The pain and itching associated with shingles and herpes may be due to the virus causing a "short circuit" in the nerve cells that reach the skin, Princeton researchers have found. This short circuit appears to cause repetitive, synchronized firing of nerve cells, the researchers reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences...
Examining the natural course of cutaneous warts and treatment decisions among primary school children, researchers found a high prevalence of warts, half of which resolved within one year despite any treatment. In the study of 1,099 Dutch children aged 4 to 12 years, researchers found 33 percent of children had cutaneous warts at baseline...
Poison ivy is a plant well known for causing severe inflammation of the skin, also known as contact dermatitis. The plant contains a sap which causes instant irritation if it comes in contact with the skin. Poison ivy is native to North America, where it mainly grows in clusters on the edges of woodland - where there is sufficient sunlight for it to grow...
Galderma Laboratories, L.P. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Mirvaso® (brimonidine) topical gel, 0.33%* for the topical treatment of the facial erythema (redness) of rosacea in adults 18 years of age or older. Applied once daily, Mirvaso works quickly to reduce the redness of rosacea and lasts up to 12 hours...
Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania demonstrate for the first time that the immune system influences the skin microbiome. A new study found that the skin microbiome - a collection of microorganisms inhabiting the human body - is governed, at least in part, by an ancient branch of the immune system called complement...
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...
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...