Yearly Archives: 2020

It happens to all of us. You buy a new skin care product, maybe a cream or cleanser, and have a bad reaction. Sometimes the reaction manifests as a rash, while other times it can lead to acne excessive dryness, and redness. Around 50 percent of people who use these products experience this reaction, known as contact dermatitis. But with so many users experiencing contact dermatitis, scientists should understand its development and a preventative strategy. Right?

Until now, the best form of contact dermatitis prevention has been to avoid products containing allergens or triggers. However, a new study has identified a clearer cause of why contact dermatitis forms with some products. With this new understanding, better, allergen-free products may be widely available in the future, putting a stop to most product-related contact dermatitis.

How Contact Dermatitis Forms

Allergic reactions are often triggered by molecules called peptides, which carry information between tissues. These molecules trigger immune cells, known as T-cells. Strangely, the products we’re talking about – common skin care treatments – don’t include peptides. In fact, the molecules those products include are thought to be too small to be seen by T-cells. That changed just recently with the publication of a paper in Science Immunology.

The study found a molecule in our skin, CD1A, binds to some skin care product chemicals. This results in a larger molecule, which the T-cells then notice. Several skin care product ingredients were discovered to create this reaction, including benzyl benzoate and benzyl cinnamate, which are molecules commonly used in vanilla-scented oil.

The researchers also looked into another ingredient, farnesol, which can displace natural skin oils. This indicates that T-cells recognize that the CD1A molecule isn’t just large. It’s actually the same molecule with a different shape. As a result, researchers are now confident that they can find a compound like farnesol that can bind to CD1A without causing an immune response. This, they hope, should be able to prevent contact dermatitis.

What Does This Mean for You?

Because this research is so new, there aren’t any companies or products taking applying this new information just yet. In fact, researchers are still looking for a better compound to bind with CD1A. That said, when this research is put into practice, it will likely result in less triggering skin care products – and a severe reduction in contact dermatitis.

For now, avoidance is still the best preventative strategy for contact dermatitis, but that could change in the next few years. If you’re not sure which products you need to avoid to prevent a rash from forming, skin patch allergy tests are the best way forward.

Finding a Personalized Skin Care Strategy

While some patients and dermatologists may draw a line between cosmetic and medical dermatology, these branches of medicine are intricately intertwined. Every dermatologist should be up to date on industry research, including papers like this. Continually learning how the skin reacts to certain compounds is an important part of providing the best possible care. This is exactly the type of professional treatment you’ll receive at Zel Skin & Laser Specialists.

Our practitioners can help you develop an ideal skin care routine that minimizes the likelihood of developing contact dermatitis and other skin rashes. If you have a rash and don’t know its source, we can also help you find the cause. Contact one of our Minneapolis-area dermatology clinics to learn more about how certain medicines and products can alleviate your contact dermatitis symptoms. Our team can provide personalized care and treatment strategies, as well as access to prescription-strength skin care products.

If you’ve been researching the latest medical news for skin treatments, you might have heard a new term: biologics. These drugs are products from or containing parts from a living organism. Typically, this means the drug will have recombinant proteins, tissues, genes, allergens, cells, blood, blood components, or any combination of these parts. Biologics for skin treatments are provided via injection or intravenous infusion.

While this may sound like New Age medicine to some patients, remember that most vaccines come from living organisms. Common medications, like Lantus (insulin glargine), Humira (adalimumab), and Herceptin (trastuzumab) contain biological components. Even Botox, a common cosmetic procedure, is a biologic from a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum.

In medical dermatology, biologic drugs are most often used to treat psoriasis – and they do so very effectively. This may come as a relief to those with the condition, which manifests as red, uncomfortable, scaly patches on the skin. Biologics also sometimes treat eczema, another skin condition related to the immune system. If you have either condition and are running out of treatment options, biologic drug treatment may be the answer.

Biologics Treatment for Psoriasis

Like most immune-related conditions, there is no one-size-fits-all treatment for psoriasis. The goal of psoriasis treatment typically includes symptom management. However, finding the medication that works with your body can take a lot of trial-and-error. Topical corticosteroids are most frequently prescribed for psoriasis treatment, but some patients find that topical retinoids, salicylic acid, and certain moisturizers help. If none of these have worked for you, a biologic drug may be the next step.

Biologics block reactions in the body that cause psoriasis and its symptoms, most of which concern the immune system. The American Academy of Dermatology suggests taking a biologic agent if the psoriasis is moderate-to severe and hasn’t improved with traditional treatments. Biologics are also recommended for patients whose psoriasis is very bothersome, who prefer to take fewer doses, and who experience side effects with traditional psoriasis therapy.

Biologics are very safe for most patients, but there are a few risks and limitations. Active infections, compromised immune systems, recent live vaccination, and pregnancies will prevent patients from receiving this treatment. There are currently 11 biologics on the market that treat psoriasis. Patients will need to work with their insurance companies to figure out which biologics their plans covers. These treatments are very effective at relieving psoriasis symptoms. However, they can cost tens of thousands of dollars each year without insurance coverage. At Zel Skin, our dermatologists will help you decide which treatment will work best for your situation.

Biologics Treatment for Eczema

Like psoriasis, eczema is an immune-related condition characterized by patches of itchy, red skin. As a result, biologics can be an effective symptom mitigator for eczema. The targeted therapy can react to a very specific point of the body’s immune system response, finding and blocking the proteins that may trigger the overactive inflammatory response that occurs in eczema patients.

Researchers are studying biologic drugs that target individual spots along the immune pathway. When it comes to eczema, though, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Dupixent (dupilumab) for adults with moderate to severe cases of atopic dermatitis. More medications are likely on the way, but eczema research is still in an early stage.

Biologics and Skin Cancer

If you’ve heard of biologics in medical dermatology, you might have read that these drugs increase an individual’s likelihood of developing cancer. This is mostly myth. Several years ago, early research found that certain drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis increased an individual’s likelihood of developing cancer. Several recent studies show that this is not the case. Rheumatoid arthritis itself increases an individual’s chance of developing cancer. When scientists looked into whether the drugs themselves played a role in this increased risk, they found that the chronic inflammation, not the medication, was likely to blame.

Some recent studies have shown that biologics may slightly increase an individual’s chance of developing nonmelanoma skin cancer, but the odds of developing other skin cancers do not change. As always, talk to one of our dermatologists about the risks associated with any treatment.

Contact Zel Skin and Laser Treatments to learn more about the best available skin treatments for these and other dermatological conditions.