23andMe, the leading personal genetics company, has conducted the first genetic study of striae distensae (stretch marks). Researchers at the company identified four genetic markers significantly associated with the development of stretch marks that inform why some individuals are more susceptible to the skin condition...
Melanoma - the most deadly form of skin cancer - affects men more than women, according to research from Cancer Research UK in partnership with the University of Leeds. Risk factors for the cancer include overexposure to UV from the sun or sunbeds, having pale skin with a lot of moles, and a family history of the disease, say the researchers...
New research by the Providence Health Care Research Institute (PHCRI) tackles a major problem plaguing long-term care facilities and hospitals. The study, published in the Nature Publication Group journal Cell Death and Differentiation, gives hope to those with chronic non-healing wounds, a problem affecting as many as 20-25 percent of patients in long-term care facilities...
All organs in our body rely on stem cells in order to maintain their function. The skin is our largest organ and forms a shield against the environment. New research results from BRIC, University of Copenhagen and Cambridge University, challenge current stem cell models and explains how the skin is maintained throughout life...
Blisters are small pockets of liquid that form on the outer layer of the skin after the skin becomes damaged (usually caused by forceful rubbing or burning). Blisters prevent the area from becoming further damaged by protecting the skin underneath and giving it adequate time to heal...
A major study of medical records from some 100,000 people has found links between psoriasis and other diseases, finding that people with the skin condition are more likely to develop diabetes and cardiovascular disease, among other conditions...
Scientists have identified a molecule in the skin's epidermis called TRPV4 that causes the pain we feel from a sunburn. By identifying and inhibiting it, the researchers may have found a way to block the pain. The research, published online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involved studies conducted with both mouse models and human skin samples...
In a small clinical study, researchers administered a new method for treating chronic wounds using a novel ultrasound applicator that can be worn like a band-aid. The applicator delivers low-frequency, low-intensity ultrasound directly to wounds, and was found to significantly accelerate healing in five patients with venous ulcers...
The popular painkiller acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) may cause rare but serious skin reactions, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned. The analgesic is one of the most commonly and long-used drugs available, sold under numerous brandnames in the US, including Acephen, Actamin, Feverall, Q-Pap, Tactinal, Tempra, Tylenol, Uniserts and Vitapap...