J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2009 Sep 10;
Phan NQ, Siepmann D, Gralow I, Ständer S

Summary Background: Postherpetic neuralgia is a frequent adverse event in herpes zoster patients and difficult to treat. Conventional analgetic therapy often fails to reduce the burning pain transmitted by unmyelinated nerve fibers. These nerves express cannabinoid receptors which exert a role in modulation of nociceptive symptoms. Therefore, topical therapy with cannabinoid receptor agonist seems likely to suppress local burning pain. Patients and methods: In an open-labeled trial, 8 patients with facial postherpetic neuralgia received a cream containing the cannabinoid receptor agonist N-palmitoylethanolamine. The course of symptoms was scored with the visual analog scale. Results: 5 of 8 patients (62.5 %) experienced a mean pain reduction of 87.8 %. Therapy was tolerated by all patients. No unpleasant sensations or adverse events occurred. Conclusions: Topical cannabinoid receptor agonists are an effective and well-tolerated adjuvant therapy option in postherpetic neuralgia.

J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2009 Sep 14;
Feser A, Mahler V

Summary Periorbital dermatitis is common and frequently difficult to treat. Patients with periorbital dermatitis often suffer severely because their disease is in such a visible location. Because of the variety of clinical appearance, the differential diagnostic considerations are often difficult. We examined the causes of periorbital dermatitis and compared the data of 88 patients from the Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Erlangen to those of the German IVDK (Information Network of the Departments of Dermatology). Between 1999 and 2004, predominant causes of periorbital dermatitis were allergic contact dermatitis (Erlangen 44 %, IVDK 32 %), atopic eczema (Erlangen 25 %, IVDK 14 %), airborne contact dermatitis (Erlangen 10 %, IVDK 2 %) and irritant contact dermatitis (Erlangen 9 %, IVDK 8 %). Less frequent causes for secondary eczematous periocular skin lesions were periorbital rosacea, allergic conjunctivitis or psoriasis vulgaris. Female gender, atopic skin diathesis and age of 40 years and older were identified as risk factors for periocular dermatitis. Common elicitors of periorbital allergic contact dermatitis were leave-on cosmetic products (face cream, eye shadow) and eye drops with the usual allergens being fragrances, preservatives and drugs. Exact identification of relevant contact allergens and allergen elimination are essential for successful treatment. Calcineurin inhibitors are the first-line therapy for facial atopic eczema. They may be also effective in periocular eczematous lesions of other origins although they are not approved for such use.

I always thought age spots wouldn’t start showing until my 40s or 50s however at the ripe age 30-something I am experiencing age spots quite consistently rearing their ugly ‘spottage’.
I have done quite a bit of research on how to decrease the appearance of my age spots and come up with [...]

Wrinkle Cream-Showing Promise for Improving Our Skin

As I have gotten older, I have had the unfortunate experience of noticing more and more wrinkles appearing on my face.  Like many women, I started seeing them show up in my early thirties and knew that I had to find a solution.  I have tried many different products over the past several years.  Some worked pretty well, while others were frankly a disappointment.  Finding an effective wrinkle cream has become a passion of mine, both for my own benefit and so I can pass along the information to the many other women out there who are still looking for a solution.

As I have dedicated a great deal of time to testing out as many products as I can, I am able to safely say that with each passing day, these creams are getting better and better.  I can see it on my own face and have heard the compliments of many others as well.  While talking with many other women who have been in the same boat, I have learned a great deal about what ingredients seem to live up to their promises and which fall short.  It has also led me to explore the newest research when it comes to wrinkle cream.

I have made it a point to find out as much as I can about the emerging technologies in the Wrinkle cream field and I have to say that I have recently been quite impressed.  I have also noticed a wider amount of products being offered for specific areas and concerns.  For example, there are many creams made to specifically target the lines around the eyes, or even the mouth.  By having separate products, everyone’s needs can now be addressed differently.  What might work well for a deep forehead wrinkle might not be the best for the delicate skin and fine lines around the eyes.

Many women seem to really enjoy being able to put together a customized treatment for themselves and the new options available today allow you to do just that.  Also, there are now many different ways that these creams go about treating facial wrinkles.  Some work by “freezing” the lines, while others plump up the skin, thus making the imperfections less noticeable.  The results seem to be getting closer and closer to some of the popular surgical procedures out there.  In some ways, I actually think a wrinkle cream is oftentimes a better solution because it leads to a more natural look.

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PLoS One. 2009; 4(9): e7126
Proverbio AM, Mariani S, Zani A, Adorni R

BACKGROUND: One of the most debated issues in the cognitive neuroscience of language is whether distinct semantic domains are differentially represented in the brain. Clinical studies described several anomic dissociations with no clear neuroanatomical correlate. Neuroimaging studies have shown that memory retrieval is more demanding for proper than common nouns in that the former are purely arbitrary referential expressions. In this study a semantic relatedness paradigm was devised to investigate neural processing of proper and common nouns. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: 780 words (arranged in pairs of Italian nouns/adjectives and the first/last names of well known persons) were presented. Half pairs were semantically related (“Woody Allen” or “social security”), while the others were not (“Sigmund Parodi” or “judicial cream“). All items were balanced for length, frequency, familiarity and semantic relatedness. Participants were to decide about the semantic relatedness of the two items in a pair. RTs and N400 data suggest that the task was more demanding for common nouns. The LORETA neural generators for the related-unrelated contrast (for proper names) included the left fusiform gyrus, right medial temporal gyrus, limbic and parahippocampal regions, inferior parietal and inferior frontal areas, which are thought to be involved in the conjoined processing a familiar face with the relevant episodic information. Person name was more emotional and sensory vivid than common noun semantic access. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: When memory retrieval is not required, proper name access (conspecifics knowledge) is not more demanding. The neural generators of N400 to unrelated items (unknown persons and things) did not differ as a function of lexical class, thus suggesting that proper and common nouns are not treated differently as belonging to different grammatical classes.

