https://medicalxpress.com/skin-hair-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Skin & Hair Care A natural compound made by Australian bees to seal their hives may help stop scarring in human skin after surgery, injury and burns, according to University of the Sunshine Coast researchers. The scientists say the laboratory finding has "immense potential" for future applications in people with scarring ranging from shallow and cosmetic to deep and debilitating, known as hypertrophic. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-australian-bee-scar-compound-scars.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:40:04 EDT news695461023 Instead of applying ointment and attaching a bandage, a "smart patch that regulates treatment intensity on its own just by being attached" has appeared. A research team has developed a "self-regulating OLED wound healing patch" that combines light and drugs to pull up the wound recovery speed by about twice. It is expected to develop into an intelligent treatment technology where light regulates drug release according to the patient's condition in the future. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-smart-oled-patch-automate-drug.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:40:03 EDT news695305461 Scientists have long known that our skin is home to vast communities of bacteria, fungi and viruses. But knowing which microbes are present only tells part of the story. What matters just as much is which microbes are active, what genes they switch on, and how they interact with one another on the skin. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-hidden-skin-microbe-revealed-real.html Fri, 10 Apr 2026 16:40:02 EDT news695041309 Keratin is the fibrous, waterproof protein that builds everything from our hair and nails to a rhino's horn. However, a tiny glitch in it can have problematic outcomes. A new study has found that changes in a keratin gene called KRT16 can lead to a rare condition known as pachyonychia congenita (PC). This disorder affects the skin, nails, and the lining of the mouth, and often causes painful, thick patches of skin—especially on the hands and feet. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-skin-protein-k16-inflammation-stressed.html Fri, 10 Apr 2026 13:20:03 EDT news695037258 Fibrosis is the body's way of patching up damage—a bit like fixing a pothole. When skin is cut or a muscle is injured, fibroblast cells rush in to make fibronectin and collagen, which are two major extracellular matrix proteins in tissue. They pull the wound edges together and build a temporary scaffold to let tissue heal. Once the job is done, the body slowly removes the extra fibers and the tissue softens again. This type of normal wound healing is essential. However, problems arise when fibroblasts do not stop making fibers. Instead of healing and calming, the tissue becomes thicker, stiffer, and less able to work. This long-term, uncontrolled scarring is called pathological fibrosis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-uncontrolled-scarring-reveals-cell-sensor.html Thu, 02 Apr 2026 14:40:02 EDT news694354584 Mount Sinai researchers have published the first organ-wide human skin spatial atlas from across the body. It provides an unprecedentedly detailed view of healthy human skin, revealing cellular composition and functional mechanisms of skin from more than a dozen unique sites on the body, including the scalp and sole. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-spatial-atlas-reveals-unique-cell.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 18:20:01 EDT news693499441 Scientists have identified the transporter protein that allows essential fats in the bloodstream to enter the skin, reshaping understanding of how the skin maintains its protective barrier. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-scientists-uncover-key-lipid-skin.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:16:33 EDT news693486961 The mystery of how stress exacerbates atopic dermatitis, more commonly known as eczema, may be closer to being understood. A new study published in the journal Science has identified a specific nerve pathway that helps explain the link. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-stress-pathway-reveals-nervous-contributes.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:00:02 EDT news693221723 A topical cream activated the skin's immune defenses and suppressed tumor growth in two preclinical models of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-enzyme-blocking-cream-growth-common.html Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:00:01 EDT news692612641 Consumers can protect their skin from damaging ultraviolet (UV) light rays for as little as $40 a year—or as much as $1,400 a year—depending on how expensive a sunscreen they buy and how much of their skin they protect with hats and clothing, according to a new analysis by researchers at UC San Francisco. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-skin-uv-year.html Thu, 26 Feb 2026 17:50:02 EST news691349701 When you scratch an itch, something tells your brain when to stop. That moment of relief, when scratching feels "enough," is not accidental. Scientists have now identified a key molecular and neural mechanism behind this built-in braking system, shedding new light on how the body regulates itch and why this control fails in chronic conditions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-scientists.html Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:00:13 EST news690818570 In the most comprehensive analysis to date, a new study by Silent Spring Institute identified dozens of hazardous chemicals in hair extensions, including products made from human hair, providing the strongest evidence yet of the potential health risks associated with this largely unregulated category of beauty products that disproportionately affect Black women. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-hair-extensions-dangerous-chemicals-previously.html Wed, 11 Feb 2026 08:00:06 EST news689946541 Radiation therapy is highly effective at killing cancer cells, but it often harms healthy skin around the treatment area, a common side effect experienced by up to 95% of cancer patients undergoing treatment. In worst-case scenarios, it can result in delayed or halted treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-mrna-therapy-patients-skin-cancer.html Tue, 10 Feb 2026 16:51:34 EST news689964661 Psoriasis is a common inflammatory skin disease linked to several long-term health conditions, such as heart disease, arthritis and type 2 diabetes, and has a substantial impact on sufferers' quality of life. Although the World Health Organization has highlighted the need for more personalized care for patients, progress has been limited by the lack of reliable biomarkers to guide clinical decision making. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-gene-biomarker-paves-tailored-psoriasis.html Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:39:30 EST news689445542 A new solution that could overcome the limitations of conventional hair-loss treatments is emerging. Heavy and rigid helmet-type phototherapy devices may soon become a thing of the past. A joint research team has developed a hat-like, wearable OLED-based phototherapy device and demonstrated that it can suppress hair-follicle cell aging by up to 92%, a key factor in hair-loss progression. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-cap-oled-wearable-hair-loss.html Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:00:03 EST news689432279 The secret to youthful appearance and repairing scars may lie in a microscopic skin structure humans share with pigs and grizzly bears—but, surprisingly, not monkeys. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-pigs-grizzlies-monkeys-clues-youthful.html Wed, 04 Feb 2026 11:00:02 EST news689421406 Researchers have discovered that natural "sunscreen" compounds found in algae and cyanobacteria may also support skin and heart health. By comparing two mycosporine-like amino acids, the team showed for the first time that these molecules can block a key enzyme involved in blood pressure control in laboratory tests, while also offering antioxidant and anti-aging effects. The findings open new possibilities for cosmetics and functional foods based on nature-derived ingredients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-natural-sunscreen-compounds-potential-skin.html Fri, 30 Jan 2026 12:24:22 EST news688998241 Gene-editing tools like CRISPR have unlocked new treatments for previously uncurable diseases. Now, researchers at the University of British Columbia are extending those possibilities to the skin for the first time. The UBC team, together with researchers from the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité in Germany, has developed the first gene therapy capable of correcting faulty genes when applied directly to human skin. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-scientists-gene-treatment-skin-conditions.html Tue, 27 Jan 2026 16:43:40 EST news688754581 Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic disease that affects an increasing number of children and adults. The skin is dry and irritated, and the itching can be so severe that it interferes with sleep and daily life. Although AD has been discussed for years, it is only now that scientists are beginning to understand exactly why the disease causes so much itching. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-atopic-dermatitis-microscope-scientists-mechanism.html Mon, 26 Jan 2026 09:18:12 EST news688641421 Tweaking a pattern of wound healing established millions of years ago may enable scar-free injury repair after surgery or trauma, Stanford Medicine researchers have found. If results from their study, which was conducted in mice, translate to humans, it may be possible to avoid or even treat the formation of scars anywhere on or within the body. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-scars-body.html Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:22:46 EST news688310434