Aesthetics

Israelis decode gene

Face 'cradle' helps speed recovery after surgery

Better understanding of treatment options helps patients feel involved

Dermatitis' can be catch-all label for unexplainable skin conditions

Injections manage painful postherpetic neuralgia, keloids

Maui, Hawaii - Next-generation botulinum toxin treatments promise to improve problems ranging from smokers' lines to sweaty palms. However, such treatments aren't for novices - be they dermatologists or patients. "As Botox is now becoming more widely accepted and we're becoming more used to its application, we're finding new uses for it," said Kevin S. Pinski, M.D.

Thermage, Inc., announced the availability of a new treatment tip that deploys radiofrequency (RF) energy into the skin at a faster speed. The fast treatment tip reduces RF delivery time by 64 percent without affecting the clinical outcome. The Thermage method uses non-invasive RF technology to smooth wrinkles around the eye by tightening loose skin. During treatment, a cooling spray protects the skin's top layers while the treatment tip delivers RF energy into the deeper skin layers.

Botox injections may help ease stubborn pain in the neck and upper back when other treatments fail, preliminary research shows. A study of 25 patients whose chronic pain had resisted other therapies found that a single round of Botox injections coupled with physical therapy brought pain relief within a month.

New terms to begin in 2005 and 2006

May inhibit secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor, which stimulates tumor progression

Data on new lesion development during follow-up shows drug is effective in simultaneous control of both conditions

Orphan Drug Status

New Melanoma Model

Foot Cream for Diabetes

Treatment of hyperhidrosis with botulinum toxin injections or iontophoresis might be covered by insurance, but receiving reimbursement depends on obtaining pre-certification and using the correct billing codes, said Dr. Ramsey F. Markus, M.D.

Santa Barbara, Calif. -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration late last month granted approval for Inamed Corp.'s Hylaform (Hylan-B gel). The hyaluronic-acid-based dermal filler is indicated for injection into the deep dermis for correction of moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and folds. The move, while expected, adds a few wrinkles of its own to the growing U.S. market for dermal fillers.

As presidential election kicks in, derms join debate over national healthcare plan proposals

Washington - Intradermal botulinum toxin type A (Botox) for the treatment of primary axillary hyperhidrosis produces a durable effect, with nearly half of patients requiring only one treatment over a one-year period, according to study data released at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology here.

Washington - A number of different lasers covering a wide range of wavelengths can be used to treat a variety of pigmented lesions, but certain lasers work better than others and similarly, response varies by lesion type, said Jeffrey S. Dover, M.D., at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology here.

Washington - Photoprotection has an important place in the prevention of skin cancer, but it should involve a multifactorial approach that puts inexpensive natural protection first, said Robin Marks, M.B.B.S, at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Washington - Treatment of melasma has advanced significantly with the availability of new hydroquinone combination therapies that can produce clearing safely and more rapidly than single-agent regimens, said Valerie D. Callender, M.D., at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Washington - Treatment of melasma has advanced significantly with the availability of new hydroquinone combination therapies that can produce clearing safely and more rapidly than single-agent regimens, said Valerie D. Callender, M.D., at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Washington - Oral tazarotene has sustained efficacy in the treatment of moderate to very severe plaque psoriasis with no cumulative toxicity. Alan Menter, M.D., presented data from a one-year, open-label study at the 62nd annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Washington, D.C. - A unique urea-containing vehicle appears to improve the tolerability of topical treatment with sodium sulfacetamide/sulfur in acne and rosacea patients with sensitive skin, according to the results of a randomized, double-blind, active comparator-controlled study presented by James J. Leyden, M.D., at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Vitamin therapy, sunscreen help protect skin from ultraviolet radiation and free radicals

Inamed Corp. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted market approval for Hylaform, a hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler that is indicated for injection into the mid to deep dermis for correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds.

American Medical Association President Donald J. Palmisano, M.D., J.D., issued the following statement supporting S. 2061.

Physicians may not need to prescribe antibiotics when treating a common skin infection in children, according to researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Gaithersburg, Md. - The FDA General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee meeting on March 25 unanimously recommended approval of Sculptra for reconstructive purposes with lipoatrophy associated with HIV infection and treatment.

In February, I was visiting Austria to give some Botox lectures and to go skiing with friends.