Małgorzata Bożek

(1) Background: Facial erythema is spatially heterogeneous and may fluctuate considerably, making objective assessment of treatment-related changes challenging. This study aimed to evaluate changes in facial erythema following a hydroporation-based transdermal delivery protocol using complementary instrumental and image-based methods. (2) Methods: Twenty-eight women with persistent facial erythema underwent six treatment sessions performed at weekly intervals. Erythema was assessed at baseline, after three treatments, and after completion of the treatment series using a Mexameter and standardized cross-polarized photography followed by Gray-Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) texture analysis of the green image channel at 45° and 135° orientations. Representative high-frequency ultrasound images were acquired to illustrate fluid deposition within the dermis immediately after the infusion step. (3) Results: The median Mexameter erythema index decreased from 383.0 (IQR 362.5–418.5) at baseline to 297.0 (268.5–337.5) after three treatments and 270.0 (247.3–311.3) after six treatments, with significant differences between all time points (Holm-adjusted p < 0.001; r = 0.74–0.86). GLCM analysis demonstrated a significant decrease in contrast and an increase in homogeneity at both 45° and 135° orientations compared with baseline (Holm-adjusted p < 0.001; r = 0.74–0.83). No significant differences in either GLCM parameter were observed between the third and sixth treatments (p > 0.05). (4) Conclusions: The hydroporation-based transdermal delivery protocol was associated with a significant reduction in facial erythema. Mexameter and GLCM analysis provided complementary quantitative information on treatment response.

Background: Many widely used drugs—including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, tetracyclines and thiazide diuretics—are labelled as photosensitising, yet their phototoxicity has been defined almost entirely by ultraviolet A (UVA) exposure. Whether this risk extends to the near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths of lasers commonly used in aesthetic medicine is unclear, and a history of such medication is often treated as a relative contraindication to laser procedures. Methods: A bibliometric analysis of 391 Scopus-indexed publications using VOSviewer was performed to quantitatively map the thematic structure of the retrieved literature. The bibliometric mapping was complemented by sequential refinement of the Scopus corpus and a focused assessment of the final records to determine whether studies directly addressing the predefined experimental question could be identified. We assessed whether 980 nm diode-laser irradiation of normal human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) induces phototoxicity in the presence of seven photosensitisers (ketoprofen, meloxicam, hydrochlorothiazide, doxycycline and diclofenac, with chlorpromazine and 8-methoxypsoralen as reference photosensitizers). Cells were irradiated through the closed culture-plate lid at two fluences (62.3 and 34.4 mJ/cm and viability was measured 0.5, 1 and 24 h later. Data were analysed by two-way ANOVA (compound × laser), pairwise Welch tests with Benjamini–Hochberg correction, and equivalence testing against an ISO 10993-5-based margin. Results: Viability remained between 82.7% and 109.6% of control under all conditions and never fell below the 70% cytotoxicity threshold. The compound × laser interaction was non-significant at every time point (p = 0.25–0.69), indicating no drug-specific phototoxicity, and no pairwise comparison remained significant after correction. A small, drug- and fluence-independent reduction of about six percentage points was observed but stayed well within the non-cytotoxic range and was equally present in drug-free controls. Conclusions: Under the specific 980 nm irradiation conditions tested, the photosensitising drugs did not increase phototoxicity in normal human dermal fibroblasts. These findings support a wavelength-specific view of drug photosafety: rigorous UVA-directed photoprotection remains essential, whereas the tested drugs did not increase phototoxicity under the specific in vitro 980 nm irradiation conditions evaluated in this study.

Drug tablet crushing is a common practice both in domestic and clinical settings. The alteration of a drug’s physical form through crushing removes its protective outer layer, potentially exposing the active pharmaceutical ingredient to UV radiation. This exposure may result in reduced therapeutic efficacy or the formation of undesirable degradation products. This study aimed to investigate the influence of tablet form and color on reflectance and emissivity properties. The research employed novel methodology utilizing a 410-Solar hemispherical directional reflectometer and an ET-100 emissiometer for emissivity measurements. Results demonstrated that intact white and yellow-orange tablets exhibited higher reflectance compared to their powdered counterparts. White tablets, both in solid and crushed forms, consistently showed higher reflectance across all wavelength ranges compared to yellow-orange tablets in their respective forms. Similarly, intact tablets of both colors displayed higher emissivity values than their powdered forms, with white tablets showing higher emissivity in both forms compared to yellow-orange tablets. The findings indicate that crushing tablets, regardless of their color, increases the exposure of the active pharmaceutical ingredient to potentially harmful radiation.

