Shoshana Marmon, MD, PhD Some improvements seen in skin thickness and collagen, but study designs varied Topical estrogen is emerging as a sought-after option for menopausal skin changes, but dermatologists caution that the evidence base remains limited and safety questions unresolved, according to a cover article in the Feb. 2026 issue of The Chronicle of Skin & Allergy . Patient interest in facial estrogen preparations has grown in parallel with menopause-focused marketing

This laboratory image shows Staphylococcus aureus bacteria streaked in the shape of a sex steroid, like testosterone. The left shape is of wild-type S. aureus, with the lighter halo around the shape indicating hemolysis, or the breakdown of red blood cells, releasing their hemoglobin into the surrounding fluid. The right shape is a quorum-sensing mutant strain of S. aureus, which cannot damage blood cells. Photo courtesy UT Southwestern Testosterone, long implicated in sex-ba

TRPV4, an ion channel, is found in neurons classically associated with touch, called Aβ low-threshold mechanoreceptors. New research indicates that TRPV4 can generate itch, but it also helps trigger a negative feedback signal, a neural message that tells the spinal cord and brain that scratching has been sufficient. Image Courtesy of Roberta Gualdani Researchers have discovered that the ion channel TRPV4 plays a critical role in regulating the body's built-in "stop-scratching

Photo by Welshsk via Wikimedia Commons The use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), widely used to manage type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity, appears to increase the risk of nonscarring hair loss (NSHL). These findings were published online ahead of print in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology . In the paper, the authors note that emerging reports suggest potential dermatologic adverse effects associated with GLP-1RA use, particular

Photo by Nataliya Melnychuk  via Unsplash Regular use of a sunscreen may do more than deflect ultraviolet (UV) rays—it could help preserve the molecular and epigenetic stability of human skin, according to new research. In a study published in Scientific Reports , Agata Bienkowska and colleagues found that consistent sunscreen application can prevent many of the fundamental biological disruptions caused by repeated UV exposure. The findings build on decades of evidence linkin

DKK3 in keratinocytes orchestrates radiation-induced skin hyperplasia, dermatitis, and fibrosis. Radiation-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) increase DKK3 expression in keratinocytes, which subsequently activates canonical Wnt signaling through autocrine TGF-β signaling. Elevated DKK3 levels in keratinocytes drive hyperproliferation and hyperplasia, promoting the polarization of macrophages toward a profibrotic phenotype. These polarized macrophages, in turn, upregulate..

Drs. Michael Longaker (L), Derrick Wan (C), and Dayan Li (R). Image courtesy Stanford Medicine News Facial wounds may hold the key to minimizing scarring, according to new preclinical research that studied why the face heals differently than the trunk and extremities. The findings, published Jan. 22, 2026, in Cell , outline a neural crest–derived fibroblast program and a ROBO2–EP300 signalling pathway that together drive a more regenerative, less-fibrotic pattern of repair.​

Pustular psoriasis. Photo by Roland Tanglao via Wikimedia Commons Cutaneous paradoxical reactions to biologic therapies for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis are emerging as an important, if unpredictable, complication of these otherwise highly targeted treatments, according to Dr. Jeffrey Marcus Cohen . In a report in the Dec. 2025 issue of The Chronicle of Skin & Allergy , Dr. Cohen noted monoclonal antibodies have transformed care by addressing the underlying immunology of c