Skin Health News

Rosacea Awareness Month

April is Rosacea Awareness Month, and experts want to alert people to the signs of this facial skin disorder affecting an estimated 14 million Americans.

"Rosacea is frustrating and baffling for so many people because its conspicuous signs and symptoms may not only come and go unexpectedly, but they can affect various individuals in ways few might imagine," Dr. Richard Odom, a professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco, said in a prepared statement. (excite.com)

Rosacea Sufferers Often Think They Have Acne

Many people with rosacea may mistakenly think they have acne. This can be a problem since treatment for rosacea is different than that for acne.

"Rosacea can have devastating effects on self-esteem because it is so noticeable on the face," said dermatologist Dr. James Q. Del Rosso, clinical assistant professor in the department of dermatology at the University of Nevada, in Las Vegas. "It is important for individuals with rosacea to seek treatment early to avoid progression of the condition and avoid any permanent scarring to the face." (UPI)

Eczema Drugs Protopic and Elidel Labels Will Warn of Cancer Risk

The labels of two medicines used to treat eczema, Protopic and Elidel, will carry a strong warning of a possible cancer risk, the Food and Drug Administration said Thursday. (USA Today)

Accutane Patient Registry Debuts

A national registry on Friday began accepting names of Americans who take the anti-acne drug Accutane, part of a federal effort to limit use of the birth-defect-causing drug by pregnant women.

Doctors, wholesalers and pharmacies had until Friday to register with the computerized "iPledge" registry in order to continue prescribing or selling Accutane and any of the three generic versions of the drug, known as isotretinoin. Generic versions are sold as Amnesteem, Claravis or Sotret. (excite.com)

Genetic Mutation Accounts for White Skin in Humans

Scientists said yesterday that they have discovered a tiny genetic mutation that largely explains the first appearance of white skin in humans tens of thousands of years ago, a finding that helps solve one of biology's most enduring mysteries and illuminates one of humanity's greatest sources of strife. (Washington Post)

Accutane Use and Pregnancy

Julia Robertson is coordinator of the Birth Defects and Genetics Program at the Utah Department of Health in Salt Lake City, and lead author of the study that followed 34 women who became pregnant while using isotretinoin, sold commonly as Accutane. Her review found that manufacturer-recommended guidelines were often not followed, putting pregnant women at risk for babies with severe birth defects as well as doubling their risk for premature delivery. (excite.com)

Scientists Turn Skin Cells into Stem Cells

Scientists for the first time have turned ordinary skin cells into what appear to be embryonic stem cells -- without having to use human eggs or make new human embryos in the process, as has always been required in the past, a Harvard research team announced yesterday. (Washington Post)

Joan Collins Says She Won't Have Plastic Surgery

Joan Collins says she has no need to go under the surgeon's knife in order to look young, as she has got "good genes" ... "I think Botox is poison and injecting fat into your face makes you look like a chipmunk," she said. (WebIndia123.com)

Think Twice About a Tattoo

So, you like the idea of having a tattoo? Join the club. It's estimated that about one in seven Americans has a tattoo, most likely one professing their independence, allegiance, style, or love for someone or something. But remember: it's easier to change your mind than your tattoo. (Reuters)

Fetal Tissue Successful As Burn Treatment

An experimental therapy that uses skin cells grown from an aborted fetus successfully healed severe burns in eight children, sparing them the need for skin grafts, according to a study published today. (Washington Post)

Sun Tanning May Be Addictive

Some people may be addicted to tanning, researchers report in the Archives of Dermatology.

Those tanners might crave ultraviolet light despite knowing about its health risks, such as skin cancer. (FoxNews.com)

New Psoriasis Treatments Provide Relief

A new generation of drugs and therapies is providing hope for people driven to distraction by the irritation and discomfort of psoriasis.
The chronic skin disease creates misery for millions of Americans every year, with its lesions, scales and blisters causing severe physical discomfort and embarrassment. (HealthScout)

FDA Tightens Access to Accutane

It's about to get tougher to buy the acne drug Accutane, as the government imposes a last-ditch effort to prevent birth defects caused by the skin-clearing pills. (The Worldlink.com)

Skin Cancer in Women Under 40

The incidence of two types of skin cancer has nearly tripled among women under age 40, a sign that tanning is still popular among the young despite warnings about the harm it can cause, researchers said Tuesday. (MSNBC)

Botox for Excessive Sweating

Before treatment, 66% to 72% of patients were dissatisfied with their ability to perform work activities due to sweating. Afterward, just 9% to 20% were dissatisfied. The number of patients saying they were "emotionally damaged or injured" because of hyperhidrosis was reduced by about half — 76% to 83% of patients before treatment, 32% to 43% after treatment. (USA Today)