1st Annual Meeting of the Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie [GD] (Society for Dermopharmacy) in Düsseldorf on 4 June 1997
GD Press releases 1 to 6/1997 concerning the 1st Annual Meeting of the Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie 1997
In
brief - News from the 1st Annual Meeting of the Society for Dermopharmacy
Society for Dermopharmacy: cooperation of skin experts
Standardized
allergy pass
Protection
against skin damages caused by sun exposure by
carotinoids
Vitamin
E - all-rounder in prophylaxis and therapy of skin diseases
Expenditure
amounting to billions caused by occupational skin diseases
Press release 1/1997
Sun protection by means of carotinoids
Scientific studies have shown that a UV-ray treatment over a long period of time lowers the beta carotene content in skin and thus its natural barrier function. The consumption of carotinoids compensates this process. As the graduate biologist Dr. Ulrike Heinrich of the University Witten Herdecke informed at the 1st Annual Meeting of the Institute for Dermopharmacy in Düsseldorf, mainly fair skin-type persons should take daily 30 milligrams - respectively one to two capsules carotinoids - at least four weeks before going on holiday in order to increase the natural skin protection towards the sun. The carotinoids reduce the risk of getting a sunburn by approximately 50 per cent. Persons normally using sun filter products of protection factors 20 can now change to factor 10.
Allergy pass
A steadily increasing number of persons suffer from allergies. They are often not only bothersome but they can even be dangerous to life, e.g. persons suffering from an allergy regarding certain drugs. An informative allergy pass may be an important tool in this case. The Deutsche Kontaktallergie-Gruppe (German Contact Allergy Group) has recently presented a new allergy pass which supplies standardized information and is to replace all other existing passes. Prof. Dr. med. Sawko W. Wassilew, Hautklinik Krefeld (Skin Clinic) stressed on the occasion of the 1st Annual Meeting of the Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie in Düsseldorf, that this new allergy pass represents a medical document. Allergic persons should carry this pass with them any time - for their own safety.
Occupation and skin
Some professions get under people's skin in the true sense of the word because the contact with skin-damaging substances cannot always be avoided. A striking example are hairdressers. A change of profession is not seldom necessary due to allergic reactions. Dr. Joachim Kresken mentioned the wearing of suitable protecting gloves as effective prophylactic measure at the 1st Annual Meeting of the Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie in Düsseldorf. He explained further that special skin protection products are also partly helpful which are applied on the skin before starting work as well as regenerating skin protection products which are put on after having finished work.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a real all-rounder in preventing and curing of skin diseases. Correspondingly, the dermatologist Professor Dr. med. Hans Christian Korting of Munich informed at the meeting of the Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie in Düsseldorf that vitamin E generates for example a protection against the injuring effect of UV-light. Scientific investigations have proven this phenomenon. So-called free-oxygen radicals are responsible for the development of a multitude of skin diseases. They are attacking healthy cells. Vitamin E inactivates these radicals and protects thus from skin diseases. Vitamin E equally has a positive effect on the prevention of heart diseases.
Press release 2/1997
Society for Dermopharmacy: cooperation of skin experts
The skin is not only our largest organ but also a specialized field in which numerous scientists from many different sectors work. These subject-matters are designated as dermopharmacy. A cooperation of the various experts is indispensable. Dermatologists working in practices or clinics, pharmacists as well as physicians, natural scientists or other experts working in laboratories, the university or investigation laboratories in the dermatologically oriented pharmaceutical and cosmetical industry cooperate in the field of dermopharmacy. As a matter of tradition, dermatologists and pharmacists cooperate regarding the dermatological individual prescription, however, there is an increasing interdepartmental cooperation concerning development, analysis and assessment of industrially produced dermatics and cosmetic products. In order to coordinate these mutual activities, the Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie (GD) was founded in Eschborn on 20 June 1995.
The society's objectives are according to the statutes:
furtherance of
scientific research in the fields of dermopharmacy, dermatopharmacology, dermatology
and cosmetology,
the spreading
of latest findings from these spheres for the benefit of the general public
as well as the
advancement of cooperation between pharmacists, physicians and other experts
supporting scientific and applied dermopharmacy or working in this field.
The society cooperates likewise with German or international associations having similar targets. The society's aim is the establishing of latest scientific findings into applied dermopharmacy. This applies in special for the sectors of the dermatological prescription, the treatment of skin diseases and cosmetic measures to ensure the skin's healthy state.
Press release 3/1997
Standardized allergy pass - indicator for physician,
pharmacist and patient
Exact knowledge of existing allergies may often save the physician,
pharmacist and patient time-consuming diagnostical and possibly unnecessary
therapeutical measures. This is why a careful completed allergy pass is important
and in the case of an emergency it may even save lifes.
The Deutsche Kontaktallergie-Gruppe (German Contact Allergy Group) has now introducted
a new allergy pass which provides standardized information and is to replace
all other passes. Different forms and their indications have frequently led
to confusion regarding existing allergies in the past; as a consequence in many
cases allergy passes have not been taken seriously.
