Pathogenesis of Acne Vulgaris: Comedogenic Properties of Human Sebum in External Ear Canal of the Rabbit

    July 1968 in “ Archives of Dermatology
    Albert M. Kligman
    Studysummary This study found that applying scalp sebum from young men to rabbit ear canals caused follicular hyperkeratosis, suggesting sebum stimulates the formation of comedones, a key feature in acne vulgaris. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
    The study investigated the comedogenic properties of human sebum by applying scalp sebum from 64 young men to the external ear canal of rabbits once daily for ten days. The results showed that in every case, follicular hyperkeratosis occurred, supporting the idea that sebum contains substances that directly stimulate the formation of comedones, which are the primary lesions in acne vulgaris.
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