Keratolytic agents help to preserve the beauty and youth of the skin or heal the epidermis from skin ailments accompanied by the process of hyperkeratosis. It is known that the daily renewal of the skin is associated with the death of millions of cells on its surface, the accumulation of which leads to keratinization of the epidermis, uneven and dull complexion, peeling, fine wrinkles and clogged pores. Regular exfoliation of scales stimulates the regeneration of the epidermis, gives it a he althy look and pleasant velvety. In the case when, due to various diseases, the process of rejection of dead cells is disturbed, hyperkeratosis develops - excessive keratinization. This phenomenon can have both a local form (in certain areas) and a generalized one (throughout the body).
What are keratolytics?
It's outdoordrugs used for cosmetic and medical purposes. This term comes from the merger of two words: "keratin" - the main structural protein that forms the epidermis (including calluses and corns), hair and nails, and "lysis", meaning "dissolution and decay." By destroying the structure of keratin, keratolytic drugs are able to soften, dissolve and facilitate the rejection of the stratum corneum on the surface of the epidermis, nail plates and hair, and have a therapeutic effect in many skin diseases. Keratolytics with a low concentration have a slight exfoliating effect and do an excellent job with many cosmetic defects. Modern keratolytic agents are available in the form of ointments, patches, powders, varnishes, collodions, solutions and pastes. In cosmetology, exfoliants, depilatory creams and other products for delicate peeling that contain acids in their composition have a similar, but less concentrated effect.
Names of components that exfoliate the stratum corneum
Keratolytic action has acids: salicylic (in a concentration of 5 to 60%), lactic (from 10 to 20%), benzoic (from 5 to 15%), trichloroacetic (10%), pyrrogallic (from 10 to 20%), as well as urea (from 10 to 50%), resorcinol (from 10 to 20%), potassium iodide (50%), barium sulfide (15%), thymol and phenol (5%). These keratolytic agents serve as active components of patches, varnishes, ointments (often used under compresses or occlusive dressings), less often in pastes andsolutions.
Use of keratolytic drugs
Indications for prescribing this group of drugs are:
- Hyperkeratosis, especially palmar-plantar localization - psoriasis, tylotic eczema, fungal infections and calluses.
- Onychomycosis, in which softening and removal of fungus-affected nail plates is a necessity.
- Skin ailments requiring exfoliating procedures - dermatoses with a characteristic excess of keratinized epithelial cells in the affected areas (psoriasis, erythroderma, chronic eczema, certain types of toxicoderma, resembling hyper- and parakeratosis in symptoms). In these cases, salicylic acid, naftalan or tar of low concentration (no more than 3-5%) are used as part of special ointments, creams and emulsions with emollients and oily vitamins A and E, which normalize the process of cell regeneration.
- Hyperpigmentation (more common on the face) where keratolytics are combined with bleaching agents.
Mild peels and their concentration
Unlike mechanical scrubs that scratch the skin, keratolytic products soften and loosen the stratum corneum, dissolve it, which favors its safe rejection. "Squamolytic effect" (exfoliation) ensures the removal of excess horny mass from problem areas of the skin (affected by acne or psoriasis), from seals on calluses and corns, hair - with hypertrichosis, as well as rejectiondeformed nail plates. The keratolytic effect of this group of drugs is manifested during chemical (acid) peeling procedures. In high concentration, they are used by professionals. Acidic exfoliants of lower saturation have a superficial exfoliating effect, and in small doses - a keratoplastic effect, that is, restoring the natural process of formation of the stratum corneum.
Pharmacodermatology in the fight against excessive keratinization of the dermis
In mild forms of acne or moderate severity of the disease, salicylic acid and preparations based on it have the most pronounced effect: powders that contain 2-5% of the active substance, pastes and ointments with a concentration of 1-10% and alcohol solutions for home use (no more than 1-2%).
Aromatic retinoids can be used to treat severe acne. The leaders among the funds in this group are "Differin" (gel, cream) or "Isotretinoin", as well as "Roaccutane".
For the treatment of complex forms of acne, dermatologists prescribe keratolytic agents, the names of which are widely known in pharmacodermatology:
- Baziron AS.
