Keratoplastic Agents

Keratoplastic agents play a very important role in the local treatment of skin diseases. K. s. remove oxygen, i.e., they reduce (Unna). K. s. act anti-inflammatory, soften skin infiltrates by removing water, dry tissues and inhibit fermentation and putrefaction processes, thereby promoting the formation of normal epidermis. Weak and strong K. s. are distinguished; the former include ichthyol, thymenol, sulfur, mercury, etc., while the latter include tar, resorcinol, pyrogallol, chrysarobin, etc. It should be noted that it is hardly advisable to make a strict division of dermatological agents into keratoplastic and keratolytic, since a strong keratolytic agent can simultaneously possess keratoplastic properties, an example of which is salicylic acid.