Background: Acne scarring presents a significant esthetic and psychological concern, commonly classified into atrophic and hypertrophic types. Effectively managing these lesions often involves the use of therapeutic strategies such as laser treatments, dermabrasion, and fillers. This study investigates the efficacy of 1550 nm erbium glass laser therapy in the treatment of atrophic acne scars through a quantitative assessment. Material and Methods: Participants with mild to moderate atrophic acne scars received two sessions of fractional erbium glass laser therapy at one-month intervals. Skin density and epidermal thickness were measured using a high-frequency ultrasound device (DUB SkinScanner), while the Antera 3D imaging system facilitated a comprehensive analysis of skin parameters, including texture, volumetric depressions, and pigmentation. Results: The use of this therapy led to significant improvements across multiple parameters. Skin density and epidermal thickness increased. Significant reductions were observed in fold depth, pore volume, and depression volume, indicating enhanced smoothness and minimized scar appearance. Improvements in texture roughness and pigmentation contributed to a visually coherent skin surface. Conclusions: Fractional erbium glass laser therapy effectively ameliorates the appearance of atrophic acne scars by increasing skin density, reducing dermal depressions, and improving texture and pigmentation uniformity. The Antera 3D system and high-frequency ultrasound device demonstrated high efficacy in capturing subtle changes, supporting its value in clinical applications for optimizing treatment parameters.

Sesame oil has been widely used for centuries. It is not only used as a kitchen ingredient, but it is also used to apply to the skin. Sesame oil contains natural compounds such as sesamol, sesamolin and sesamide, which have the ability to reflect or absorb certain UV rays. These substances can act as UV filters, helping to minimize the effects of harmful UV radiation on the skin. The aim of the study was to investigate the radioprotective/sun protection properties of sesame oil. The influence of sesame oils from different manufacturers on the directional reflectance of the skin was analyzed at various time intervals. To assess the sunscreen properties of the oil, a new technique was used: the 410-Solar hemispherical directional reflectometer. Sesame oil can be used in sunscreen preparations, but only when combined with other, more powerful ingredients. The oil itself is not sufficient protection against solar radiation. The study revealed no significant disparities in performance between the tested sesame oils from diverse manufacturers.

Purpose: This pilot study aims to explore how skin parameters and body composition impact the tolerance to EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) stimuli in women, particularly focusing on pain tolerance in response to varying intensities of EMS. This research seeks to understand what is essential for optimizing EMS applications. Patients and Methods: The study involved 16 females (age 35.9 ± 12.3). Body composition and anthropometric measurements were taken, including BMI (Body Mass Index), weight percentage, WHtR (Waist to Height Ratio), WHR (Waist-Hip Ratio), and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis. High-frequency ultrasound scans were conducted to assess skin parameters. The EMS stimulation was performed using an Evolvex (InMode, Israel), with applicators placed around the abdomen and intensity adjusted according to patient tolerance, recorded at the pain threshold. Results: The maximum tolerated EMS stimulus varied from 12V to 55V, with a median of 33V. Body weight showed a strong positive correlation (R=0.76, p< 0.001) and hip circumference (R=0.66, p< 0.001) with EMS intensity. Body fat mass (R=0.61, p=0.012) and visceral fat area (R=0.55, p=0.029) were positively correlated with EMS intensity. However, no significant correlations were observed between EMS tolerance and muscle tissue parameters or total body water content. The study also found that skin structure parameters showed no significant impact on EMS tolerance. Conclusion: The study reveals that women’s tolerance to EMS stimuli is influenced by various factors. Anthropometric parameters like hip circumference, body weight, skinfold, and BMI are strongly correlated with EMS tolerance. Body composition factors, particularly adipose tissue characteristics such as body fat mass and percentage, also significantly impact EMS intensity requirements, with no notable correlation to muscle tissue or water content. However, variations in skin structure, including thickness and density, do not significantly affect EMS tolerance. These insights are crucial for tailoring personalized EMS therapy to enhance effectiveness and comfort in both aesthetic and rehabilitative applications.

Background: Solar radiation is responsible for changes in the structure of human hair, the damages include proteins (65%–95%), lipids, and melanin. The aim was to examine the effectiveness of sunscreen in hair cosmetics and whether hair color affects it. Materials and Methods: The study included nine women, divided according to hair color to three groups: light, dark, and gray hair. The 410‐Solar reflectometer was used in five time points. The hair was divided into three strands, one product applied to each. Results: Dark hair showed the highest absorption of radiation in all wavelength ranges, the reflectance before products application was significantly higher than the hair reflectance immediately after application. The effect of sunscreens on light hair reflectance was found at wavelengths 400 and 720 nm and between 1000 and 2500 nm, the reflectance before application was significantly higher than the reflectance after. The use of products on gray hair did not have a significant effect on hair reflectance at wavelengths 400–1100 nm, the effect of sunscreens on the gray hair reflectance was observed in the UV and infrared range, the reflectance before application was significantly higher than immediately after. Conclusions: The results showed that the 410‐Solar reflectometer is useful to assess the effectiveness of hair sunscreens. All three tested hair products do not show the expected protection properties. Dark hair showed the highest absorption of radiation in all wavelength ranges, suggesting that dark hair should be more protected against radiation than light and gray hair.

