by Allison Sit
Dermatology Times, HAPPI, Healio and HealthDay all wrote about an April article in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology that was one of one of the largest, vehicle-controlled analyses of retinol to date. “Efficacy and Tolerability of Topical 0.1% Stabilized Bioactive Retinol for Photoaging: A Vehicle-Controlled Integrated Analysis,” by Patricia Farris, MD, and colleagues, is a pooled analysis of six controlled studies of 0.1% stabilized bioactive retinol in women with mild to moderate photodamage. The 352 participants were aged 30 or older with Fitzpatrick skin types I- III. All studies used the same dermatologist investigator who assessed overall photodamage as well as wrinkles on the forehead, cheeks and undereye area; crow’s feet and fine lines; lack of even skin tone; and brown spots. The investigator assessed participants at weeks 4, 8 and 12, including an assessment of tolerability. Researchers found retinol showed a greater improvement from the vehicle in all photoaging signs as early as week 4, and the benefits continued through 12 weeks. In addition, adverse events were mild to moderate and transient as a few participants experienced irritation, including erythema and skin scaling/peeling. While the authors acknowledge the homogeneity of the study participants, they write that the results show that a well-formulated topical retinol at this strength can be an effective cosmeceutical for people with signs of photoaging.
The Dermatology Digest wrote about a February JDD study on dermatology residents’ desire for more education on sensitive skin. The study, “Sensitive Skin: A Survey of Dermatology Resident Physicians’ Perspectives and Educational Exposures,” by fourth-year medical student Erika T. McCormick and Adam Friedman, MD, looked at dermatology residents’ exposure to sensitive skin education, perspectives and management approaches. Researchers emailed a survey to dermatology residents who were registered to the ODAC Dermatology, Aesthetic & Surgical conference email list. The survey revealed 99% of residents believe that sensitive skin should be included in some capacity in their training. However, less than half reported receiving that education during their training, and less than one-fourth reported feeling very knowledgeable about a sensitive skin diagnosis, clinical evaluation or management. The authors claim that this points to a gap in residency education as well as a lack of consensus about sensitive skin within dermatology.
A study about a nutraceutical for acne gained coverage in Healio. “A Novel Systems-Wide Approach in Addressing Acne with a Multi-Targeting Nutraceutical,” by Cheryl Burgess, MD, and colleagues, looked at current available evidence for the use of individual supplements to address the six systemic underlying drivers of acne vulgaris: stress, diet and metabolism, skin and gut microbiome dysbiosis, oxidative stress and immune response. Based on that review, a nutraceutical with some of the key ingredients was created and a proof-of-concept study was conducted. The 12-week study involved women and men aged 18-50 with mild to severe facial acne, excluding those with cystic acne. Study participants stopped using all acne medications and topicals prior to the start. Researchers assessed participants at baseline and weeks 4, 8 and 12 including conducting an Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) of acne severity, inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesion counts, and clinical grading of skin health. The IGA of acne severity improved in 85% of study participants by week 12 with a 35% decrease in inflammatory lesion counts and a 47% decrease in non-inflammatory lesion counts. In addition, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and post-inflammatory erythema improved in nearly 80% of participants by week 12. Although preliminary, the study authors write that the results are promising and warrant further research. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial is currently underway.
