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July 2017

Snails and Skin Care—An Uncovered Combination

Author Affiliations
  • 1University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
  • 2Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland
JAMA Dermatol. 2017;153(7):650. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.1383

The quest to find the ultimate cure for aging has long captivated the global skin care industry. Novel and imaginative solutions ranging from vampire blood facials to placenta-based skin creams surface annually, each promising results of retained youth. One such recent craze involves the use of snail mucus secretions to reduce pigmentation, scarring, and wrinkles. At first glance, one might question the efficacy of such a product due to little clinical justification; however, the use of snail secretions in medicine can be traced back centuries ago.

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