Daily Cosmetic Research Analysis

Fibroma pendulans, commonly known as skin tag, is a benign protrusion of connective tissue that often develops groupwise in areas subjected to mechanical friction. Although generally harmless, they can become cosmetically concerning or painful if infarcted. Traditional removal methods, such as electrocautery and cryotherapy, often result in hypopigmentation or scarring. Lasers became interesting for skin-tag removal, but are they really more effective than classical scissor snip exisions? This study aimed to compare the efficacy, healing outcomes, and patient acceptance of scissor snip excision versus 532 nm LBO laser therapy for the removal of skin tags. 68 patients with a total of 1,257 fibromas located on the neck or axillae were treated. Each patient received both treatments in a randomized split-neck/axillar manner. Fibromas were either excised using scissors or treated with the non-ablative 532 nm LBO laser. Outcomes were evaluated at 4 and 12 weeks post-treatment, focusing on complete healing, patient preference, pain perception, and cosmetic results. At 12 weeks, the scissor excision group exhibited a significantly higher healing rate of 85% compared to 71% in the laser group (p = 0.00001). The adjusted overall response rate was 92.64% for scissor excision and 84.19% for laser treatment. Patient preference favored scissor excision, with 63% of patients opting for this method for future treatments, while 19% preferred the laser, and 18% were indifferent. Pain scores were lower for scissor excision (mean: 2.6) compared to laser treatment (mean: 3.42). Laser therapy was 39% faster than scissor excision when accounting for wound dressing, although it had higher rates of redness, hyper- and hypopigmentation. The bloodless nature of the laser and the absence of dressings were perceived as advantages, but the persistence of necrotic fibromas for up to three weeks was a notable drawback. Despite the perceived advantages of a bloodless and dressing-free procedure with the 532 nm LBO laser, scissor snip excision demonstrated superior healing outcomes, lower pain scores, and higher patient satisfaction. These findings suggest that scissor snip excision remains the gold standard for treating pedunculated fibromas, though further studies exploring the effect of the 532 nm laser on small disseminated fibromas and other laser modalities are warranted.

Hypertrophic scars, caused by abnormal wound healing after injury, involve excessive fibroblast activity, ECM dysregulation, and inflammation. Bioactive peptides show antifibrotic potential. Based on our previous discovery of scar-modulating peptides from adipose-derived stem cells, this study reveals how ADSCP6 (Adipose-derived stem cell peptide 6) suppresses hypertrophic scarring. In vitro analyses revealed that ADSCP6 significantly downregulated type I collagen and ACTA2 (alpha smooth muscle actin) expression in human hypertrophic scar fibroblasts (HSFs), without altering proliferative/apoptotic activity. In vivo, topical ADSCP6 administration enhanced wound healing and attenuated collagen content in a murine excisional wound model. Transcriptomic profiling (RNA-seq) identified 328 differentially expressed genes (182 upregulated, 146 downregulated) post-treatment, with KEGG (kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes) pathway enrichment implicating NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa-B) signaling as a primary mechanism. Protein interaction assays (pull-down/cellular thermal shift assays) identified KANK2 (KN motif and ankyrin repeat domains 2) and ADGRE2/EMR2 (adhesion G protein-coupled receptor E2) as ADSCP6-binding partners, while western blot confirmed NF-κB1 (p50) upregulation. Functional validation demonstrated that NF-κB pathway blockade abrogated ADSCP6's antifibrotic effects. ADSCP6 reduced the expression of FAK, STAT3, and SMAD2 proteins. Macrophage-conditioned media from ADSCP6-treated cultures suppressed HSFs collagen synthesis, and ADSCP6 significantly enhanced HUVEC (human umbilical vein endothelial cells) tubulogenesis, suggesting pro-angiogenic activity. Overall, these findings establish ADSCP6 as a multifunctional therapeutic peptide that concurrently attenuates fibrotic progression and accelerates wound healing, positioning it as a novel candidate for clinical scar management.

To overcome the inherent emulsifying limitations of Bletilla striata polysaccharides while preserving their bioactive activity, we developed DBSP-5-based gel-like Pickering emulsions combining plant-derived carboxylated cellulose nanocrystals (cCNC) and coconut oil, stabilized without surfactants to enable eco-friendly applications in biomedical and cosmetic formulations. While cCNC stabilized coconut oil into gel-like emulsions, water precipitation occurred after 7 days. A dual-layer stabilization strategy employed degraded Bletilla striata polysaccharides (DBSP)-5, leveraging its depletion effect to enhance cCNC adsorption onto droplets, reinforcing the flocculating network. The addition of DBSP-5 in ratios of 1:5, 2:5, and 1:1, emulsion droplets aggregated into gel-like structures. Rheological analysis showed DBSP-5 improved emulsion stability via depletion effects, augmented the emulsion structures and ionic stability, and exhibited effectiveness against temperature changes. Furthermore, emulsions with 1:5 and 2:5 ratios exhibited strong elastic recovery, indicating a reinforced three-dimensional cCNC-coconut oil network. This dual-layer approach enhances polysaccharide delivery potential by optimizing emulsion stability and gelation.