Nanomaterials (NM) arouse interest in various fields of science and industry due to their composition-tunable properties and the ease of modification. They appear currently as components of many consumer products such as sunscreen, dressings, sports clothes, surface-cleaning agents, computer devices, paints, as well as pharmaceutical and cosmetics formulations. The use of NPs in products for topical applications improves the permeation/penetration of the bioactive compounds into deeper layers of the skin, providing a depot effect with sustained drug release and specific cellular and subcellular targeting. Nanocarriers provide advances in dermatology and systemic treatments. Examples are a non-invasive method of vaccination, advanced diagnostic techniques, and transdermal drug delivery. The mechanism of action of NPs, efficiency of skin penetration, and potential threat to human health are still open and not fully explained. This review gives a brief outline of the latest nanotechnology achievements in products used in topical applications to prevent and treat skin diseases. We highlighted aspects such as the penetration of NPs through the skin (influence of physical–chemical properties of NPs, the experimental models for skin penetration, methods applied to improve the penetration of NPs through the skin, and methods applied to investigate the skin penetration by NPs). The review summarizes various therapies using NPs to diagnose and treat skin diseases (melanoma, acne, alopecia, vitiligo, psoriasis) and anti-aging and UV-protectant nano-cosmetics.

Sunlight, despite its benefits, can pose a threat to the skin, which is a natural protective barrier. Phototoxicity caused by overexposure, especially to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), results in burns, accelerates photoaging, and causes skin cancer formation. Natural substances of plant origin, i.e., polyphenols, flavonoids, and photosynthetic pigments, can protect the skin against the effects of radiation, acting not only as photoprotectors like natural filters but as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory remedies, alleviating the effects of photodamage to the skin. Plant-based formulations are gaining popularity as an attractive alternative to synthetic filters. Over the past 20 years, a large number of studies have been published to assess the photoprotective effects of natural plant products, primarily through their antioxidant, antimutagenic, and anti-immunosuppressive activities. This review selects the most important data on skin photodamage and photoprotective efficacy of selected plant carotenoid representatives from in vivo studies on animal models and humans, as well as in vitro experiments performed on fibroblast and keratinocyte cell lines. Recent research on carotenoids associated with lipid nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, liposomes, and micelles is reviewed. The focus was on collecting those nanomaterials that serve to improve the bioavailability and stability of carotenoids as natural antioxidants with photoprotective activity.

Darier-White disease is one of the most common genodermatoses. The most typical clinical symptoms such as diffuse hyperkeratotic papulae usually appear during puberty or early adulthood in seborrhoeic area. It is connected with substantial deterioration of the quality of life due to aesthetic defect. Although there exist many therapeutic options, the disease still causes considerable therapeutic difficulties. Treatment with fractional CO2 laser seems to be a promising therapeutic method. In this paper, we present two cases of patients with Darier's disease who have been treated with a fractional CO2 laser with very good clinical outcome.

Introduction To date, there has been no consensus either on the method, frequency or total duration of follow-up for patients that have developed a basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Aim To evaluate usefulness of high-frequency ultrasound in monitoring patients with BCC, particularly to detect...

Introduction Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. It occurs almost all over the world. More cases of psoriasis are seen among Caucasians than in other races. It occurs rarely, or not at all, in Aboriginal Australians or Native Americans. Objective To analyze the prevalence of...

Linear epidermal nevus is a congenital malformation characterized by linear, often one-sided arrangement. The lesions are localized along the Blaschko's lines, are present at birth, or appear in early childhood. They can be single or multiple, and have various colors–from skin color to dark brown. These lesions persist through the whole life making a significant cosmetic defect. Here, we present three clinical cases of epidermal nevus treated with CO₂ laser. In a female patient, verrucous, dark brown skin eruptions were observed at the back of earlobe and down the neck. In the cases of the male patients, the lesions were located in the area of the neck and left blade. The removal of nevi was performed in stages, by cutting and evaporation using a CO₂ laser. A very good therapeutic effect was obtained. CO₂ laser treatment is the method of choice for the removal of extensive epidermal nevi. It is characterized by high efficacy and safety.