Today’s report also covers research into the analysis of facial signs using AI, women’s perceptions of health warning labels for indoor tanning, and more (1,403 words, 7 minutes)
The Women in Dermatology e-newsletter is presented with support from Galderma Canada
Good morning and welcome to this edition of the Women in Dermatology e-newsletter from Chronicle Companies. We’re pleased to have you join us. This biweekly bulletin will update you on new findings regarding dermatologic issues that affect women and the female dermatologists who care for them. We welcome your feedback and opinions, so let us know if you have any comments, observations or suggestions. You can email them to us at health@chronicle.org.
Research shows that estrogen plays an essential role in skin aging, which is why many women work to maintain healthy estrogen levels as they age. During and after menopause, estrogen- deficiency can cause a decline in skin health.
A review published in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology (Aug. 19, 2022; 2022(15):1695-1709) provided an updated perspective on the factors that affect skin aging and the significant role played by estrogens and selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs). The researchers analyzed previous journal articles and reviews from Jan. 2018 through Feb. 2022 using the keywords: estrogens, skin aging, SERMs and isoflavonoids, and keyword combinations.
According to the study, normal estrogen levels before menopause have multiple benefits for the skin. For example, estrogen stimulates collagen and elastin production, which are associated with youthful-looking skin. Estrogens also enhance skin hydration, increase blood flow, boost estrogen receptor expression after menopause, and combat the effects of androgen hormones and photoaging.
The researchers note that during reproductive years, the primary estrogen produced by the ovaries is 17β-estradiol, which has a crucial role in skin aging balance. Production of skin collagen and elastin also reach their peak levels during this lime. As estrogen levels start to decline, between 30 and 35 years of age, skin folds and wrinkles appear due to lower 17β-estradiol levels and the loss of collagen and elastin in the dermal layer. After age 35, 17β-estradiol levels continue to drop, and by age 45, ovarian estrogen production fluctuates until menopause sets in and the estrogen levels are depleted.
Finally, the authors note that menopausal estrogen treatment has been a significant focus regarding post-menopausal health. Estrogen supplementation aids with many aspects of menopause, including the maintenance of skin health. The authors add that SERMs can boost the action of estrogen. The paper states that SERMs, which can be synthesized from plants, have been studied as potential estrogenic dermal treatments to selectively leverage the beneficial effects of estrogen stimulation while avoiding side effects such as endometrial activation and blood clotting.
Bottom line
Estrogens have many anti-aging properties and are essential for maintaining dermal health. For example, estrogen stimulates collagen and elastin production and enhances skin hydration, which is associated with youthful-looking skin. Additionally, many internal and external factors influence skin aging and the balance of dermal health. Finally, SERMs have the potential to harness the beneficial effects of estrogen stimulation without side effects and could effectively be used in post-menopausal dermal treatment.
Molecular networks in atopic mothers impact the risk of infant atopy
A study published in the European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology evaluated whether molecular risk factors in atopic mothers influence their children’s predisposition to atopic disease. The authors found that atopic dermatitis was more prevalent in children of atopic mothers compared to children of non-atopic mothers by age two. Additionally, the data collected implies that the development of childhood atopy may be influenced by in utero epigenetic mechanisms involved in the interferon pathway. According to the study’s abstract, this pathway plays a critical role in the human immune response.
The researchers recruited pregnant women and their infants with or without parental atopy for this prospective birth cohort study. They used principal component analysis to predict the likelihood of atopy in children dependent on maternal atopy.
Analysis of facial signs from selfie images of women in the United States
A study published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology examined the relevance and accuracy of an automated, algorithm-based analysis of facial signs, such as pigmentation signs or cheek skin pores, in women in the United States. The purpose was to determine whether AI could effectively assess these skin signs. The authors found that the AI-based automatic procedure used in this study is accurate and clinically relevant for analyzing facial signs in a diverse group of women.
In this cross-sectional study, selfie images of 1,041 women were subjected to an algorithm-based analysis of seven facial signs. In addition to being graded automatically by an AI-based algorithm, the images were also examined by 50 dermatologists in the U.S. The results showed that for most signs, the gradings obtained by the automated system were similar to the dermatologists’ assessments.
Female indoor tanners’ perceptions of health warning labels for tanning beds
A study published in Health Communication analyzed female indoor tanners’ perceptions of the current Canadian health warning label (HWL) for indoor tanning equipment. The authors found that combining graphics and concise, informative text is impactful and effective in indoor tanning HWLs.
For this study, the researchers developed 10 test image-based HWLs that represented skin health effects, eye damage, premature aging, and death. Then, women who had tanned indoors in the previous year discussed the test HWLs and the current federal labels. The participants stated that while current Canadian HWLs were informative, they would not read the labels because of the small text, wordiness and lack of a graphic. At the same time, they said that images, especially those representing serious conditions, were effective, but the lack of informative text made them hard to understand.
The effects of magnesium supplementation on polycystic ovary syndrome patients’ quality of life
A study published in the journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology examined the effects of magnesium supplementation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The authors found that magnesium supplementation does not significantly impact acne or alopecia but improves the total quality of life for PCOS patients.
The researchers randomly assigned 64 women living with PCOS into a magnesium or a placebo group. Each group had 32 participants. The investigators assessed for alopecia, acne, abnormal uterine bleeding and overall quality of life. According to the results, magnesium supplementation significantly improved aspects of quality of life such as emotional wellbeing, physical performance and general health. However, it did not have an impact on acne, alopecia or abnormal uterine bleeding.
Dr. Rasya Dixit, Consultant Dermatologist and Cosmetologist at Dr. Dixit Cosmetic Dermatology Clinic in Bengaluru, India, talks about pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy and how to treat them.
A case of generalized perforating granuloma annulare appearing during pregnancy
A case study published in the International Journal of Women’s Dermatology reported on a pregnant 20-year-old woman who presented with multiple itchy spots on her legs and trunk. The patient was in her first trimester and didn’t present any systemic symptoms. On her 37th week of pregnancy, the lesions developed small dark-coloured openings and overlying pus-filled blisters. Six days after delivery, her lesions worsened and turned into purple patches; some of them were tender, inflamed and leaked discharge. The doctors considered a diagnosis of generalized pyoderma gangrenosum, but a wound gram stain and culture showed negative results.
A biopsy was performed 20 days after delivery, and the results were consistent with perforating granuloma annulare. Fifteen days later, the patient noted significant improvement in the lesions and resolution of pain without treatment. The physicians prescribed clobetasol propionate, which improved the wounds and healed the perforated areas. At three months after delivery, she reported continuous improvement with no symptom recurrence.
“It wasn't until my second year of undergrad when my sister had a bad case of eczema and I went with her to the dermatologist, just to accompany her. That's when I realized this is one of the coolest fields I'd never realized really existed. Not only does she have a problem, but she has a problem that they can take care of, and they actually took care of it pretty quickly. She felt better about herself. I started observing the practice, because we went two or three times, and I realized they do a lot of other things; there's a lot of cosmetic things, and people are working with their hands as well. It marries medical with aesthetics, and I fell in love.”
— Dr. Shereene Idriss, a New York City-based dermatologist, in an interview with Fashionista magazine.
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