Using a black light, or Wood's light, helps dermatologists determine disease extent of melasma, a hyperpigmentation condition that causes brown and gray patches to appear on the face, researchers have found.
A boosting skin vaccination with a biodegradable microneedle patch and protein constructed from sequences of influenza virus subtypes could improve the effectiveness of conventional influenza vaccines, according to a study.
Researchers focusing on the common debilitating skin disease Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), which causes deep, painful lesions and leads to a poor quality of life have isolated new treatment options after performing a comparative analysis that showed which cells were active - and responsive to medication -- in those living with HS.
A hypoallergenic electronic sensor can be worn on the skin continuously for a week without discomfort, and is so light and thin that users forget they even have it on, says a Japanese group of scientists. The elastic electrode constructed of breathable nanoscale meshes holds promise for the development of noninvasive e-skin devices that can monitor a person's health continuously over a long period.
Accidental poisoning by soap products can result from contact with any kind of chemical soap products. Learn what to do when accidental poisoning occurs.
The basic structure of human sweat glands consists of a coiled secretory region deep in the skin and then a tube or duct that conveys the sweat to a pore at the skin surface.
To paraphrase the classic poem, no hair is an island entire of itself. Instead, scientists have discovered that all hairs can communicate with each other and grow in coordination across the entire body. This is regulated by a single molecular mechanism that adjusts by skin region to ensure efficient hair growth - so no bald patches form - and enable distinct hair densities in different body areas.
Some people experience intense aversion and anxiety when they see clusters of roughly circular shapes, such as the bubbles in a cup of coffee or the holes in a sponge. Now psychologists have found that the condition -- known as trypophobia -- may be an exaggerated response linked to deep-seated anxiety about parasites and infectious disease.
Physicians report success in a small study of a modified skin biopsy that hastens the earlier diagnosis of an inherited and progressively fatal nerve disease and seems to offer a clearer view of the disorder's severity and progression. With a quicker and less invasive way to visualize the hallmark protein clumps of the rare but lethal disease -- familial transthyretin amyloidosis -- the researchers say they hope to more rapidly advance clinical trials of treatments that may slow the disease and extend patients' lives.
Type XVII collagen (COL17) is found to regulate the proliferation of epidermal cells and therefore the thickness of juvenile and aged skin, suggesting COL17 can potentially be used for future anti-aging strategies. Introduction of human COL17 helped the epidermis maintain its juvenile state even with the advancement of aging.
Researchers have characterized the structure of human sweat glands down to the single cell level; the findings clarify the functional components of these glands and their interactions with the vasculature and nervous system, and thus could lead to treatments for sweating disorders.
