies to predict comfort levels more accurately.

One promising approach involves using video cameras combined with deep learning to analyze skin temperature and other signals.

With the help of artificial intelligence, researchers can predict whether people feel too hot, too cold, or just right, without needing them to fill out surveys.

This could be particularly valuable for vulnerable groups such as children, older people, or those with dementia who may struggle to communicate their comfort levels.

According to Dr. Calautit, one of the researchers involved, this work lays the foundation for “smarter, more inclusive, and preventative approaches” to managing thermal environments.

By learning from our skin, future buildings and devices could adjust conditions automatically, reducing health risks while making everyday life more comfortable and energy-efficient.

If you care about skin health, please read studies about top signs of diabetic skin disease, and Mediterranean diet could help lower the skin cancer risk.

For more health information, please see recent studies about eating fish linked to higher risk of skin cancer, and results showing how to combat the effects of aging on your skin.