Inflammatory Dermatological Diseases and the role of CBD!
The skin is the organ in our body that is most exposed to diseases, and these represent the fourth biggest cause of disability in the world. The skin is always exposed to a vast number of external aggressors, including fungi, viruses, sunlight, allergens and elements that can irritate the skin, among many others.
Therefore, it cannot be undervalued and must be well cared for. Many skin problems do not reveal themselves immediately and some can even take years before there is visible evidence.
A 2011 study published in the Journal of Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapeutics found that CBD has antifungal properties that could potentially treat conditions such as athlete's foot , which is uncomfortable but usually not a cause for concern. Unless people have diabetes or a compromised immune system, these afflictions are mostly cosmetic.
CBD is good when it comes to treating skin conditions, especially when full-spectrum products are used. Since the broad effects of CBD have not been fully studied, there is no way to know which part of the compound is best for managing skin conditions and controlling infections. When using full-spectrum products, terpenes and cannabinoids present in the extracts are also present, producing the entourage effect of cannabis.
Endocannabinoids play important roles in the action against various diseases, in which the CBD in hemp oil has a beneficial action on the CB1 and CB2 receptors, regulating the physiology of the skin by being anti-inflammatory, lipostatic (regulation between energy breakdown and food intake), antiproliferative (prevents the production of cancer cells) and being able to modulate the differentiation of keratinocytes (differentiated cells that make up the epithelial tissue, responsible for the production of keratin).
Because of its role in regulating the inflammatory response, the endocannabinoid system offers potential targets for managing many types of skin inflammation.
In this article we will discuss two dermatological diseases that affect many people, and how CBD can help in the treatment of these pathologies, Psoriasis and Acne.
Psoriasis and the use of CBD
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that can affect people of all ages and is characterized by the rapid growth of skin cells that will lead to the accumulation of immature dead cells on the surface of the skin. This accumulation will cause scales on the surface of the skin.
Several studies have shown that CBD has the potential to be an effective treatment for psoriasis due to its various therapeutic properties. CBD works by interacting with the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors present in our body’s endocannabinoid system. This interaction helps regulate the immune system and inhibits changes in the epidermal cell and controls unwanted cell growth and accumulation on the skin’s surface.
Activation of the endocannabinoid system in the skin reduces inflammation through several mechanisms, such as switching the pro-inflammatory Th1 (Type 1 Lymphocyte) response to an anti-inflammatory Th2 (Type 2 Lymphocyte) response via activation of the endocannabinoid CB2.
The endocannabinoid system also plays a role in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes, which are pathologically increased in psoriasis. The potential therapeutic effects of cannabinoids in psoriasis also include the activation of other receptors, such as GPR55 (Cannabinoid Receptor), which reduces inflammation caused by Nerve Growth Factor, and PPARα (metabolic regulator that acts as a sensor of nutritional status, particularly energy balance) and PPARγ (regulates adipogenesis, lipid metabolism, cell proliferation, inflammation and insulin sensitization), which reduce epidermal hyperplasia (increase in epidermal cells) by suppressing the proliferation of keratinocytes (differentiated cells that make up the epithelial tissue, responsible for the production of keratin).
Acne and the use of CBD
Acne is a skin condition in which hair follicles have excess oil and dead skin cells. The most affected areas are the face, neck, chest, back and shoulders , as these are the areas where there is a greater concentration of sebaceous follicles.
Acne lesions tend to heal slowly and often disappear in other areas and reappear in others. They mostly affect the teenage population.
There are several acne removal treatments available today. However, most of them are ineffective and can actually increase acne formation. All acne treatments aim to keep the skin clean and kill the bacteria that cause acne. These treatments also control the production of excess oil that clogs the skin.
In 2014, a study revealed that CBD has the ability to prevent excess sebum production by the sebaceous glands. If the sebum level is not under control, it mixes with dead skin cells, dirt, and other pollutants and then gets trapped inside a pore and the clogged pore turns into acne.
The anti-inflammatory properties of CBD also prevent the activation of inflammatory cytokines. If cytokines are activated, it will trigger acne formation. The antibacterial and antifungal effects of CBD are very beneficial in preventing skin infections that can cause acne due to dirt and other pollutants present in the atmosphere.
While most CBD oil products are marketed as a facial acne remedy, they are also effective in clearing up body acne. The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of CBD will prevent acne from forming on your skin.
How should CBD be used to treat these pathologies?
There are several CBD products on the market, however, full-spectrum products are recommended for treating dermatological diseases, in order to fully benefit from CBD. Body creams or oil can be applied. Whenever possible, follow the treatment with a doctor's supervision and avoid mixing CBD with other medications.
In short, CBD can be used to treat several dermatological diseases that affect many people’s lives. This article has covered two of them, but we will cover this topic in other articles.
SOURCES:
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology (2019) (ISSN: 1175-0561, 1179-1888), 2019;20(2):167-180., Cannabinoids: Potential Role in Inflammatory and Neoplastic Skin Diseases in Medscape at https://www .medscape.com/viewarticle/911955 , written by Rose Milando and Adam Friedman (George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences).
Skin Therapy Letter (2018) (ISSN: 1201-5989), 2018;23(6), The Therapeutic Potential of Cannabinoids in Dermatology in Medscape at https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/905915_2 , written by Dustin H. Marks and Adam Friedman (George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences).
Óláh, A., Markovics, A., Szabó-Papp, J., Szabó, PT, Stott, C., Zouboulis, CC and Bíró, T. (2016), Differential effectiveness of selected non-psychotropic phytocannabinoids on human sebocyte functions implicates their introduction in dry/seborrhoeic skin and acne treatment . Exp Dermatol, 25: 701-707. doi: 10.1111/exd.13042 and PubMed https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27094344
Attila Ólah, Balázs I. Tóth, István Borbíró, Koji Sugawara, Attila G. Szöllõsi, Gabriella Czifra, Balázs Pál, Lídia Ambrus, Jennifer Kloepper, Emanuela Camera, Matteo Ludovici, Mauro Picardo, Thomas Voets, Christos C. Zouboulis, Ralf Paus , Tamás Bíró (2014), Cannabidiol exerts sebostatic and antiinflammatory effects on human sebocytes , J Clin Invest. 2014; 124(9) :3713-3724. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI64628 and PubMed https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4151231/