IBD Paients May Be At Increased Risk Of SKin Cancer

According to the results of two new studies published in the November issue of the journal Gastroenterology, some patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may be at increased risk for skin cancer. Investigators suggest that this is due to their use of certain immunosuppressant drugs used to treat the intestinal disorder. Specifically, IBD patients using thiopurines had a significantly increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer. The second study found that men with Crohn's disease may already be at increased risk for basal cell carcinoma. The use of thiopurines seemed to increases this risk in this study.

Facial Blemishes May Influence Success Of A Job Interview

According to a study published online in the Journal of Applied Psychology, "birthmarks, scars and other facial blemishes may make it harder for people to land a job." In a study involving 170 people conducting sham job interviews, researchers found that "the more the interviewers' attention was distracted by facial blemishes, the less they remembered about the job candidate and the lower they rated them." A second experiment involved 38 full-time managers who "conducted face-to-face interviews with job candidates who had a facial birthmark. All the managers had experience interviewing people for jobs but were still distracted by the birthmarks."

US Doctors to Counsel Youth to Avoid UV Rays.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force has proposed guidelines suggesting that physicians, particularly primary care physicians, talk to young people with fair skin about protecting themselves from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays. This comes just months after the World Health Organization, along with the American Academy of Dermatology and other medical groups, called for a ban on indoor tanning. Don't wait until the damage is done. Start protecting your skin today!

Hiding Psoriatic Nails with Purple Nail Polish? Try Indigo.

According to a new study published in the journal Dermatology, application of indigo naturalis ointment, extracted from the leaves of indigo-bearing plants such as Baphicacanthus cusia and Polygonum tinctorium, may improve the symptoms of nail psoriasis. In the study, 28 patients with nail psoriasis applied one drop of the extract to their affected nails twice a day for 24 weeks. Researchers found that the patients Nail Psoriasis Severity decreased significantly from baseline. The investigators suggested that indigo naturalis extract could be an effective treatment for psoriatic nails.