Epidermal growth factor has unique benefits (it can do things that other ingredients can’t!)

Some skin problems are “intractable,” that is, they can’t be fixed. Or maybe they can?

In human biology, unexpected results often occur for good and for bad. This is because many chemicals have pleiotropic effects. Pleiotropy describes the effect of a single gene on multiple traits. The underlying mechanism is that some genes code for a product that is either used by various cells or has a cascade-like signaling function that affects various targets.

Three examples of intractability: acne, melasma and sun spots.

There is no need to explain acne (but search my blog for many articles on the subject). Lentigines are those pesky sun spots that will show eventually on anybody who has been in the sun. Other environmental factors such as traffic-related air pollutants and reactive oxygen species (ROS*) very likely influence the development of lentigines. Melasma is a hormone-linked hyperpigmentation disorder.

When it comes to the epidermal growth factor, it seems that, now that it’s available for cosmetic use, the best way to find out whether it helps solve a skin problem is to try it.  It may just work. Why? Because EGF accelerates skin renewal, it promotes the synthesis of proteins and other skin components. The effect is enormous, and there are no side effects. These cellular changes may be enough to modulate skin response to stress, oxidants, and wounding. There may be other mechanisms, but we can only speculate: changing the interaction between keratinocytes and melanocytes? Possible. Activating genes involved in the immune response? Also possible.  I have no idea, and I’ve not seen publications related to EGF’s possible mechanisms of action on those three intractable skin problems: acne, melasma, and sun spots.

But EGF may just work. I would avoid exposure to the sun and/or sunscreen, mainly because UV will encourage the skin to accelerate melanin synthesis, which is just what you are trying to prevent.

References

Guthridge, M. A., Powell, J. A., Barry, E. F., Stomski, F. C., McClure, B. J., Ramshaw, H., … Lopez, A. F. (2006). Growth factor pleiotropy is controlled by a receptor Tyr/Ser motif that acts as a binary switch. The EMBO Journal, 25(3), 479–485. doi:10.1038/sj.emboj.7600948

Grahn, J. C., & Isseroff, R. R. (2004). Human melanocytes do not express EGF receptors. The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 123(1), 244–246. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-202X. 2004. 22732.x