No abstract available.
Humans* ; Sebum*

Omphalith generally consists of keratinous materials and sebum. It gradually forms a stone-like hard, dark brown to a black mass in elderly persons with deep umbilical depression and not clean umbilicus. A 75 years old male noticed a brownish black nodule on the umbilical depression 2 weeks ago. He did not try to remove it. This nodule gradually became to project from umbilical depression accompanied with intermittent pain. Removed specimen was brownish black stonelike on projecting polypoid lesion, but in umbilical depression, yellowish brown and not so hard. Histopathological examination showed a small quantity of melanin granules, but no nuclear components of cells.
Aged ; Depression ; Humans ; Male ; Melanins ; Sebum ; Umbilicus

BACKGROUND: Glycolic acid and Jessner's solution have been popular agents for superficial chemical peeling to treat facial acne. Increased sebum secretion is one of the major etiological factors of acne. There has been no report to compare effects on sebum secretion in patients with facial acne between glycolic acid peeling and Jessner's solution peeling. OBJECTIVE: We compared the effects on sebum secretion in patients with facial acne after glycolic acid peeling or Jessner's solution peeling. METHODS: Twenty patients with facial acne vulgaris were studied. Eight patients were treated with 30% glycolic acid peeling and twelve patients with Jessner's solution peeling. Before and 2 weeks after the treatment, the sebum levels of forehead, nose, center of chin and both cheeks were measured by using Sebumeter(R). RESULTS: The sebum levels were not significantly changed after 30% glycolic acid peeling. After Jessner's solution peeling, the total average, and average of T-zone of sebum levels, were reduced significantly (p<0.05). The high-sebum-level area was defined as the area where the sebum level before treatment was high. The average of sebum levels of the high-sebum-level area was reduced significantly (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: 30% glycolic acid peeling did not affect sebum secretion, but Jessner's solution peeling reduced sebum secretion in patients with facial acne significantly, especially on the areas where sebum secretion was high.
Acne Vulgaris* ; Cheek ; Chin ; Forehead ; Humans ; Nose ; Sebum*

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of methods have been developed to determine skin properties in an objective way. Variable atmospheric conditions or climatic changes influence the physiological reaction process occurring in skin. Clinical studies investigating skin conditions are often performed through different seasonal environments. Therefore, physiological stabilization course in a standard environment is necessary to exclude climatic influence before measuring skin physiological parameters. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate stabilization course of several skin physiological parameters after exposure to summer and winter conditions. METHODS: Fifteen healthy volunteers (9 males, 6 females) with normal skin, of age 20 to 35 (mean 25.3) years were included in the study. After 30 minutes exposure to summer or winter climatic conditions, the volunteers stayed in the standard environment for 30 minutes. Skin surface temperature, skin color, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and sebum were measured every 10 minutes in the standard room. RESULTS: Skin surface temperature stabilized after 20 minutes on forehead and 30 minutes on cheek irrespective of the season. Skin color (L*, a*, b*) stabilized after 20 minutes in standard environment irrespective of the season and location of measurement. TEWL stabilized after 10 minutes and sebum stabilized after 20 minutes in standard environment irrespective of the season and location of measurement. CONCLUSION: To obtain stabilized values of skin surface temperature, skin color, TEWL and sebum irrespective of season and measurement location, 30 minutes of stabilization course is needed.
Cheek ; Forehead ; Humans ; Male ; Seasons ; Sebum ; Skin ; Skin Temperature

BACKGROUND: In the last few decades, there has been a substantial increase in the population of aged people. Aging skin is a common concern for many people these days. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cosmetics containing Ascidian tunic in reducing wrinkles. METHODS: Cream containing the Ascidian tunic was applied to right lateral epicanthal areas of 30 subjects for 8 weeks. As control group, a placebo which does not contain the Ascidian tunic was applied to the left lateral epicanthal areas of the subjects. Skin barrier function was evaluated and skin replicas were molded on both epicanthal areas every 4 weeks. The changes of the skin wrinkles were analyzed with skin visiometer. RESULTS: In comparison of the changes between groups treated with placebo and Ascidian tunic, there was statistically significant differences in hydration and sebum secretion. But there were no statistically significant differences in the result of R-value by visiometer. CONCLUSION: The treatment of Ascidian tunic extract seems to be partially effective in improving wrinkles, but further study is required.
Aged ; Aging ; Cosmetics ; Fungi ; Humans ; Sebum ; Skin ; Urochordata

Acne vulgaris is an inflammatory disease of hair follicle sebaceous gland units,with an incidence of up to 85% in adolescents.The pathogenesis is closely related to androgen,sebum secretion,lipophilic microbial infection,and immune-inflammatory reaction.This article reviews the signaling pathways related to acne from the aspects of inflammatory signaling pathways and sebum secretion pathways.
Acne Vulgaris ; Adolescent ; Humans ; Sebaceous Glands ; Sebum ; Signal Transduction

BACKGROUND: Although sebum secretion is crucial for acne development, acne lesion distribution is not always similar to the topographic differences of sebum secretion. OBJECTIVE: To analyze whether sebum secretion affects acne development and distribution and to assess other factors possibly influencing the relationship between acne and sebum secretion. METHODS: This single-center retrospective study included 67 acne patients and 50 controls. Acne patients were divided into 3 groups based on acne lesion distribution: T-zone dominant, U-zone dominant, and mixed groups. The secreted sebum level in each zone of acne patients was compared with that of controls. We also conducted correlation analysis between secreted sebum level and acne number, depending on the facial zone. RESULTS: No significant difference was found between acne patients and controls regarding age and sex ratio. The U-zone dominant group showed increased sebum levels compared with controls in the U-zone and whole face, but a similar result was not obtained in the T-zone dominant group. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between the number of lesions and secreted sebum level in the U-zone, but not in the T-zone. Further, there was a more significant relation in the U-zone of male and young patients. CONCLUSION: We found that increased sebum secretion compared with the condition may affect acne development, especially in the U-zone. Sex and age may also influence the relationship between acne and increased sebum secretion. Acne lesion distribution may vary from patient to patient because sebum secretion affects acne differently depending on multiple factors.
Acne Vulgaris ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Sebum ; Sex Ratio

OBJECTIVETo observe the influence of acupuncture on sebum thickness and the characteristic in the female obese patient of different types.