Professor Dr. med. S.W. Wassilew, Krefeld, pointed out in the framework of the
1st Annual Meeting of the Society for Dermopharmacy in Düsseldorf on 4 June
1997 that the new allergy pass is to be considered as a medical document. Due
to the fact that it contains all diagnosed allergens and pertaining information
as to necessary actions, allergic persons should always carry this pass with
them - especially when traveling.
The new allergy pass has been elaborated by order of the Deutsche Kontaktallergie-Gruppe (German Contact Allergy Group) from a body of experts and decided at a mutual meeting of dermatological clinics and the study group for occupational and environmental dermatology. An establishing as standardized document at a national and international level is aimed at.
Press release 4/1997
Protection from sun-caused skin injuries by carotinoids
The risks for the
skin by acute and also chronical sun exposure of ultraviolet light are known
to a large extent. An extensive sun exposure entails a premature ageing, the
forming of a hyperceratosis and atrophies and last but not least it is one of
the causes of skin cancer. Due to these reasons, the beau ideal of the tanned
skin has been looked upon for a long time as critical and sun protection is
given special importance.
Among the causes of UV-caused skin damages there is also the development of
free radicals in epidermis and dermis. Therefore, there is a need of substances
which are able to bind free radicals. According to an investigation by Dr. Ulrike
Heinrich, Universität Witten-Herdecke which has been introduced at the 1st Annual
Meeting of the Society for Dermopharmacy in Düsseldorf on 4 June 1997, systemical
carotinoids ensure above all an additional protection against sun-caused skin
damages on the basis of their photo-protective and antioxidative effect for
persons sensitive to light. Obviously, this can be traced back to the fact that
carotinoids in a mixture of alpha-carotene, beta- carotene, cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin
and luteine set off a change in pigmentation and thus increase the reflecting
ability of the skin. Two probationer groups have been treated for a period of
6 or 12 weeks with 50 respectively 25 mg each of this carotinoid mixture which
is produced from the seaweed Dunaliella salina. Comparable results have been
achieved in both groups. Though, Ms. Heinrich added, in case of the intake of
carotinoids under no circumstances the use of topical sun-protection products
can be dispensed with. In addition, an appeal has to be made to the understanding
of each single person to avoid excessive UV-radiation exposure if possible,
the referee emphasized.
Press release 5/1997
Vitamin E - all-rounder in prophylaxis and therapy
of skin diseases
As professor H.C. Korting, Munich, describes the situation "human skin
is exposed to a larger extent than other organs to physical and chemical environmental
strain entailing an oxidative stress". In his opinion free oxygen radicals have
a joint responsibility for the generation of a multitude of different skin diseases.
There can be skin damages of short duration but also continual lesions, e.g.
erythemas, oedema, thickening of skin, increased wrinkle formation, cancer and
- caused by ultraviolet light - a premature ageing of skin. In order to protect
the skin from these damages respectively from the consequences of this oxidative
stress, a systemical as well as a topical application of vitamin E in the form
of the RRR-alpha-tocopherol, a fat-soluble, not enzymatic antioxidans is qualified.
As Korting could prove, the RRR-alpha-tocopherol in in-vitro-assay with human
keratinozytes and fibroblasts gives protection in relation to the doses against
the damaging effect of UV-light. The relevance of these results is tested at
present at the example of the UV-erythema.
Press release 6/1997
Expenditure amounting to billions by occupational skin diseases
Despite the considerably improved industrial safety measures, skin damaging
effects cannot be totally avoided for some professional groups. Concerned are
co-workers of industrial plants, the trade, hospitals, doctors' practices and
hairdresser's shops, but also persons working at households. Substances having
an irritative or allergen ability as metal-salt compounds, cooling lubricating
substances, detergents, disinfectants, biocides, solvents, dyes, etc. can lead
to an excessive strain or damaging of the skin barrier and as a consequence
thereof to the developing of a cumulative-toxical or allergical contact eczema
at predisposed skin. This phenomena can represent a threat with regard to professional
life and development. Not seldom a change of profession or working place is
required and in extreme cases even a job resignation. In any case, however,
the expenses accruing from such occupational skin diseases are significant and
reach the amount of billions at employers, health insurance companies and accident
insurance bodies according to forecasts. This is not surprising if one considers
the loss of working hours, therapy- and rehabilitation-costs as well as compensation
payments.
As Dr. Joachim Kresken, pharmacist at Viersen and chairman of the recently founded
Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie emphasized at the 1st Annual Meeting in Düsseldorf
on 4 June 1997, against this background an efficient prophylaxis of occupational
skin diseases is of special importance. Collective technical protection measures
and the wearing of protective gloves are optimal according to Kresken due to
the fact that in most cases the hands are exposed to harmful substances. No
complete but a partial contact protection offer equally special skin protection
products which are used before beginning work. Undisputed, according to Kresken,
is the prophylaxis by mild skin cleansing and regenerating skin care measures.
The skin cleansers used should be chosen adjusted to kind and intensity of the
respective soiling and have a proven skin tolerance. As care products mostly
o/w emulsions are given preference because they are very well absorbed by skin
and therefore give users a pleasant sensation. However, for very dry skin the
application of w/o emulsions rich of lipids is preferable.
For further information please contact:
Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie
65760 Eschborn
Tel: +49-6196-928-328
FAX: +49-6196-928-329
Internet:info@dermopharmazie.de
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