Skin & Glow-up

1. Skin & Glow-upwell supported · human dataAdded 8 August 2026

   No link between topical retinoids and birth defects in pooled pregnancy data

   Across eight studies and 3,632,118 pregnancies, first-trimester exposure to topical retinoids was not associated with increased risk of major congenital malformations or spontaneous abortion.

   ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of eight observational studies, no randomised evidence, and the null result was driven mainly by a single large registry study. Says nothing about oral retinoids, whose risks are established.Systematic review · Front Drug Saf Regul

   Full breakdown →Topical retinoids and risk of major congenital malformations and spontaneous abortion: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Drug Saf Regul 2026
2. Skin & Glow-upwell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   Eczema linked to higher risk of death from all causes

   A meta-analysis of nine cohort studies found atopic dermatitis was associated with higher all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.222), along with raised risks of death from infectious, respiratory and gastrointestinal disease and cancer.

   ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of nine observational cohort studies; association, not causation. Results varied by study design and region, and the data cannot show whether treating eczema changes mortality risk.Meta-analysis · Expert Rev Clin Immunol

   Full breakdown →All-cause mortality explained →All-cause and cause-specific mortality in atopic dermatitis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2026
3. Skin & Glow-uppreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   Psoriasis: weight lost mattered more than fasting

   In a systematic review comparing dietary strategies for psoriasis, ketogenic and continuous calorie-restriction cohorts lost 10-25.6 kg and showed significant falls in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index scores, whereas intermittent fasting cohorts lost 0-2 kg and did not; no serious adverse effects were recorded with any approach.

   ⚠What it shows: A systematic review published in protocol form: it reports no number of included trials or participants, includes no head-to-head comparisons, and the authors flag heterogeneity and limited follow-up. The pattern links the amount of weight lost to skin severity rather than proving one diet beats another.Study · J Drugs Dermatol

   Full breakdown →Energy balance explained →Calorie Deficit Calculator →Impact of Intermittent Fasting, Keto Diet vs Continuous Caloric Restriction on Psoriasis Severity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol. J Drugs Dermatol 2026
4. Skin & Glow-uppreliminary · human dataAdded 1 August 2026

   Patients saw stretch-mark gains; blinded doctor didn't

   In a 20-patient trial where each person had four comparable skin areas randomised, fractional radiofrequency plus topical tretinoin was the only stretch-mark treatment patients rated significantly better than untreated skin after 20 weeks. A blinded dermatologist saw only a non-significant tendency towards improvement.

   ⚠What it shows: Small single-centre randomised trial in 20 patients using within-person comparison of four skin areas over 20 weeks; the significant result was patient-reported and unblinded, while the blinded dermatologist and 3D photography found only subtle non-significant tendencies.RCT · Lasers Med Sci

   Full breakdown →Treatment of striae albae with combination of fractional radiofrequency and topical tretinoin: A randomized controlled trial. Lasers Med Sci 2026
5. Skin & Glow-upwell supported · human dataAdded 30 July 2026

   Antihistamines barely touch eczema itch, review finds

   A network meta-analysis of 47 randomised trials in 6230 children and adults found that adding oral antihistamines to eczema treatment cut severity and itch scores by amounts well below what patients would notice as important, and probably did not improve sleep disturbance or flare-ups. First-generation antihistamines probably increase cognitive impairment.

   ⚠What it shows: Systematic review and network meta-analysis of 47 randomised trials (6230 children and adults, mostly moderate to severe atopic dermatitis); certainty was moderate for the severity, itch and cognitive-impairment findings but only low for sleep and exacerbations, and the trials were largely in more severe disease.Meta-analysis · BMJ

   Full breakdown →Antihistamines for atopic dermatitis (eczema): systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised trials. BMJ 2026

Back to the full archive · this week’s studies