Photodynamic Therapy : A Therapeutic Method

Many people think that is it possible to achieve a “healthy tan,” but this thought has been proven wrong. Overexpose to UV-A and UV-B rays from the sun lead to premature aging of the skin, as well as the possible formation of skin cancer, know as melanoma. An appearance of a tan is actually a stage of burning and damage to the skin. Although a tan may be desirable to many, the fact remains that more people need to be educated on the dangers of the sun’s harmful rays, and the possible health complications of overexposure.

Generally this means a pleasing appearance is not a guide to character. In this case, we

Healthy and functioning skin barrier is important protector against dehydration, penetration of various microorganisms, allergens, irritants, reactive oxygen species and radiation. The skin barrier may be specifically adjusted to allow penetration. For this reason daily skin care may increase skin regeneration, elasticity, smoothness, and thus temporarily change the skin condition.

These brown coloured cancerous growths develop when unrepaired DNA has committed damage to the body’s skin cells. It is known that it is the most commonly triggered by vigorous amounts of sunshine, over excessive use of tanning bed and UV lights which result in making mutations in the skin that produces the skin cells to over multiply at a quick rate which can eventually form nasty tumours.

However, this is an argument about the structure of the U.S Healthcare System, rather than causation of skin cancer. Furthermore, Lee stresses that dermatologists use tanning beds to treat patients who suffer from psoriasis, a process referred to as phototherapy, which posed a conflict to my beliefs. This claim did make me question the validity of the link between tanning beds and skin cancer. However, when Lee suggested that dermatologists are monopolizing the tanning industry, he provided evidence that suggested dermatologists have been drastically decreasing their use of phototherapy. As a result, I believe that increased awareness has led most dermatologists to look for new and improved treatments for patients suffering from

Dermatologists, physicists, and scientists conducted a workshop of UVA treatment, and the workshop’s findings are presented in the New England Journal of Medicine. A previous president of the American Academy of Dermatology wrote an article titled “UVA1 is Often A1” to discuss their findings. The workshop found that medium or high-dose UVA1 works well with morphea, urticarial pigmentosa, atopic dermatitis, dyshydrotic dermatitis, subacute pruigo, and systemic lupus erythematosus. These diseases are treated by UVA rays because the wavelength is longer, which means there is less energy delivered to the skin and the greater penetration of photons (Dahl, 2012). Dermatologists even use sunbeds with higher intensity than regular tanning beds in their offices. For example, Windsor Dermatology uses four different types of light therapy to treat the skin condition psoriasis. One type of light therapy is that of UVA. The anti-inflammatory properties of ultraviolet light aid in slowing the growth of psoriasis effected skin

Several findings are made based on the results: UV radiation can cause cell death by inducing genetic mutation, which agree with Diepegen et al. (2012)’s finding regarding UV radiation’s destructive effect at a cellular level. Photoprotective agents can effectively prevent and reduce UV radiation induced damage to cells. Similar findings were made by Quatrano and Dinulos (2013), who indicated that sunscreen contains active ingredient that absorbs UV radiation ranging between 290-400 nm. This experiment proves that photoprotective agents with higher SPF values are more effective in absorbing UV radiation. Indicated by Green et al. (2011), they suggested that regular application of high SPF sunscreen will prevent melanoma.

The innovative use of clearlight as a form of acne treatment provides acne sufferers with a new way to treat acne efficiently. For the past centuries Science had many great inventions and

The skin is the body's greatest organ, and it serves as a guarding deterrent. Its wellbeing and surface appearance are controlled by common components and furthermore the limit of the parts that incorporate the layers underneath

“Psoriasis Uncovered,” goes into depth about the causes of Psoriasis and how the skin disease disrupts the keratinocytes in the epidermis of the skin. Whenever a patient has an outbreak of Psoriasis, keratinocytes reproduce at ten times the rate of normal skin, which means that the skin does not have time to mature, therefore dies and forms a scale-like rash on the infected area. As treatment goes, since the disease is not curable, the symptoms must be treated to improve the quality of life of the patients. Over one hundred years ago, tar was used to collect the dead skin cells and stop the skin from becoming irritated, but since then, there has been a combination of medication, light exposure in tanning beds, and different ointments that have been used to combat the side

The primary function of skin is to form a physical and chemical barrier to the external environment, against injurious insults. Harmful stimuli such as micro-organisms, ultraviolet radiation, toxic agents or irritants evoke a complex response known as inflammation. Inflammation is an essential response in the protection against injurious insults. The five classical signs of acute inflammation are pain, heat, redness, swelling, and functional loss. These signs can be explained by the different phases that the inflammatory response generally follows dilation of capillaries to increase blood flow, vasopermeabilization, leukocyte recruitment elimination of pathogens or injurious stimuli and resolution of inflammation [85]. At the molecular level,

Solar keratosis also known as actinic keratosis is a pre-malignant lesion of the skin that confined to the epidermis and has the potential to develop into squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (1, 2). Solar keratosis is a common skin condition that is associated with cumulative sun exposure, increased susceptibility to sun exposure and increased with age (2, 3). Other risk factors include light-skinned individuals, outdoor workers, previous history of burns, areas directly to sun exposure and low latitude (2, 4). Current therapies for solar keratosis can be divided into lesion-directed: cryotherapy/excision/light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (laser)/radiotherapy, and field-directed topical agents: 5-fluorouracil, diclofenac, photodynamic therapy, and imiquimod (5). For the purpose of this essay, I

Among the various risk factors, the strongest include: family history, prior history of melanoma, immunosuppression and the presence of benign or atypical nevi. Furthermore, increased sun and ultraviolet exposure along with sun sensitivity play a strong role in the development of melanoma (source 5 from NEJM). While excess ultraviolet radiation exposure induces the tanning response, by which melanin is transferred to keratinocytes as a protective mechanism, genetic changes in the skin also occur. For example, cutaneous immune function becomes increasingly impaired, an exacerbation in local growth factor production ensues and, most importantly, excess reactive oxygen species generation occurs inducing DNA damage (source 6 or 7 from

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment that uses a drug, called a photosensitizer and a particular type of light. When photosensitizers are exposed to a certain wavelength of light, they produce a form of oxygen that kills nearby cells. Photodynamic Therapy is also a potential therapy for cancer treatment.

It is based on the principle that a photosensitizer binds to the target cells and can be activated by light of a suitable wavelength.(109) Following activation of the photosensitizer through the application of light of a certain wavelength, singlet oxygen and other very reactive agents are produced that are extremely toxic to certain cells and bacteria.(110) Theoretically, neither the photosensitizer nor light alone can induce an efficient cytotoxic effect on the cells.(110) The photosensitizer is generally applied in the targeted area by topical application, aerosol delivery or interstitial injection.(110) The light that activates the photosensitizer must be of a specific