While the main benefits of exfoliation are cosmetic, certain kinds of
exfoliation may help to prevent skin cancer, according to The Skin
Cancer Foundation:
"People who have had sun damage may have abnormal cells on their skin
that could develop into precancers and cancers,' reports dermatologist
Debra Jaliman, MD, in the latest Sun & Skin News, a quarterly
publication of The Skin Cancer Foundation. 'Exfoliating may eliminate
these cells before they become dangerous.'
The simple mechanical method involves using a rough implement, such as
a loofah, notes Dr. Jaliman, clinical instructor at Mt. Sinai School
of Medicine in New York City. Chemical exfoliation employs high doses
of an agent such as tretinoin (Retin-A) or alpha- or beta-hydroxy
acids, preferably administered by a dermatologist. Mechanical methods
are gentler, but chemical methods penetrate the skin more deeply for
more lasting impact."
The Skin Cancer Foundation: EXFOLIATING MAY HELP PREVENT SKIN CANCER
http://www.skincancer.org/news/010817-exfoliating.php
"According to a report in a recent issue of Sun and Skin News, a
publication of the US Skin Cancer Foundation, exfoliation may help to
prevent skin cancer...
People who have had sun damage may have abnormal cells on their skin
that could develop into cancers and pre-cancers," says New York-based
dermatologist Debra Jaliman. "Exfoliating may eliminate these cells
before they become dangerous."
...Dr [Nicholas] Lowe routinely uses chemical and laser peels on
patients with pre-cancerous skin cells, removing the entire living
epidermis. This procedure is effective, but it has to be performed by
a doctor and is not pain-free.
Loofahs, or other scrubbing exfoliants, remove only the horny outer
layer of skin cells called keratinocytes. These dead cells never
become cancerous, so there is no benefit, other than a cosmetic one.
Treatments that contain alpha or beta-hydroxy acids, often derived
from fruit or Retin-A, penetrate more deeply into the skin,
stimulating a faster turnover of cells in the deepest basal and
shallower squamous layers of the skin. In theory, this could help to
speed up the removal of pre-cancerous cells... Exfoliating, however,
won't have any effect on the most dangerous form of skin cancer,
malignant melanoma."
Telegraph: Can the risk of skin cancer be scrubbed away?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?xml=/health/2001/09/18/hskin18.xml
Exfoliation is used in treating actinic (or solar) keratoses. These
are rough, scaly patches that are caused by exposure to the sun:
"Chemical peeling, or exfoliation, is useful for solar keratoses on
the face, especially in people with fair, dry skin. Alpha-hydroxy
acids, for example, are being investigated for keratoses.
Dermabrasion, which 'sands' the skin, may also be effective although
scarring is possible."
UC Davis Health System: WHAT ARE THE TREATMENTS FOR NONMELANOMA SKIN
CANCERS AND ACTINIC KERATOSES?
http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/ucdhs/health/a-z/20AgingSkin/doc20treatments.html
To sum up: regular exfoliation can make the skin look and feel better,
but the major health benefit turns out to be cancer prevention. By
stimulating cell renewal and the shedding of dead cells, exfoliation
helps to remove abnormal skin cells that might otherwise have become
cancerous.
Google search strategy:
Google Web Search: "exfoliation" + "healthy skin"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=exfoliation+%22healthy+skin
Google Web Search: "exfoliation" + "abnormal cells" + "skin cancer"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=exfoliation+%22abnormal+cells%22+%22skin+cancer
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