The Insight on Skin Pores with Cosmetic Concern in Korean Women / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Enlarged skin pore is a type of serious cosmetic defect for many women. However, the mechanisms underlying the skin pores remain unclear. Currently, several treatment methods are in practice for enlarged skin pores and the most common among those are topical alpha-hydroxy acid, retinoid and chemical peel. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the patients' knowledge, awareness and method of the treatment of the skin pores. METHODS: Analysis of the interview results and questionnaire responses from 256 individuals, who did not having any history of medical disease. RESULTS: The number of patients who think that they have enlarged skin pores was 225 (88%). The most common site was around the nose (48%). Enlarged skin pores are thought to be caused by several factors; seborrhea (38%), after removal of sebum (35%) and acne (30%), and common dissatisfactions with enlarged skin pores were visible blackheads and older looks. Patients receive skin care for enlarged skin pores via various remedies, but only 11% actually received dermatologic procedure. CONCLUSION: High proportion of the population has great concerns regarding their enlarged skin pores, but lack proper treatment. Enlarged skin pores lead to one's dissatisfaction, such as blackheads and older look. Thus, we should investigate the insight on skin pores and offer beneficial treatments for concerned patients.

Insight into Striae Distensae with Cosmetic Concern in Korean Women / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Striae distensae is a common skin condition that can happen to everyone. Most cases do not have serious problems, but those who are affected may suffer from strong cosmetic stress. There was an epidemiologic study of striae distensae in Korean adolescents. Up to now, variable treatment modalities have been tried including topical application of tretinoin and light-based therapy using pulsed dye lasers or fractional lasers. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of striae distensae in Korean women and estimate their understanding. METHODS: We carried out a survey targeting 256 healthy female adults without a history of medical disease and analyzed the results. RESULTS: The number of patients with striae distensae were 219 (86.0%). Striae distensae was mostly seen at the thigh and calf (84.0%) and longitudinal formed striae, with their long axis parallel to the lines of skin tension, was the most frequent shape (44.0%). The most common color of the striae distensae was white (56.0%) and 78% of patients had experienced this before adulthood. Striae distensae is caused by two major factors, overweight (70.0%) and growth spurts (24.0%), and 244 patients (76.0%) replied that they felt uncomfortable because of this disorder. Nineteen patients (8.6%) with striae distensae had gone through treatment. Among them, 11 (5.0%) had technical treatment in dermatologic clinics such as, pulse dye laser, fractional laser, and chemical peeling. Eight patients (3.7%) were treated with folk remedies including moxibustion and acupuncture therapy. However, 154 patients (71%) responded that they wanted treatment for the striae lesion, and 93 patients (43%) have great intention to treatment. CONCLUSION: A lot of patients are still suffering from striae distensae, but so far there is no appropriate treatment. The biggest problem is that there is very little understanding of striae distensae. Patients should be aware of their striae distensae and we should provide appropriate treatment.