Eyelash length for the diagnosis of atopic dermatitis and ichthyosis vulgaris in children-a case control study

Eyelash length attractiveness across ethnicities

Eyelashes evolved to protect eyes. An optimum eyelash length functions to protect eyes from external hazards such as contaminations, excessive evaporation or shear stress from airflow. They can also be an indicator of a person's health as various congenital and noncongenital diseases can lead to short or long eyelashes. The current study aimed to extend a recent investigation on the preference for eyelash length in humans from an evolutionary adaptive perspective. Specifically, the current study tested whether the inverted-U function for eyelash length preference recently reported for White faces, generalises to other ethnicities, and whether ethnic background modulates preference for eyelash lengths. To investigate this question, men and women of Asian, Black, and White ethnicities from the U.S. rated the attractiveness of female Indian, Asian, Black, and White faces with varying eyelash lengths. The eyelashes ranged in length from no eyelashes to half the width of an eye. Results showed that Asian, Black, and White men and women preference for eyelash length followed an inverted-U function across all four ethnicities, supporting a general preference for human eyelash length that is approximately one-third the width of an eye. In addition, the results showed that the most attractive eyelashes for Black women were skewed toward a greater eyelash-length to eye-width ratio when compared to the other images. The source of this skew is presently unknown, as it could reflect a change in perceptual sensitivity to eyelash length with skin colour or changes in preference related to perceptions of participants' ethnicity.

Eyelash trichomegaly: a systematic review of acquired and congenital aetiologies of lengthened lashes

Long eyelashes have been popularized and many commercially available products exist to achieve eyelash growth as a desired cosmetic effect. Eyelash trichomegaly may be induced by medications, procedures, or be related to medical conditions; however, the exact mechanisms that govern eyelash growth are not well elucidated. This study aims to identify and summarize aetiologies associated with eyelash trichomegaly. We report a systematic review of 148 clinical trials, prospective and retrospective studies, and case reports describing all evidence-based potential aetiologies of eyelash trichomegaly obtained from the Medline/PubMed and Cochrane Library through January 2021. Inclusion criteria were defined as (i) human studies involving congenital and acquired diseases in which eyelash trichomegaly is a characteristic or (ii) assessment of trichomegaly as an adverse or desired effect of a medication or procedure. Exclusion criteria included: animal studies, articles not available in English, outcomes unrelated to eyelash trichomegaly, and secondary review articles. Pharmacologic agents associated with eyelash trichomegaly included prostaglandin analogues (15-keto fluprostenol isopropyl ester, bimatoprost, latanoprost, and travoprost), epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (cetuximab, erlotinib, and panitumumab), interferon-alpha, and calcineurin inhibitors (tacrolimus and cyclosporine). Surgical procedures of the eyelid, as well as allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, HIV, ichthyosis vulgaris (IV), uveitis, and vernal keratoconjunctivitis were also associated with increased eyelash growth. Congenital disorders associated with lengthened eyelashes included Cantú syndrome, CHOPS syndrome, Coffin-Siris syndrome, congenital heart disease, Cornelia de Lange syndrome, Costello syndrome, familial trichomegaly, Floating Harbor syndrome, Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome, Kabuki-Makeup syndrome, KBG syndrome, Oliver-McFarlane syndrome, Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, and Smith-Magenis syndrome. While the most common cause of eyelash trichomegaly is topical bimatoprost use, better understanding of pathways implicated in eyelash trichomegaly may lead to the discovery of additional medications to stimulate eyelash growth and create avenues for future therapeutic interventions.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the regional and age-related differences in atopic dermatitis clinical characteristics

BACKGROUND

Previous studies found conflicting results about the commonality of different atopic dermatitis (AD) signs and symptoms.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalences of AD characteristics and differences by region and age.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed of all published studies in MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, LILACS, Cochrane, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Taiwan Electronic Periodical Services, and CiNii that analyzed the proportion of AD characteristics. Two reviewers performed a review study titles and/or abstracts and data abstraction.

RESULTS

In all, 101 studies reported proportion of AD features with sufficient data for meta-analysis. The most prevalent AD features were pruritus, lichenification, and xerosis. There were differences in AD characteristics by study region. Flexural involvement was less commonly reported in India, the Americas, and Iran. Studies from East Asian reported more erythroderma and truncal, extensor, scalp, and auricular involvement. Studies from Southeast Asia reported more exudative eczema, truncal involvement, lichenification, and prurigo nodularis. Studies from Iran reported more head, face, and neck involvement; pityriasis alba; and xerosis. Studies from Africa reported more papular lichenoid lesions, palmar hyperlinearity, ichthyosis, and orbital darkening.

LIMITATIONS

Heterogeneity between studies and limited reporting of certain AD clinical characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

AD characteristics are heterogeneous and vary by region and age.