The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review.

People commonly inquire about vitamin and mineral supplementation and diet as a means to prevent or manage dermatological diseases and, in particular, hair loss. Answering these queries is frequently challenging, given the enormous and conflicting evidence that exists on this subject. There are several reasons to suspect a role for micronutrients in non-scarring alopecia. Micronutrients are major elements in the normal hair follicle cycle, playing a role in cellular turnover, a frequent occurrence in the matrix cells in the follicle bulb that are rapidly dividing. Management of alopecia is an essential aspect of clinical dermatology given the prevalence of hair loss and its significant impact on patients' quality of life. The role of nutrition and diet in treating hair loss represents a dynamic and growing area of inquiry. In this review we summarize the role of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, iron, selenium, and zinc, in non-scarring alopecia. A broad literature search of PubMed and Google Scholar was performed in July 2018 to compile published articles that study the relationship between vitamins and minerals, and hair loss. Micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals play an important, but not entirely clear role in normal hair follicle development and immune cell function. Deficiency of such micronutrients may represent a modifiable risk factor associated with the development, prevention, and treatment of alopecia. Given the role of vitamins and minerals in the hair cycle and immune defense mechanism, large double-blind placebo-controlled trials are required to determine the effect of specific micronutrient supplementation on hair growth in those with both micronutrient deficiency and non-scarring alopecia to establish any association between hair loss and such micronutrient deficiency.Plain Language Summary: Plain language summary available for this article.

Laser treatment of primary axillary hyperhidrosis: a review of the literature.

Hyperhidrosis o`ccurs when the body produces sweat beyond what is essential to maintain thermal homeostasis. The condition tends to occur in areas marked by high-eccrine density such as the axillae, palms, and soles and less commonly in the craniofacial area. The current standard of care is topical aluminum chloride hexahydrate antiperspirant (10-20%), but other treatments such as anticholinergics, clonidine, propranolol, antiadrenergics, injections with attenuated botulinum toxin, microwave technology, and surgery have been therapeutically implicated as well. Yet, many of these treatments have limited efficacy, systemic side effects, and may be linked with significant surgical morbidity, creating need for the development of new and effective therapies for controlling excessive sweating. In this literature review, we examined the use of lasers, particularly the Neodynium:Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet (Nd:YAG) and diode lasers, in treating hyperhidrosis. Due to its demonstrated effectiveness and limited side effect profile, our review suggests that Nd:YAG laser may be a promising treatment modality for hyperhidrosis. Nevertheless, additional large, randomized controlled trials are necessary to confirm the safety and efficacy of this treatment option.

Efficacy of Nd:YAG laser therapy for the treatment of verrucae: a literature review.

Verrucae are benign epithelial proliferations, characteristically 1-20 mm in diameter, caused by human papilloma virus (HPV) infection occurring on the skin and mucosa (Photomed Laser Surg 33(6):338-42, 2015; Lasers Med Sci 29(3):1111-6, 2014). Prevalence of verrucae is 5-20% in children and young adults with peak incidence reported during teenage years (Lasers Med Sci 29(3):1111-6, 2014; J Am Acad Dermatol 22(4):547-66, 1990; J Korean Med Sci 24(5):889-93, 2009). Patients often express significant displeasure with quality of life due to this cosmetic insecurity, as well as functional problems and physical discomfort when they occur on palms of hands and soles of feet. Traditional therapeutic options for warts, such as topical salicyclic acid, topical imiquimod, bleomycin injections, cryotherapy, surgical excision, and electrocautery, have proven somewhat effective but often lead to high recurrence rates or scarring (Photomed Laser Surg 33(6):338-42, 2015). Laser therapy offers an alternative solution by employing selective tissue destruction with minimal risks. We performed a broad literature search in PubMed to obtain all available published articles that studied the treatment of verrucae on the skin with 1064-nm neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser. This laser is specifically suited for verruca treatment due to its deeply penetrating 1064-nm wavelength and relatively low risk of pigmentation changes in dark skin types (Photomed Laser Surg 33(6):338-42, 2015). Laser therapy is effective in the treatment of verrucae and has enabled clinicians to provide direct, targeted treatment of warts.

Lasers in the treatment of acne.

Acne is a chronic disease of the pilosebaceous units, presenting as inflammatory or noninflammatory lesions, affecting primarily the face but also the back and chest. The mainstay of treatment remains topical retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, azelaic acid, antibiotics, and isotretinoin, many of which result in poor compliance, lack of durable remission, and incur adverse effects. The use of lasers to treat acne is continuously increasing because of their minimal complications, limited number of office-based treatments required, potential benefits of simultaneously treating acne scarring, and the rapid onset of results. The 1450 nm diode laser, 585- and 595-nm pulsed dye lasers (PDLs), near infrared diode lasers, 1320 nm Nd:YAG laser, 532 nm potassium titanyl phosphate laser, 1064 nm long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser, 1540 nm Erbium (Er):Glass Laser, and the 1550 nm Er:Glass fractional laser are among the most common lasers used to treat acne and acne scarring. These lasers target the underlying causes of acne including the colonization of Priopionibacterium acnes, high levels of sebum production, altered keratinization, inflammation, and bacterial colonization of hair follicles on the face, neck, and back. We review the efficacy and side effect profiles of various lasers used to treat acne.