Do hypoallergenic skincare products contain fewer potential contact allergens?

Personal care products (PCPs) commonly cause allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Skincare companies often market their products as 'hypoallergenic'; however, this term is not regulated by industry standards. To determine whether PCPs marketed as hypoallergenic are truly less likely to precipitate ACD, we conducted a study of ingredients found in 'hypoallergenic PCPs' from two major UK retailers in 2022.

Understanding psoriasis: the development of the immune pathogenesis.

Click here for the corresponding questions to this CME article.

A new model for categorizing cognitive biases and debiasing strategies in dermatology.

Cognitive biases are a significant cause of medical error. They arise from "system 1" thinking, which depends on heuristics to make quick decisions in complex situations. Heuristics make us "predictably irrational," distorting our ability to accurately assess probabilities in clinical scenarios.

Double trouble: ciclosporin-simvastatin coinduced rhabdomyolysis.

A 73-year-old woman presented with an acute exacerbation of her long-standing psoriasis. Ciclosporin was commenced due to the severity of her symptoms resulting in remission within 2 weeks. Full blood count, urea and electrolytes following initiation of treatment were unremarkable, although she complained of muscle aches, which was attributed to her known multiple sclerosis.

Whorled Scarring Alopecia - The Only Adult Marker of Incontinentia Pigmenti.

Incontinentia pigmenti (IP) is a rare X-linked dominant disease that affects the ectodermal tissues. It is associated with a whorled pattern of scarring alopecia, which is possibly underreported. This scarring alopecia could be used as a marker to identify adult women affected with IP as older patients may have minimal cutaneous manifestations.

Effectiveness of Subcutaneous Methotrexate in Chronic Plaque Psoriasis.

Background: Oral methotrexate (MTX) has been a first line systemic agent in the treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis (CPP) for more than 50 years. Parenteral MTX, administered as a subcutaneous (SC) injection has gained favour in recent years. The effectiveness of SC MTX has been proven in rheumatological conditions but there has been no assessment of its role in CPP.

Congenital Triangular Alopecia.

Congenital triangular alopecia (CTA) also known as temporal triangular alopecia is a benign noncicatricial pattern of hair loss. It typically affects the frontotemporal region and rarely involves the temporoparietal or occipital scalp. It is a nonprogressive disorder that presents as a triangular, oval or lancet-shaped patch of alopecia.

The role of calcineurin inhibitors in the management of lichen sclerosus.

Lichen sclerosus is a chronic inflammatory disorder with a propensity to affect the mucocutaneous anogenital area. Topical corticosteroids remain the treatment of choice for this condition and constitute an effective therapeutic modality. However, in patients with corticosteroid-resistant disease, when long-term remission is not sustainable, or in those intolerant to these agents, topical calcineurin inhibitors may be considered.

Hair abnormalities in genetic disorders of junctions.

The desmosomes form the basis of intercellular support structure within the epidermis. However, various junctions, including gap junctions, adherens junctions, and tight junctions play an important part in the intercellular bridges that are vital for cell-cell interactions and structural stability. Numerous mutations can affect the genetic structure that make up these junctions and in turn cause disease.

The effect of ultraviolet B-induced vitamin D levels on host resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis: a pilot study in immigrant Asian adults living in the United Kingdom.

Asian immigrants to the United Kingdom demonstrate much higher tuberculosis rates than the indigenous population. This is postulated to be because of their low vitamin D levels, consequent upon a combination of diet and their reduced ultraviolet (UV) exposure in the United Kingdom, because vitamin D enhances antimycobacterial activity in in vitro systems. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between UVB exposure, vitamin D levels and tuberculo-immunity in Asian immigrants in the United Kingdom.