- Neotigazon.
- Akriderm SK.
- Vipsogal.
- "Belosalik".
- Tretinoin (Airol).
- Diprosalik
- Bensalitin.
- Lorinden A.
- Carboderm.
These drugs have, in addition to keratolytic, anti-inflammatoryproperties, which has a good effect on the result in the treatment of acne. For psoriasis, hyperkeratosis and other skin ailments, both the listed keratolytic drugs and Betadermik, Betnovate S, Keratolan, Lokasalen, Elokom S and Kerasal can be used in complex therapy. These ointments are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs intended for external use. These drugs are also prescribed for eczema, ichthyosis, oily seborrhea and hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating).
Keratolytics have a beneficial effect on any inflammatory and infectious skin lesions, in the presence of warts, corns, corns, burns and hyperpigmentation. Cosmetologists often recommend preparations based on glycolic acid at a concentration of 10-20% for treatment, but they are prescribed on an individual basis to solve a specific aesthetic problem.
Keratolytics for corns and calluses
Prolonged wearing of women's shoes with high heels and other uncomfortable shoes provokes excessive keratinization of the skin on the feet. The need to get rid of corns and dry calluses - these painful formations on the skin that have arisen due to mechanical irritation and pressure on the feet - is associated with the use of drugs with extreme Ph values (an indicator of the acid content in a substance).
Alkalis and acids are the main components that destroy the dense stratum corneum. Based on them, keratolytic remedies for corns are created:
- treatment-and-prophylactic foot paste "5 days";
- creams "Namosol 911" (based on tea tree extract), "Super Antimozolin" (based on lactic acid) and "Green Planet" (with lactic acid and oils);
- high-quality, but expensive Norwegian urea cream Neutrogena, TianDe (with snake fat);
- treatment-and-prophylactic tincture for pedicure Gehwol;
- cream "Healer" (with healing urea);
- Bensalitin ointment (based on benzoic and salicylic acids);
- colorless solution for external use "Kollomac" (the main components are salicylic and lactic acids together with polidocanol).
Keratolytic remedies for corns - these are the above drugs that do an excellent job with corns, and an ointment based on salicylic acid, and corn liquid (alcohol solution), and the Crown of Siberia cream (with antifungal action), as well as many more.
Popular keratoplastic remedies for corns
Compeed quality patches reduce mechanical action on the skin, relieve pain and can be used for several days until the corn softens and comes off. Another equally well-known remedy for corns is the Chinese corn patch "Shuyangsuan". These red plates with applied active substance are glued to steamed and dried skin. Use them for at least six days. The patch "Salipod" with antiseptic and antifungal effect contains salicylic acid, sulfur, which dries the skin, is pasted oncallus and lasts two days. After four applications, as a rule, the keratinization softens and disappears. Urgo's keratolytic patch is made from wheat germ oil and comes in two types: a corn patch and a regular protective patch.
Keratolytics for a quality pedicure: processing the plate
Nails can deteriorate in people with diabetes, psoriasis, eczema, lichen planus and other skin conditions. Also on the plates sometimes there are areas affected by fungus, bacteria or viruses. One way to remove a deformed plate is chemically, when keratolytic nail products are applied to their horny parts and dissolve the defect. Such properties are possessed by patches with a concentration of 20 to 50% urea and onycholysin powder, which contains 15% barium sulfide (in talc). For example, the combination preparation "Mycospor" (ointment) contains 40% urea and 1% of the antifungal component - bifonazole. This drug is produced by Bayer (Germany) in the form of a cream, solution and a special kit for the treatment of nails with the same concentration of the active ingredient.
All preparations of this group contain keratolytic components (urea and salicylic acid in high concentration), an antifungal agent (bifonazole or ketoconazole) and an antiseptic (quinosol or iodine). Fixation on the nail plate of a simple or complex lead plaster, "Ureaplast", trichloroacetic (CCL3COOH),salicylic or soap-salicylic patch will accelerate the destruction of the defective area of the nail, which must be periodically filed and cleaned.