J Food Sci. 2009 Oct; 74(8): S345-50
Larsen H, Tellefsen SB, Dahl AV

In this study, photooxidation of sour cream packaged in cups with different light barrier properties was investigated. The sour cream was light exposed for 36 h with a standard fluorescent light tube, simulating storage conditions in many Norwegian grocery stores. Three different cups were evaluated: a white cup, a cup with medium light barrier (LB), and a cup with high LB. The quality of the sour cream was evaluated by sensory analysis and front face fluorescence spectroscopy. The sour cream stored in white cups became very rancid during the light exposure, with a rancid flavor score of 7.8 on a scale from 1 to 9, where 9 is the highest intensity. Cups with high LB gave best protection against the light. The sensory assessors could not distinguish between sour cream stored in cups with high LB and sour cream stored in the dark. The rancid flavor intensity for the cups with medium LB was significantly different (P < 0.05) from both the white cup and the cup with high LB. The sensory flavor intensities indicated that with 36 h of light exposure, only a cup with high LB will protect the sour cream sufficiently. The fluorescence measurements corresponded well with the sensory analysis as the photosensitizers were somewhat degraded for sour cream stored in cups with medium LB and most degraded in the white cups. For the cups with high LB, the fluorescence peaks that originated from the photosensitizers were all intact. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Dairy products such as sour cream will develop off-odor and taste faults ("sunlight taste") in a few hours if exposed to sufficient fluorescent lightning in the grocery stores. A light barrier can be incorporated in the packaging material to protect the dairy products from the light. Our experiment showed that the incorporation of a black pigment into 1 of the 3 plastic layers in the cup for packaging of sour cream protected the sour cream from degradation when exposed to light.

Every woman likes to be the center of attention, to be careful with the way she looks and the accessories she wears, the way she styles her hair or wears her makeup.
Regardless the style and the chosen colors there are rules that have to be followed, in order to have a well [...]

Experts say that consuming white wine frequently can damage your teeth, which many wine makers and tasters are aware of.
According to Nutritional Research reports, pale plonk packs an acidic punch that erodes enamel far more than red wine.
Teeth damage is due to pH and duration of contact with the teeth, but not due to wine’s [...]

Pediatr Dermatol. 2009 Oct 4;
Jansen T, Melnik BC, Schadendorf D

Periorificial dermatitis, a common skin disease in young women, has been occasionally reported in children. This study elaborates the clinical features of periorificial dermatitis in children as well as possible pathogenetic factors and the response to 20% azelaic acid cream. A total of 10 children aged 3 to 12 (mean 7.7) years suffering from nongranulomatous periorificial dermatitis for 3 to 7 (mean 4.9) months were evaluated, and dermatologic examination was carried out. Pretreatment was documented. Skin prick tests with a panel of six common inhalative allergens and patch tests with the European Standard Series were performed. An association between atopy and periorificial dermatitis was evaluated, and patients were screened for skin colonization by fungi, bacteria, and Demodex mites. They were treated with 20% azelaic acid cream, which was topically applied twice daily on all affected areas, until complete resolution was achieved. Treatment period was followed by an individual observation period. Periorificial dermatitis had developed in typical distribution and morphology. In all patients, low- to high-potency topical corticosteroids had been used on the face prior to manifestation. Atopy was found in half of the patients. Allergological, bacteriological, and mycological examinations did not reveal pathologic results. Demodex mites could not be demonstrated by skin surface biopsy. Treatment with 20% azelaic acid cream led to complete resolution of skin lesions after 4 to 8 (mean 5.4) weeks in all patients. Transient exacerbation of skin condition with a peak between the 2nd and 6th day of treatment could be observed in three patients. Side effects of 20% azelaic acid cream were registered in six patients and were predominantly present in the first 2 weeks of treatment. Side effects were minimal and became rarer with ongoing treatment. No recurrences were seen within a follow-up period of 2 to 8 (mean 4.4) months. Treatment with 20% azelaic acid cream could provide an effective and safe alternative therapeutic option in children with nongranulomatous periorificial dermatitis.

Dermatitis. 2009 Oct; 20(5): 284-6
Trattner A, Slodownik D, Jbarah A, Ingber A

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of cosmetics-related contact dermatitis is rising, owing mainly to the wider use of cosmetics by the public and the routine diagnostic use of patch tests. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of cosmetics allergy in Israel. METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of 360 female customers of pharmacies and beauty salons in two areas of the country. Items included general health profile, family history of atopy, occurrence of rash due to patch-test-proven cosmetics allergy, anatomic sites of the rash, subjective aspects regarding the rash, and cosmetics consumption habits. RESULTS: Patient age ranged from 15 to 89 years. Eleven subjects (3.1%) had patch-test-proven cosmetics allergic contact dermatitis. There was a correlation between proven cosmetics allergy and subjective sensitivity to facial cream (p = .03). CONCLUSIONS: The 3.1% prevalence rate of cosmetics contact allergic dermatitis in a randomly selected population in Israel is similar to values reported in the literature (about 2%). The higher-than-expected rate of subjective sensitivity to facial cream among patients with proven cosmetics allergy may be explained by the wide use of facial cream, facial skin susceptibility to insult, and the relatively long duration of contact of Facial cream (a leave-on product) with the skin.