METHODSNinety-eight female obese patients were divided into 2 groups: an abdominal obesity group (n = 40) and an obesity group (n = 58). All of the patients in the two groups were treated by acupuncture at Zhongwan (CV 12), Chengman (ST 20), Tianshu (ST 25), Shuidao (ST 28), Qihai (CV 6), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), etc. with electric stimulation, and in combination with ear point taping and pressing, for one month. Body weight index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), the sebum thickness of the upper limb (point A: at the inferior border of the right deltoid muscle and the midpoint of the lateral of arm), the trunk (point B: the inferior angle of right scapula) and the abdomen (point C: 3 cm right lateral to the navel; point D: the right anterior superior iliac) were observed and compared before and after treatment in the two groups.

RESULTSThere were significant differences before and after treatment in BMI, WC and the sebum thickness of points A, B, C and D in the two groups (P < 0.01), and the sebum thickness in the point C significantly changed as compared with those in other 3 points (P < 0.05) in the two groups. In the abdominal obesity group, change of BMI was very significantly positively correlated with changes of WC and sebum thickness in the point C, and significantly positively correlated to point A (P < 0.05), with the correlated coefficient [r(WC/BMI)] > [ r(C/BMI)] > [r(A/BMI); change of WC was very significantly positively correlated to point C (P < 0.01). In the obesity group, the change of BMI was very significantly positively correlated to WC (P < 0.01) and significantly positively correlated to the sebum thickness's change of point B (P < 0.05), while WC change was very significantly positively correlated to point B and C (P < 0.01) and significantly positively to point D (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture can effectively reduce the body weight, WC and subcutaneous fat in various parts of the body and selectively reduce the over fat of different places in both the obesity patient and the abdominal fat patient with exceeding standard of WC.

Acupuncture ; Adult ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Female ; Humans ; Obesity ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Sebum ; chemistry ; Waist Circumference

BACKGROUND: Disturbed keratinization of the follicular infundibulum is the earliest change in comedo formation. The relative decrease in linoleic acid in the sebum could be responsible, in part, for this abnormal keratinization. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of topically applied multi-lamellar emulsion containing linoleic acid (MLE/LA) on experimentally induced comedones. METHODS: To induce comedo formation, 50% oleic acid (OL) in macrogol 400 was applied to the ventral surface of both ears of New Zealand white rabbits. Twenty ears of ten rabbits were randomly divided into four treatment groups (5 ears in each group). Four groups (OL only, OL and MLE/LA, OL and MLE, OL and control vehicle containing LA) were treated twice daily for 2 weeks. The relative increase in areas of the comedo was evaluated by digital image analysis. The morphologic changes around the epithelial lining of the comedo were observed by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS: After 2 weeks of application, only the OL and MLE/LA combined treated group showed significantly less (by 1.23-fold, p<0.05) increase in comedo size when compared to the OL treated group (by 1.86-fold). Upon light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy examination, the MLE/LA treated ears showed a lesser degree of epidermal hyperplasia and hyperkeratosis in the follicular infundibulum compared with the OL treated ears. CONCLUSION: Topical MLE/LA might have an inhibitory effect on the formation of OL induced comedones.
Ear ; Hyperplasia ; Linoleic Acid* ; Microscopy ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Oleic Acid ; Polyethylene Glycols ; Rabbits ; Sebum

BACKGROUND: Topical and systemic drugs have been successfully used in the treatment of acne. However, many people are concerned about the side effects of these medicines, especially the childbearing women. Recent reports demonstrated that sequential treatment with laser- and light-based devices lead to a clinical improvement in acne. Recently, we witnessed experienced a case of improvement of inflammatory acne lesions during the treatment of acne scars using a 1,550-nm non-ablative fractional erbium-glass laser. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of 1,550-nm non-ablative fractional erbium-glass laser in the treatment of facial inflammatory acne vulgaris. METHODS: 11 patients with facial inflammatory acne vulgaris were recruited. These patients received three treatment sessions at a 3-week interval. Inflammatory lesions were counted before and after treatment. The sebum production was quantified using the Sebumeter(R). We graded the patients' self-assessment and the investigator's global assessment using a five-point scale used by the dermatologist. We also investigated the histological changes after the treatment sessions, and the adverse effects during the study. RESULTS: Treatment with 1,550-nm non-ablative fractional erbium-glass laser was well tolerated, resulting in the reduction of inflammatory lesions by 61% (p<0.05). However, the reduction in sebum production from the baseline was not statistically significant. Histopathologic examination of the inflammatory lesions showed a marked decrease in the dermal inflammatory cell infiltration around the perivascular and periappendageal area and the sebaceous glands became smaller after laser treatments. Side-effects were minimal, and were resolved within a few days. CONCLUSION: 1,550-nm non-ablative fractional erbium-glass laser was safe and effective for the treatment of facial inflammatory acne lesions.
Acne Vulgaris ; Cicatrix ; Female ; Humans ; Sebaceous Glands ; Sebum ; Self-Assessment ; Wit and Humor as Topic