A procedure using a topical solution made by DUSA Pharmaceuticals Inc and laser treatment stimulates collagen production and helps rejuvenate sun-damaged skin, U.S. researchers said.
Their study confirmed the value of a procedure already being performed by some doctors to improve the appearance of skin with wrinkles, fine lines and "sun spots," and helps explain how it works.
University of Michigan researchers tested photodynamic therapy that combines DUSA's Levulan, a clear solution dabbed onto the skin to increase its sensitivity to light, and so-called pulsed dye laser treatment using brief flashes of a single wavelength of light.
In a group of 15 women and 10 men aged 54 to 83 with sun-damaged skin, the researchers found that the therapy increased production of collagen -- a protein that helps provide skin its texture and elasticity -- and promoted the thickening of the top layer of the skin.
"We do believe that the treatment would, in fact, improve the appearance of patients' skin," Dr. Jeffrey Orringer, director of the University of Michigan's Cosmetic Dermatology and Laser Center, said in a telephone interview.
"It lends molecular or scientific credibility to a procedure that's being done out there, and it's also the first step in understanding how to make this treatment more effective," Orringer said.
No industry money was used to fund the study published in the journal Archives of Dermatology, Orringer said.
ESTROGEN IN MOISTURIZERS CANCER RISK
Breast cancer patients who apply moisturizers may be dosing themselves with estrogen without even knowing it, investigators report. Researchers analyzed 16 widely available moisturizers for estrogen-like compounds. None of the creams analyzed noted any estrogen content in their list of ingredients. Even so, six samples contained estriol or estrone. Researchers urged women with breast cancer that is driven by estrogen (that is, estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer) to avoid externally applied estrogen to minimize the risk of a recurrence.
CLEFT-LIP NOSE FIX OKAY IN FOR TEENS
Girls with facial clefts can safely undergo surgical reshaping of the nose at age 16, when nasal growth is mature in most individuals; for boys the operation can be performed at 17, Dutch researchers report. The researchers note that most specialists put off nose reshaping, known as rhinoseptoplasty, until young people are 18. At this age, growth is thought to have slowed enough that it will not affect the results of the operation. However, new data now shows nose growth is mature in 98 percent of girls by age 15.8 years of age, and in 98 percent of boys by 16.9 years.
ALLERGAN DRUG BOOSTS EYELASH LENGTH
Allergan Inc's drug bimatoprost increased the length, thickness and darkness of eyelashes in a company study, drug reviewers said last month. The analysis was prepared for a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel. The drug is currenty sold for glaucoma under the name Lumigan.
January 2009
