VIRGINIA BEACH DERMATOLOGY ASSOCIATES, PLLC.

ECZEMA AND FISH
Maybe adding some fish to baby’s pablum may stave off the maddening itch of eczema. A recent Swedish study of 8000+ families showed that those children fed fish before the age of nine months had 25% less chance of developing eczema later in life.

Interestingly, introducing dairy or eggs, two common food allergens, had no effect on the subsequent development of this disorder. This supports what has been found in previous dermatology studies. Once ezcema has taken hold of its victim’s skin, the value of food manipulation is questionable. While studies have not shown that avoidance of particular foods is helpful, I still feel it is worth trying in individual cases. The largest risk factors in this study, to nobody’s surprise, was having a parent or sibling with ezcema.

LONGER LASHES
Allergan may have lucked out again. As a company focused on skin and eyes, they found that an obscure muscle paralyzer used to treat eye spasms could quell wrinkles as well. Botox has certainly been a lucrative product for them and a boon for those with the desire to erase some of the ravages of time.

Now the same company is hoping lightening will stike twice with a drug called Latiss. Until now this medication, known as Lumigen (bimatroprost), has been used as an eye drop to treat glaucoma. This prostaglandin
analogue—a drug that works like prostaglandins, a hormone-like substance with many physiologic functions—was discovered to have a rather unique effect. It made eyelashes grow longer, thicker and darker.

Last month Latiss was approved by the FDA. In studies, 78% of patients experienced an improvement in overall eyelash prominence. It is to be applied nightly directly to the upper eyelash. Side effects consisted mostly of dry, itchy and sometimes red eyes. Rarely, changes in eye pigmentation can occur and those with glaucoma are advised to see their opthatmologist for a prescription.

SKIN-FRIENDLY FERN
We are barraged with claims of the astounding benefits of antioxidants, consumed orally and applied to the skin. It is rare for me to open up my email and not see a message from somebody or some company trying to sell me Acai, Mona Vie, or the antioxidant de jour. While some of the raves might be justified—and I am in the pro-antioxidant camp, the reality is that swallowed antioxidants don’t reach the skin in high enough quantities, and not enough topical antioxidants leak through the epidermis to make much difference. Further, most applied antioxidants degrade rather quickly.

One of the answers to this problem has been the addition of ferulic acid, a chemical derived from a fern. For instance, when Vitamin C or E, antioxidants, as potent as they might be, are applied to the skin they do not do all that much to keep the skin young beyond some degree of sun protection. However, ferulic acid helps stabilize these molecules and even helps them penetrate through the epidermis.

Much of this research has been performed at the dermatology department of Duke University. After stabilizing the molecule, they tested it by applying the cream to subjects’ skin. Next they stressed the skin with an ultraviolet B source such as one would receive from the sun. They then determined whether this concoction, with its ferulic acid supplementation, protected the skin better than placebo. They found that the skin treated with the ferulic antioxidant cream had much less redness, fewer damaged skin cells, and significantly less DNA damage in the dermis compared to skin treated with placebo. It may be a good idea to look for this ingredient when you look for an anti-aging regimen.

AFRIN FOR ROSACEA?
While we dermatologists have pretty decent treatment for the pimples and pustules of the so-called pustular rosacea, our treatment for the erythema (redness) of rosacea is wanting. Sure IPL (intense pulsed light) is a very good treatment for this type of rosacea, but it can be pricey.

A pair of California dermatologists may have come up with a solution. They are testing a cream containing oxymetazoline, the active component of Afrin. This is a well known vaso-constrictor, which means it squeezes down blood vessels. In a trial of eight subjects, all reported improvement and most substantial improvement in their degree of redness. However, before one gets too excited about this report, even its authors admit that there could have been a study bias and that the study number is small. Further testing is ongoing.

FRESH BOTOX
Recently a study was completed to answer the question of whether Botox which has been refrigerated for two weeks, after mixing with preserved saline, is as fresh as Botox which has just been re-constituted. The answer appears to be yes. After separate injections on each side of the face subjects and blinded physicians agreed that there was no difference in the two sides. This should be of some relief to those who wondering if their Botox is fresh.

HELIOCARE
Another friendly fern is the polypodium. This fern was used by Central American natives for generations as part of their folk medicine. In fact the original work of Hippolito Ruiz, an 18th-c. Spanish botanist, describes this tropical fern. There is fairly substantial scientific evidence that an extract of this fern provides antioxidant potency, helps maintain skin structure and the immune response, and gives us daily maintenance against the UV photo-aging process.

This fern extract now comes in a capsule called Heliocare. It is recommended that you take this a half hour before sun exposure to limit damage casued by the sun. Heliocare is not intended to substitute for a good sunscreen, however. Heliocare may also be used for those undergoing light treatment for psoriasis or eczema.

This article was written by Dr. Arnold Oppenheim, M.D. for the Tidewater Women – June 2009 Edition