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The Old and the New

Guy F. Webster, MD, PhD

Arch Dermatol. 2007;143(1):105-106.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Interest in the ecology of skin bacteria and the skin as a habitat has waxed and waned over the past 30 or so years. The past few years have been a particularly active time as were the 1970s. Thirty years ago, a wealth of research demonstrated that different regions of the skin have distinct and reproducible bacterial populations that are determined by the cutaneous anatomy.¹

Three major factors were shown to determine the skin habitats: moisture, lipids, and the ability to maintain a reduced environment. Sebum is the most potent determinant of skin flora. Prior to the pubertal surge in testosterone, sebaceous glands are inactive and the skin microflora is greatly reduced. After puberty, in areas where sebum is plentiful, such as the head and upper trunk, there is a stable population of lipophilic organisms numbering in the tens of millions. The anaerobic propionibacteria dominate . . . [Full Text of this Article]

BIOFILMS


ANTIBACTERIAL PEPTIDES

EFFECT OF ANTIBIOTICS ON THE SKIN FLORA

AUTHOR INFORMATION