Aesthetics

Palm Beach, Fla. - Dermatologists apparently have had enough hype, spam, and promotion of new retail creams claiming to be "better" than mainstay anti-aging products. The upshot is a first-ever clinical comparison of such topicals to botulinum toxin A, a wrinkle fighter turned household word by Allergan's Botox Cosmetic.

Denver - Tumescent liposuction pioneer Jeffrey A. Klein, M.D., strongly advised against being overly aggressive with the procedure.

g? Carolina, several medical practices that deal in cosmetic procedures have worked out deals with their managed care companies to provide discounts on cosmetic procedures for their patients who are members of those particular managed care programs.

Denver - Low-level lasers could provide a safe, effective option for surgeons performing tumescent liposuction, Kimberly J. Butterwick, M.D., said at the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery's World Congress on Liposuction.

Chicago - A novel topical peel containing lidocaine and tetracaine (S-Caine Peel) provides convenient, safe, and effective anesthesia for patients undergoing a variety of laser and other dermatologic surgery procedures, researchers from the Skin Laser & Surgery Specialists of New York and New Jersey reported at the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.

Chicago -- Off-label experience using injectable silicone (Silikon 1000) in an investigational protocol indicates it is a highly effective and, thus far, very safe modality for treating facial lipoatrophy in HIV-infected patients, Derek H. Jones, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.

Chicago - Nonablative skin rejuvenation can be performed using a number of infrared (IR) lasers, but users need to understand that the various devices yield different clinical effects depending on their wavelength, said Robert A. Weiss, M.D., at the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.

Los Angeles - Ablation with a short-pulse CO2 laser may be the best treatment option for patients who are seeking facial rejuvenation and need improvement of deeper wrinkles, in the opinion of Ronald L. Moy, M.D.

San Francisco - A seminar presented at an anti-aging symposium suggests that when it comes to proper nutrition and how it impacts health and longevity, so-called advanced cultures have much to learn from ancient and what might be viewed as less-advanced civilizations of today.

Chicago - Nonablative treatment with an intense pulsed light (IPL) source results in clinical and histological improvements in vascular, pigmentary and dermal elastotic alterations associated with photoaging, Neil S. Sadick, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.

Chicago -- Although published clinical trial results suggest systemic retinoid therapy administered for skin cancer chemoprevention in immunosuppressed organ transplant recipients is well tolerated despite causing frequent adverse events,

New York - Even as biologic therapies become available, there will still be a place for acitretin, methotrexate and cyclosporin-based treatment protocols, according to Mark Lebwohl, M.D.

New York - For severe forms of psoriasis, dermatologists should choose treatments based on efficacy and rapidity of response more so than potential for chronic toxicities, according to Kenneth B. Gordon, M.D.

As physicians who care for large volumes of patients of all ages, dermatologists develop bedside manners and communication skills to a high level

Columbus - When it comes to the regulation of office-based surgery, Brett Coldiron, M.D., has plenty to beef about in the Buckeye State. He even has a popular rally cry:

San Francisco - People do not just want to look younger, they actually want to be younger and to live longer, healthier lives. While that may not be a chronological possibility, it does give a boost to the newer interests of anti-aging medicine discussed at the Anti-Aging Symposium, held here.

Anew oral retinoid has been FDA cleared for the treatment of psoriasis. It has been shown to be safer than all previously available retinoids. Dr. Doe learned that this medication has been used safely in Europe for the prevention of acne in pre-adolescent teenagers. He has a large adolescent practice and is excited about using this medication on his young patients. Recognizing that the drug does not have FDA clearance for his intended use, he asks parents of prospective patients to sign a consent form allowing him to use this potentially miraculous drug on their children. Is the consent of the parent valid?

A decade has passed since the FDA prohibited the use of injectable silicon for cosmetic purposes after complaints were made that leaking silicone breast implants caused a variety of autoimmune ailments, and that the migration of silicone in facial cosmetic use caused granulomas and permanent swelling.

Paris - New technologies for evaluating physical and biochemical aspects of chronic wounds are being looked at for their potential to enhance assessment of tissue repair and the management needs of a given wound, Marco Romanelli, M.D., Ph.D., said at the World Congress of Dermatology.

San Diego - Low-level (wattage) lasers hold great promise for accelerating wound healing, Douglas Dedo, M.D., said at the American Academy of Facial and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery meeting.

Paris - Some drugs can play a role in the management of ulcers due to venous insufficiency, but surgical and physical interventions remain the mainstays for treating the chronic wounds, Mieke Flour, M.D., said at the World Congress of Dermatology.

New York-The pharmacologic use of growth factors already FDA approved and useful in treating recalcitrant diabetic leg ulcers shows promise as an off-label therapy for other wounds that heal slowly, Chris Arpey, M.D., associate director of dermatologic surgery, University of Iowa, said.

Chicago - Early results from a pilot study suggest pretreatment with a topical melanin-containing solution might allow effective laser-assisted removal of non- or lightly pigmented hair, Elizabeth A. Tanzi, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.

Chicago - Experience using botulinum toxin type A (Botox, Botox Cosmetic) over the past few years has taught dermatologists that its utility is not equivalent across its range of potential applications, Richard G. Glogau, M.D., said.

Now that many of us have been online for a number of years, we are getting as many as 200 e-mails a day from friends, family, business associates, and spanners.

Zoe Diana Draelos, M.D., clinical associate professor, department of dermatology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and William P. Coleman III, M.D., editor, Journal of Dermatologic Surgery, discuss advances in dermatologic surgery.

Paris - Follicular unit hair transplantation using the frontal forelock concept followed by oral finasteride (Propecia) treatment can be a useful approach for achieving excellent final cosmetic results after a single transplantation session in men with androgenetic alopecia, said Ki-Hoon Song, M.D., at the World Congress of Dermatology.

Marlton, N.J. - Results from a national survey of dermatologic surgeons support the conclusion that liposuction performed with a conservative approach using local anesthesia and with removal of smaller volumes of fat is a very safe procedure, Naomi Lawrence, M.D., said.

Bethesda, Md. - Tazarotene 0.1 percent cream (Avage) is a significant advance in retinoid treatment for photodamaged skin, Emil A. Tanghetti, M.D., said.

Paris - Used clinically since 1999, the long-pulse Nd:YAG lasers effectively and safely treat pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) in skin types IV, V, VI, according to a study presented by E. Victor Ross, M.D., staff physician at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego.