Dermatology and Cosmetic

Editor Note

Alireza Firooz

No ABSTRACT###

Comparison of the efficacy and safety of a herbal extract lotion with clotrimazole 1% lotion in the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis: A randomized clinical trial

Azin Ayatollahi

Background and Aim: Dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis (SD) are common chronic skin diseases. There are many chemical drugs for treating dandruff and SD. Prolonged use of them may cause side effects and drug resistance. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of a herbal extract lotion with clotrimazole 1% lotion in the treatment of SD.

Methods: Twenty volunteers (12 men and 8 women) aged 20 to 40 years, with seborrheic dermatitis were enrolled in this trial and were randomly allocated into two groups. One group was treated with a herbal extract lotion and the other group with clotrimazole lotion. The herbal extract contained common sage, thyme vulgaris, tea tree oil, lavender, willow, rosemary, and aloe vera. The patients were instructed to use the lotions three times a week for 4 weeks. We evaluated the patients by clinical assessment and measured the scalp sebum, pH, and dandruff number before two weeks, and four weeks after completed a treatment. At the end of the study, each participant satisfaction form.

Results: At the end of the study, the participants whom received the herbal extract lotion had a significantly greater reduction in scalp scaling, erythema, itching, and number of dandruff compared with those who received clotrimazole (P<0.05). The patient satisfaction score was also higher in the herbal extract group (60% versus 10%).

Conclusion: This study showed that herbal extracts lotion was effective in the treatment of dandruff and seborrheic dermatitiand can be an appropriate alternative to chemical agents.

The effects of oral isotretinoin on sex hormones and menstrual cycle in women with severe acne

Nazi Saljoughi

Background and Aim: Acne vulgaris is a common skin disease and oral isotretinoin is the only treatment that is dramatically effective on its severe type The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of oral Isotretinoin on the level of sex hormones and menstrual cycle in female patients with severe acne.

Methods: In this before and after treatment study, 50 patients with severe acne vulgaris whom were referred to the dermatology clinic of Amir-Almomenin Hospital in Tehran in 2015 and 2016, were recruited. The inclusion criteria were female gender, age between 18 to 50 years, and having severe acne. Exclusion criteria were: pregnancy, lactating, and suffering from other diseases which could confound the study results. The prescribed dose of the oral isotretinoin was 0.5 mg/kg/day for three months. Before initiation of treatment and after three months of treatment serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol, and total and free testosterone were measured and compared.

Results: The mean ± standard deviation (SD) age of the patients was 26.0 ± 7.1 years, and 10% of them had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOs). After taking isotretinoin, 33 (66%) of patients had no change in their menstrual periods, while 3 (6%) had oligomenorrhea, 4 (8%) had amenorrhea, and 10 (20%) had dysmenorrhea. After treatment, mean serum LH levels significantly increased (P=0.001), but FSH, estradiol, and total and free testosterone serum levels did not change statistically (P>0.05).

Conclusion: This study showed that oral isotretinoin can increase the level of serum LH and cause changes in menstrual cycles.

Comparison of the efficacy of psoralen ultraviolet A (PUVA) and narrow-band ultraviolet B (NBUVB) in the treatment of patients with vitiligo: A clinical trial

Bita Shahbazzadegan

Background and Aim: Vitiligo is a common pigmentary disorder that melanocytes are destroyed. Treatment of vitiligo depends on the extent of the disease and its distribution pattern. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of PUVA and NBUVB in patients with vitiligo.

Methods: A clinical trial has been performed on 60 patients with vitiligo referred to Bouali hospital and Mehrgan laser center in 1392 and treated with UVB and PUVA therapy methods. In first group treated with PUVA, oral tablets containing 8-methoxypsoralen were taken 3 hours before phototherapy twice a week. The second group was treated with NBUVB twice a week.

Results: In patients treated with PUVA, 40% and in patients treated with NBUVB, 43.3% were male. Seventeen (56.7%) of patients treated with PUVA had generalized vitiligo, 30% of them had segmental Vitiligo and 13.3% had focal Vitiligo. Seventeen (56.7%) patients that were treated with NBUVB generalized vitiligo, 30% had segmental and 10% had focal vitiligo. Repigmentation was significantly higher in patients treated with NBUVB than PUVA 3 and 6 months after initiation of treatment (P<0.05).

Conclusion: NBUVB is superior to PUVA in treatment complications and its recovery rate was acceptable.

Comparison of body image in patients with skin disease and healthy individuals

Sayed Mohsen Hosseini

Background and Aim: The present world is a world of short-sectional relationships, most people identify themselves by acknowledging their appearance instead of considering their inherited or acquired different characteristics. In this study, we decided to compare the body image between patients with skin diseases and healthy participants.

Methods: In this case-control study, 300 (150 cases and 150 controls) individuals aged from 18 to 64 years were selected in the Isfahan city. Satisfaction with body image and feelings of respondents regarding their apparent looks in different situations and different conditions were investigated using an a researcher-constructed questionnaire. To analyze the collected data, we used the analysis of covariance and compared the means.

Results: Single, younger, and less educated women had body image scores higher and more positive look to their bodies. Healthy people had higher score of body image than the patients with skin diseases. There was no significant relationship between gender and body image scores.

Conclusion: Skin diseases had an important role in body image. So we suggest that the effect of other diseases, that somehow affect the appearance of people on body image, be examined deeply for each disease.

Cosmetics use among female high school and university students in Yazd: A knowledge, attitude and practices study

Hassan Rezaei Pendari

Background and Aim: One of the most important characteristics of women and girls is their eagerness for showing their beauty, which is commonly achieved by using cosmetics and doing makeup. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of cosmetics use among high school and university students girls in Yazd city and to measure their knowledge, attitude and practices.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 female high school and university students in Yazd city in 2016. Data were gathered using a four-part questionnaire, which was designed to collect demographic data of the participants as well as, items needed for assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practice of the participants about using cosmetics. The collected data were described and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) version 22. Independent t, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and chi square tests were used for statistical analyses.

Results: The mean scores of knowledge, attitude and practices of the participants showed that the mean knowledge score of them was related to the age, level of education of parents, parent's occupation and household income (P<0.05). The mean attitude score of the participants was also related to the age, level of education of parents, and parent's occupation (P<0.05). The mean practices score of the participants was related to the age, level of education of parents, and parent's occupation as well (P<0.05). Those who did not use cosmetics, had a more proper attitude towards using cosmetics (P=0.01).

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the use of cosmetics among female high school and university students in Yazd was high. Proper training in appropriate use of the cosmetics is needed.

Evidence-based dermatology: Clarifying a common misunderstanding

Alireza Khatami

Book review: "Tropical Dermatology"

Alireza Khatami