Tag Archive for: skin

The Skin Microbiome: Anatomy

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The skin microbiome is amazingly complex. Not only do we have all the beneficial bacteria and other microbes, we also have microbes that can be beneficial or damaging depending on how we treat the skin. Let’s begin with location: where are all these microbes located? For that, we need to understand a little bit about the structure of the skin.

The skin is the largest organ of the body and is constructed of two different layers: the outermost or the epidermis and an inner layer called the dermis. The outermost layer called the stratum corneum is composed of dead cells that are chemically crosslinked with each other and with cells below to provide a true barrier. As they’re sloughed off, they’re replaced.

To say “skin is skin” does this organ a disservice. It varies in different locations in the body and provides amazing microenvironments based on UV light exposure, pH, temperature, moisture, and sebum content. What is sebum? That’s the product of sebaceous or oil-producing glands, primarily located on the face, the chest, and the back. The sebum provides a coating that repels water and provides an antibacterial shield to hair and skin.

There are also areas of the body that are moist such as under the arms, between the toes, and in other more private areas. Those areas contain sweat glands which modify the pH of the skin and make it more acidic. That created an unfavorable environment for the growth of some bacteria and other organisms.

That’s the anatomy of the skin. The next question is what type of bacteria and other microbes are found on the skin and exactly what do they eat? We’ll cover that on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: Nature Reviews doi:10.1038/nrmicro.2017.157

No More Showers!

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If you saw a book called Clean, you probably wouldn’t think the author decided not to take any more showers. But you would be wrong, because that’s exactly what Dr. James Hamblin announced he would do about five years ago in a magazine article. Over time and a whole lot of research, the article became the basis for his book. In an interview I read with the author, he’s constantly irritated because the most frequent question he gets when people find out he hasn’t taken a shower in five years is “Do you stink?” My thought is if that you’re close enough to ask the question, you probably should know the answer, even with social distancing.

His primary concern over taking showers is our addiction to cleanliness, which is something I’ve thought about as well. (Never fear, I’m not going to quit taking showers.) His concern is with the microbiome of the skin. We all hear research on the microbiome within the digestive system just about every day, but the microbiome of our skin is actually the first line of defense in our immune system. Whatever we do to our skin affects the microbiome of our skin. With all the various soaps, detergents, and shampoos, as well as the chlorine that’s in most water treatment systems, that has to have some impact. Is the impact good or bad?

That’s what we’re going to take a look at in this week’s memos. Could how we treat our skin microbiome impact our immune system? We’ll look at the state of research to date.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: Clean The New Science of Skin. James Hamblin. Penguin Random House. 2020.

Research Update on Probiotics and Healthy Skin

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There has been so much research on probiotics published that it’s hard to keep myself informed, and you as well. This week I’ll summarize three recent studies on probiotics. Let’s begin with research on probiotics and skin conditions.

Researchers examined the effects of three strains of probiotics on skin inflammation in mice: two strains of lactobacillus and one strain of bifidobacterium. Three groups of mice were given one of the probiotics for two weeks while two control groups were given a placebo. After two weeks, the skin of four groups of mice was chemically exposed to an irritant to cause inflammation while the fifth group was exposed to a control chemical.

The researchers examined both blood and skin of the mice for indicators of inflammation after seven days of exposure. The markers for inflammation were lower in the groups who took the preventive probiotics than either of the positive or negative controls. While this was a small study on mice, it did demonstrate that probiotics helped reduce the skin response to chemical irritation. This may be the first step in identifying a probiotic that could help conditions such as atopic dermatitis in the future.

Keep taking a wide-spectrum probiotic, especially if your skin has been less healthy than you want it to be. If you have a teen with skin problems, probiotics may make a big difference. Another research update on Thursday.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

Reference: Beneficial Microbes, 2018; 9(2): 299-309.

 

Essential Tests: Melanoma Screening

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You may not want to show a lot of skin at the beach, but one place you should show skin is in the privacy of your doctor’s office. The first year results of a study on Full Body Skin Examination (FBSE) have just been published and based on the results, you should have this exam every year during your physical.

The observational study was conducted by a large healthcare group in western Pennsylvania that had their physicians conduct FBSE during routine physicals with the patient’s permission. A total of 335,735 patients had physicals with their primary care physicians; 53,196 patients had FBSE, the rest did not. In the screened group, 50 melanomas were diagnosed; 109 were found in the unscreened group. Although the reports didn’t say how the melanomas were found in the unscreened group, I’m guessing it was obvious to the doctor or the patient asked about it.

The important points are this: there was a higher percentage of melanomas diagnosed in the screened group. The more significant point is that the depth of the tumors was much thinner. That translates to less complicated treatments and better survival rates.

This week’s memos were written to encourage you to get tests, some simple, some complicated, that will help you stay on top of your health. Without knowing your blood pressure or body fat, you wouldn’t know what your risk is. No one wants to be surprised with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes or even something as serious as a stroke. Prevention is a whole lot better than treatment. Take an inventory of what you need to have checked and schedule your physical today. Form a working partnership with your doctor; that’s a key way to keep your health at its best.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

Reference: JAMA Oncol. 2017;3(8):1112-1115. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2016.6779

 

Coping with Radiation Damage

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At some point in the future, people are going to look back at this time of cancer treatment as barbaric, but it’s the best we have today and we can’t use undiscovered treatments. However, we can help limit the damage radiation may cause to healthy tissue.

I may sound like a broken record, but it all starts with eating more vegetables and fruit; they contain vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients in the proper proportions to help your body. Cruciferous vegetables and berries are better choices but all are great. Green tea has phytonutrients that are beneficial if you can . . .

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