It’s not as bad as it sounds. People aren’t about to be slathering some type of lard all over their skin to look younger.

A recent study showed that a type of lipid molecule that is found in the epidermis, but is even more abundant in fungi and plants, may protect the skin from the damaging effects of UV radiation. The name of the molecule is phosphatidylserine (PS). Further studies need to be done to confirm this finding.

UV radiation is an important factor in skin aging leading to wrinkles and skin cancer.

A chemical called potassium monopersulfate is often used in spa and pool “shock treatments.” This chemical has not been studied as a cause of contact dermatitis, but researchers recently reported a case of contact dermatitis in a person who used potassium monopersulfate in his spa shock treatment. The dermatitis cleared up after the person switched to a shock treatment based on hydrogen peroxide.

Learn how to examine your skin for the warning signs of melanoma and other skin cancers.

Moles are common benign tumors that occur anywhere on the body. Learn more about moles and how to tell them apart from melanoma and other skin cancers.

Riluzole, an FDA-approved drug for Lou Gehrig’s Disease has been shown to slow the growth of melanoma. A phase 0 (first in human) trial on people with late stages of melanoma conducted by investigators at Rutgers shows that Riluzole slowed the growth of melanoma in enough patients to warrant further studies.

The CDC recently released new guidelines on who should get the shingles vaccine. Previously the CDC recommended all people over 60 who have never had shingles get the vaccine. Now they are recommending that anyone over 60, regardless of whether they’ve had shingles, should get the vaccine.

Shingles is a burning, blistering rash cause by a reactivation of the same virus that causes chicken pox. One possible complication of shingles is a condition called post-herpetic neuralgia, which causes severe pain that can last months after the rash has gone away.

The shingles vaccine is made of weakened portions of the chicken pox virus and has been shown to prevent shingles from developing or lessen the severity of the symptoms. It also helps prevent post-herpetic neuralgia. Recent studies have shown that it helps prevent recurrences even in people who’ve had shingles in the past.

Soaps for the face are different than soaps for your body. Find out why your face deserves its own soap, and get help choosing the best soap for your face.

There’s been a lot of research lately into ways to prevent children from getting atopic dermatitis. Studies have looked at the foods a breast-feeding mom eats, whether infants are breast or bottle fed, when babies start eating solid food, and feeding prebiotics or probiotics to babies to prevent or lessen the symptoms of atopic dermatitis. At best, these studies show further study is needed.

Along this line, recent studies presented at the International Symposium on Early Nutrition Programming found that bacteria in babies guts may be an area to focus on. These studies showed that babies who have a family history of atopic dermatitis have a higher chance of not developing it themselves if they have certain bacteria in their intestines.

It makes sense that the right balance of bacteria could be helpful. Soon after birth bacteria colonize babies’ guts and their immune systems start to work developing what is known as gut immunity. Gut immunity is important because it’s the first line of defense against absorption of substances that could trigger allergies.

The investigators are hoping that the risk of atopic dermatitis can be lessened by giving babies the right bacterial strains and prebiotic mixtures to boost their immune systems.

A recent study compared a relatively simple procedure for straightening an ingrown toenail to removing a portion of the nail all the way back to the nail bed. The number of people who had recurrent ingrown toenails after 2 years was similar in both groups. However, the people who had the straightening procedure, termed orthonyxia, had less pain and bleeding after the procedure and were able to wear shoes sooner.

I think if I had an ingrown toenail, I’d pick the easier, less painful procedure in a heartbeat.

Cleansers are designed to remove dirt, sweat, sebum, and oils from the skin, however some cleansers can cause harm to the barrier function of the skin leading to redness, irritation, and dry skin. Learn more about how cleansers interact with the top layer of the skin.