Diamond microdermabrasion is one of the most popular cosmetological treatments in the field of mechanical, controlled abrasion of the stratum corneum corneocytes. In this study, the influence of micropeeling on the optical properties of the skin features was investigated. The directional reflectance of the skin was measured before and after the procedure. The study involved 15 women aged 23–26. The tests were performed on the surface of the skin in 15 spots—on the forearms, arms and lower legs. Post-treatment reflectance increased significantly in the wavelength range of 700–2500 nm. In the remaining ranges it also increased, except for the range 480–600 nm, in which it decreased, but insignificantly. It was found that the optical properties of the skin after microdermabrasion changed, the directional reflectance of the skin increased, especially in the infrared range. The main conclusion from the conducted research is that the directional-hemispherical reflectance method can be used to identify female skin features in response of microdermabrasion treatment.

We evaluated the reproducibility of the ¹³C-phenylalanine breath test (¹³C-PheBT). On three separate days, 21 healthy volunteers (11 F and 10 M) underwent ¹³C-PheBT with 100 mg l-[1-¹³C]phenylalanine taken orally. Short-term reproducibility was evaluated with paired examinations taken 3 days apart; paired examinations separated by 23 days (median) served for the medium-term reproducibility assessment. Expiratory air was sampled at 19 points throughout 3 h. Determined limited reproducibility of the ¹³C-PheBT must be taken into consideration while interpreting the results of this diagnostic tool. The results of this study imply the following conclusions: (i) From among the three parameters examined, the cumulative ¹³C recovery area under the curve (AUC) offers much better reproducibility than the maximum momentary ¹³C recovery in the expiratory air (D_max) or the time to reach the maximum momentary ¹³C recovery (T_max) (ii) Collection of the breath air samples for 2 h results in a much better reproducibility of AUC, than for 1 h only; (iii) Reproducibility of ¹³C-PheBT is affected neither by the duration of the time gap between repeated tests nor by gender; (iv) Comparison with data obtained formerly reveals that reproducibility of the ¹³C-PheBT is worse than either that of of the ¹³C-methacetin (¹³C-MBT) or the ¹³C-alpha-ketoisocaproic acic (¹³C-KICA-BT) breath tests. This finding will have to be taken into consideration while interpreting the results of this diagnostic tool.

The aim of this study was to check on the reproducibility of two breath tests intended to test the pancreatic exocrine function accomplished with ¹³C-mixed triglyceride (¹³C-MTG) or cornflakes naturally enriched in ¹³C (¹³C-CF). The ¹³CO₂ content within breath samples was determined with isotope-selective non-dispersive infrared spectrometry. A 72-h monitoring performed in healthy subjects revealed that a statistically significant rise in breath ¹³CO₂ occurs between the 1st and the 9th hour and between the 1st and the 24th hour after intake of a test meal containing 300 mg ¹³C-MTG (n=10) or 100 g ¹³C-CF (n=12), respectively. In another two groups of 12 healthy volunteers each, short-term reproducibility of the two tests was assessed with paired examinations taken at a median interval of two days, whereas paired examinations separated by a median of 20 days served for the medium-term reproducibility assessment. In the case of either test, the medium-term reproducibility was not any worse than the short-term one. The reproducibility of the ¹³C-CF breath test tended to be slightly worse than that of the ¹³C-MTG breath test: a least detectable difference in 6-h cumulative ¹³C breath excretion (which is expressed as the percentage of the administered dose of the substrate) amounted to 2.7 and 4.4 % (short-term reproducibility) and to 3.5 and 4.4 % (medium-term reproducibility) in the case of the ¹³C-MTG breath test and the ¹³C-CF breath test, respectively. It is concluded that both tests offer a satisfactory reproducibility for use within a clinical setting. In case the lipolytic and the amylolytic activity would be required to be examined in the same patient, the ¹³C-CF breath test can be executed on the next day following the ¹³C-MTG breath test, whereas reciprocally, a 1-day break is recommended before accomplishment of a ¹³C-MTG breath test following a ¹³C-CF breath test.