We provide information vital to managing chronic skin inflammation conditions using natural approaches which include diet and nutrition, cleansing and detoxification, and FDA-approved topical treatments. DermaHarmony sends a science-based and how-to newsletter to its subscribers, tackling a different dermatological condition each month. If you are not currently receiving our newsletter please subscribe so that we can share our expertise to help you achieve healthier, more radiant skin. And, in case you have missed any of our previous newsletters, or would like to refer to back issues, we have set up an archive so that can you always have them at your fingertips. Simply click on any of the titles listed below to read past newsletters.
For those who remember the cantankerous comedian W.C. Fields, frequently appearing on the tipsy side in vaudeville sketches and movies, his red, bulbous nose is often one of the first recollections that come to mind—along with his famous line, "...my little chickadee." This signature appearance, used to great effect in his various roles, is thought to be the result of rosacea, a chronic, inflammatory skin condition affecting up to 14 million in the United States, and many more worldwide. The red, bulbous nose is but one manifestation of the condition, typically appearing in men much more than women. The more common symptoms of rosacea—the flushed redness of the face; accentuated small blood vessels and capillaries visible around the nose, chin and cheeks; bumpy papules or acne-like pustules; and at times dry, red, itchy eyes—can all appear in a range of severity, most commonly in adults 30-60 years of age, and more often in women upon entering menopause.
Learn More About Rosacea and Digestive Health
To understand the role synthetic corticosteroid drugs have in the treatment of mild-to-severe dermatitis, including eczema and psoriasis, it is helpful to be acquainted with the natural roles steroids play in the body. Topical and systemic synthetic corticosteroids have become a primary therapeutic answer for many inflammatory conditions because of the powerful anti-inflammatory properties they share with their natural analogs. Applying synthetic steroids to address inflammation may be effective in reducing symptoms, but the broad action of both natural and synthetic steroids in many metabolic pathways is what warrants caution as to the amount, potency, duration, and how and to whom the synthetic versions should be applied.
Learn More About Synthetic Corticosteroids
Eczema presents a complicated picture, both in terms of understanding what causes the condition and determining the best treatments. Atopic eczema, the most common form of eczema, has been associated with allergies, particularly food allergies in very young children, while non-atopic eczema presents itself more frequently in older children and in adults. A genetic component to eczema has been identified in the form of mutations in the FLA gene that encodes for profilaggrin, a precursor to filaggrin, the structural protein that helps form the permeability barrier that is our skin. A compromised epidermal layer permits water-loss, and dry, scaly lesions that are susceptible to infection and often a cause for a discomforting itch. Some combination of allergy, barrier disruption, and environmental factors conspire to bring up the disease symptoms—but what that exact combination entails has thus far eluded clear explanation.
Let's Take a Closer Look at the Natural Approach to Eczema Treatment
It is difficult when surveying current dermatology literature to identify much of a clinical difference between severe dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. Often the terms are used interchangeably.Because the apparent causes of both these conditions—Malassezia fungi, sebaceous secretions, and individual sensitivity—and because the treatments that are effective in either condition are common to both, we are prone to talk of them as effectively one and the same.
Read about Why Some People Have Dandruff and Natural Remedies
For as many as 30% to 45% of adults suffering with psoriasis, their first experience with the disease began before 16 years of age. Although very rare in neonatal infants, psoriasis has been seen in children as young as one year old, albeit to a much lesser extent than in older children. Psoriasis is evenly distributed between the sexes in adults, and the same holds true for children.
Discover About Dietary Options and Treatments
With several recent clinical studies, a form of bioactive sweet whey extract (BSWE) known as XP-828L or SkinGestTM PSOR is being actively discussed in the psoriasis community and by skin sufferers and physicians in various online forums. SkinGestTM PSOR, the main ingr edient in DermaWhey, is a highly purified whey protein isolate with multifunctional properties. The manufacturer, PL Thomas, is promoting SkinGestTM PSOR as a natural health product to be used as a supportive oral cosmeceutical treatment for mild-to-moderate skin irritations—a way to help balance immune functions of the skin. With greater interest in whey, let's explore what we know about the health benefits of whey and whey extracts.
Learn More About BSWE and Whey
The epidermal barrier—our skin—is the body's first line of defense against the effects of the wider world, keeping those watery components of self safely contained within pliable, permeable, self-healing bounds, while keeping offending allergens, toxins and pathogens out. The structural protein filaggrin (or, filament-aggregating protein) plays a key role in forming this protective barrier. Any disruption in the expression of this protein is likely to influence the effectiveness of our body's first line of defense.
Learn More About the Genetics of Eczema
Many people are familiar with the truism, "you are what you eat." And a great many also know the old adage, "an apple a day, keeps the doctor away." A Chinese proverb adds to the wisdom imparted in these sayings, and firmly plants the importance of diet as the basis of healing and good health: "he that takes medicine and neglects diet, wastes the skills of the physician." Indeed, one way to appreciate the importance of diet in maintaining a healthy metabolism is to consider the contribution of necessary macro- and micro-nutrients to the processes of healing, as this proverb suggests.
Read on for the Answers You Seek
Acne is commonly thought of as an adolescent affliction, compounding for young sufferers the often self-conscious awkwardness of adolescence with the embarrassment of unattractive skin eruptions. When acne persists into later stages of life, or shows up unexpectedly in older adults, the often unsightly rash can be no less socially distracting and awkward. Severe outbreaks of this skin condition have caused sufferers to avoid life-fulfilling social situations, even work, to subvert their embarrassment.
Learn More About Adult Acne
With the incidence of eczema in childhood rising in recent decades, researchers are seeking clues as to the underlying causes. The child's diet is often the first area to fall under scrutiny, but some experts say diet is not to blame, and urge parents to exercise caution in eliminating particular foods from children's diets without their first being proven to have a food sensitivity. While the increase in eczema in children remains a mystery, new research suggests multiple factors—environmental, nutritional and genetic—could all be at play.
Learn More About Eczema in Children
Two biological response modifiers that are approved for treatment for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are the fusion protein, Etanercept, and the monoclonal antibody, Adalimumab. These are their "generic names"—Etanercept is manufactured and marketed under the trade name Enbrel by the pharmaceutical company Wyeth. Adalimumab is produced by Abbott Labs and marketed as Humira, an abbreviation of "human monoclonal antibody in rheumatoid arthritis" derived from the treatment for which Adalimumab was first developed.
So, What are the Risks?
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At DermaHarmony, our goals are to educate chronic skin care suffers about dermatology, share what contributes to health and wellness, and support our readers in any way we can. Our programs promote healthy skin with nutritional supplements, topical treatments and dietary guidance. Learn more about our programs or call us toll-free at 1-800-827-3730. Our Support Desk is open 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday.
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Date of Publication: 11/04/2009
Updated: 06/25/2010