elastin and Acne-Vulgaris

A review of the medical literature concerning the effect of the menopause and its hormonal treatment on the skin.. An extensive Medline and Pubmed internet search utilizing the key words: collagen, elastin, estrogen, hormone replacement therapy, skin and aging.. The literature review demonstrated a wide array of research ranging from basic science work to clinical implications of the effects of the menopause and its treatment on the skin.. Estrogen loss at menopause has a profound influence on skin. Estrogen treatment in postmenopausal women has been repeatedly shown to increase collagen content, dermal thickness and elasticity, and data on the effect of estrogen on skin water content are also promising. Further, physiologic studies on estrogen and wound healing suggest that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may play a beneficial role in cutaneous injury repair. Results on the effect of HRT on other physiologic characteristics of skin, such as elastin content, sebaceous secretions, wrinkling and blood flow, are discordant. Given the responsiveness of skin to estrogen, the effects of HRT on aging skin require further examination, and careful molecular studies will likely clarify estrogen's effects at the cellular level.

Topics: Acne Vulgaris; Collagen; Elasticity; Elastin; Estrogen Replacement Therapy; Estrogens; Female; Humans; Menopause; Receptors, Estrogen; Skin; Skin Aging; Skin Neoplasms; Skin Physiological Phenomena; Treatment Outcome; Wound Healing

Ablative fractional lasers can effectively treat acne scars and enlarged pores, but cause considerable pain and downtime for patients, as well as potentially causing postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), especially in Asian skin.. To evaluate the efficacy of a novel bipolar radiofrequency (RF)-based fractional device to treat acne scars and enlarged pores in Asians with objective measurements and histologic assessments.. Thirty-one Korean patients with acne scars and enlarged pores received 4 consecutive fractional RF treatments at 3-week intervals. Outcome assessments included photography, global evaluation by investigators in a blind manner, patient assessment, objective biophysical measurements of elasticity and color, and histological changes compared with untreated lesions.. Follow-up assessments by physicians 3 months after the last treatment revealed that patients showed clinical improvement. Patient self-assessments paralleled physicians' assessments. Objective biophysical measurements showed significant improvements in elasticity (R2, R5, and R7) and the melanin/erythema index, together with increases in the levels of procollagen Types I and III, as well as elastin. There were no cases of PIH, and adverse events were limited to mild ones.. Fractional bipolar RF provides clinical efficacy with safety in acne scars and enlarged pores through dermal matrix remodeling combined with tolerable epidermal ablation.

Topics: Acne Vulgaris; Adult; Asian People; Cicatrix; Collagen Type I; Collagen Type II; Dose Fractionation, Radiation; Elasticity; Elastin; Erythema; Face; Female; Humans; Male; Patient Satisfaction; Pigmentation; Radio Waves; Radiofrequency Therapy; Republic of Korea; Single-Blind Method; Skin; Young Adult