Lindsay Kalan (right) and MSc student Jordana Ferro examine a dish containing skin-associated bacteria. Photo courtesy McMaster University News The human skin microbiome may be an untapped source of new antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents, researchers at McMaster University report. In a study published in the journal Nature Communications, the investigators swabbed more than 30 volunteers at eight body sites representing distinct microenvironments—including the neck, n

Photo by Threecharlie via Wikimedia Commons People taking GLP-1 receptor agonists reported nail detachment more than four times as often as nonusers with obesity or type 2 diabetes, according to the first controlled study to examine the medications' potential effects on nail health. The findings were presented Oct. 1 at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2026 in Vienna. The study compared 575 GLP-1 receptor agonist users with 1,329 controls wi

Dark, shiny skin on distal phalanges of both hands in systemic sclerosis. Photo by Maria Sieglinda von Nudeldorf via Wikimedia Commons Researchers have developed and tested a camera-based technique to objectively assess skin changes in systemic sclerosis. In a paper published in The Lancet Rheumatology, the authors note that for more than 50 years, physicians have relied on manually pinching the skin to assess its thickness. This subjective approach remains central to diagnos

Photo by Dineshkumar Nallaveerappan via Wikimedia Commons In an early study, an experimental topical therapy for scabies eliminated mites and eggs in a single treatment session, outperforming standard oral ivermectin. The findings were published in Science Translational Medicine (2026 Sep; 18(869) https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.aeg5917) In the paper, the authors note that while scabies affects roughly 400 million people annually, current therapies lack activity against

Patients should be screened for conditions affecting the skin and heart Some rare dermatologic conditions may have a link to heart health, meaning dermatologists need to take appropriate action when seeing patients who present with a condition that may have a cardiac component. That’s according to a news article in the September 2026 edition of The Chronicle of Skin & Allergy. During a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in Denver, Dr. El

Photo by icon0.com via Pexels.com Findings from a new study spanning 136 countries reveal that more than 40% of countries worldwide have reported climate-related changes in the prevalence or severity of skin disease, with lower-income countries disproportionately affected (Khalfalla T, et al: The global impact of climate change on dermatological disease: International results from 136 countries participating in the SkinObservatory study. EADV Congress 2026, Vienna, Austria).

Transmission electron microscopy images of the dermatophytes T. rubrum (A–F) and M. canis (G–L). The images show untreated cells (A, B, G, H) and cells treated with C. salviifolius extract (C–F, I–L), showing alterations in cellular structure. Arrows indicate autophagy-like structures. Source: Álvarez-Martínez et al., Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Image by Álvarez-Martínez et al., Journal of Ethnopharmacology. / UMH Researchers in Spain, Belgium, and Portugal report that an e

Image courtesy Dr. U Hair and Skin Clinic Three severe scalp conditions usually diagnosed separately may represent a single clinical syndrome, according to a small case series that could help physicians identify extensive disease earlier. The study, published in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, linked acne keloidalis nuchae (AKN), dissecting cellulitis of the scalp (DCS), and secondary cutis verticis gyrata, or CVG. AKN produces inflammatory papules and thi