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ArticlesTopic 07
Adult acne, dark patches, bumps and redness. Evidence over hype for the skin you’re in.
SkinExplainer
Bumps on the buttocks get called butt acne, but two other conditions are common there. Folliculitis, an inflamed hair follicle, is quite common on the buttocks in both men and women. Keratosis pilaris, the rough chicken-skin bumps, showed up on the buttocks in 30% of people in one clinic survey. Here is how to tell them apart, what helps each, and when to see someone.
SkinEvidence check
Cellulite shows up in 80 to 90% of women, including very fit ones, and it isn't a health problem. If you want it less visible anyway, the options range from caffeine creams that work only while you keep applying them to procedures that cut the bands under the skin. One FDA-approved injection was pulled in 2022 over bruising. Here is what each option has shown.
SkinExplainer
Darker, thicker, velvet-textured patches in the folds of the neck, armpits or groin have a name: acanthosis nigricans. In one US study, adults who had it were twice as likely to have type 2 diabetes. It's usually harmless in itself, but it's worth a check. Here is what it can point to and what helps.
SkinQ&A
Ask your surgical team to clarify its requirements for your exact nail products before attending.
SkinEvidence check
Bullous pemphigoid is a blistering skin disease that usually starts after 60, often with weeks of itch first. Diabetes pills called DPP-4 inhibitors, or gliptins, carry a label warning about it. Studies show the added risk is small but clear, and higher in people 65 and older. Here is what to watch for.
SkinEvidence check
A bad night shows on your face, and studies back that up. In Swedish experiments, people photographed after a night without sleep were rated as more tired, less healthy and slightly less attractive, with darker under-eye circles, paler skin and more fine lines. A US study of 60 women found poor sleepers had more signs of skin aging and slower skin barrier recovery. Here is what the research shows.
SkinEvidence check
Cocoa butter and oils are the classic way to try to prevent pregnancy stretch marks. Two placebo-controlled trials found cocoa butter didn't work: in Lebanon, 45% of women using it got stretch marks against 49% on a look-alike lotion, and in Jamaica, 44% against 55%, a difference too small to count. A Cochrane review of six trials found no high-quality evidence for any cream. Here is what the trials show and what's left to try.
SkinEvidence check
Milk and sugar get blamed for breakouts more than almost anything else. Two small trials found a low-glycemic diet cut pimple counts in young people, and studies that asked people what they ate link milk with somewhat higher odds of acne. None of it was done in adult women, and UK guidance says there isn't enough evidence for an acne diet. Here is how to test a food on yourself.
SkinEvidence check
Face yoga promises fuller cheeks and a younger look without needles. In a small Northwestern University pilot, 16 women aged 40 to 65 who did 30 minutes of facial exercises daily, then every other day, for 20 weeks were judged about 3 years younger in photos. But there was no comparison group, 11 of 27 dropped out, and the program's founder was an author. A review of earlier studies found none were controlled.
SkinEvidence check
Earlier lower-SPF studies and newer SPF50+ research need to be read together. Here is how the evidence developed.
SkinEvidence check
Flaky shins and tight skin are among the most common skin complaints of midlife and later. In a Dutch study of 5,547 middle-aged and older adults, 60% had dry skin, with women more affected. A review of 28 studies found about half of older adults have it. Hot showers, some medicines and an underactive thyroid can play a part. Here is what the studies show and what helps.
SkinExplainer
An allergy academy suggests trying an extra rinse when clothes still irritate your skin. That is different from proving double rinsing treats eczema. What to change, record and discuss.
