Mary-Margaret Kober, MD of The California Skin Institute comments on the importance of probiotics in skin health. Read her summary below, then review her Anti-Aging Effects of Probiotics JDD manuscript.
What was your greatest motivation in writing an article on the topic of probiotics?
Patients are always interested in ways to improve and protect their skin. Probiotics offer an exciting and emerging area of research that assists in achieving this goal. Understanding the systemic implications as well as the local effects of probiotics on the skin can help physicians more fully address and treat patient concerns.
What percentage of your patients would you say inquire about the use of probiotics for positive anti-aging effects? In other words, is there a general awareness in your opinion among the public around the use of probiotics, specifically as it relates to skin health?
There is a growing awareness regarding probiotics. More and more patients are inquiring about the health and cosmetic benefits of probiotics. Currently in my practice, several patients per week bring up the topic, and the context of probiotics ranges from acne to anti-aging to improved efficacy of immunotherapy.
Do you use or recommend probiotics in your practice and have you personally seen the positive effects as the studies indicated in many facets of this article?
Yes, I commonly recommend the use of probiotics, not only for anti-aging purposes but also for acne patients. In addition to a healthy, balanced diet, there are multiple foods that are naturally rich in probiotics. Such as yogurt, miso soup and sauerkraut that patients can easily incorporate into their diets as a first line. These relatively minor changes appear to clear skin faster and help provide a healthy glow.
Your conclusion poses many questions still to be answered around the practical utilization of probiotics. Would you expect it to be in the near future that further studies will take place to elucidate how probiotics can best be utilized? Are such studies already under way to your knowledge?
We are only beginning to understand the interplay between how our gut bacteria interacts with our immune system to produce changes on the skin. With the current emphasis on this area of research, I expect current and future studies to further elucidate the role of probiotics. In 2016 the government announced the National Microbiome Initiative. Which supports interdisciplinary research through increased funding of grants in this field. Ongoing studies include a trial by AOBiome that enrolled acne patients in a study using topical probiotics and monitored their progress using teledermatology.
Is there anything not conveyed in your article that you would like your fellow dermatologists to know?
From a practical clinical standpoint, I have been asked which probiotic creams to recommend. Eminence Clear Skin Probiotic Moisturizer and Nude Skincare Purity Balancing Moisturizer are both nice options.
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Anti-Aging Effects of Probiotics
January 2016 | Volume 15 | Issue 1 | Original Article | 9 | Copyright © 2016
Divya Sharma BS, Mary-Margaret Kober MD, and Whitney P. Bowe MD
