Aesthetics

Cigarette smoking is the most preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in North America, and is a significant public health concern.

Boston - Botulinum toxin combined with fillers produces elegant, synergistic results, says Timothy Corcoran Flynn, M.D.

Use silicone to treat patients who want volume replacement.

Injecting insufficient filler is a major mistake made often by physicians treating their first patients.

According to Dr. Katz, Sculptra requires multiple injections six weeks apart, with care taken to avoid injecting an excessive amount.

Dallas - Patients' interest in minimally invasive treatments could bode well for the future of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in the United States, but only if its efficacy can be proven. And current research results are inconclusive, says Murad Alam, M.D., chief, section of cutaneous and aesthetic surgery, department of dermatology, Northwestern University.

National report - Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) effectively promotes wound healing without causing burn to adjacent tissue, according Lars Hode, D.Sc. The operative principle, known as photobiomodulation, is particularly useful in treating decubitus ulcers, typical of people with diabetes and frail elderly patients who spend long hours in bed. It also has cosmetic applications and can be used for scar revision, as in the treatment of acne scars.

Singapore - Treatment of acne scars, whether protuberant or depressed, requires a systematic and holistic approach that includes consideration of scar type, as well as patient tolerability and commitment, says Lai Leng Cheong, M.D.

How quickly a tattoo can be lightened depends on several factors including what colors it includes, how old it is and who applied it.

National report-- The contribution of bone marrow-derived cells in responding to acute injury to the skin has long been known, but the focus on inflammatory markers has resulted in a skewed sense of the marrow's total contribution to the skin niche, says Frank Isik, M.D., a researcher and professor of plastic surgery at the University of Washington. New tools that allow scientists to better track the movement of cells from bone marrow to the periphery are leading to a reevaluation of the marrow/skin relationship, he says.

Boston - Improvements on a non-invasive alternative to liposuction may revolutionize medical procedures in this area, according to a presentation at this year's International Master Course on Aging Skin.

Boston - A presentation at this year's International Master Course on Aging Skin here suggests that some newer-generation laser models may be used in conjunction with others to treat previously difficult-to-reach violaceous vascular lesions, and even achieve greater results in non-ablative skin rejuvenation.

To minimize scar formation, intercept facial wounds as early as possible, and treat them during the four-to-eight-week window after the trauma or incision, advises Joseph Niamtu III, D.M.D., an oral/maxillofacial and cosmetic facial surgeon based in Richmond, Va.

Portland, Ore. - Skin color can determine the best type of pigment laser to use, according to Ken Lee, M.D., a dermatologic surgeon at Oregon Health and Science University.

Further down the road, pluripotential hair follicle bulge stem cells might provide a solution for hair replacement, but not for 10 to 20 years, according to Dr. Leigh.

New York - Recent data suggests that refinements in dosing techniques can improve clinical outcomes with alefacept (Amevive, Biogen).

New York - Recent data suggests that refinements in dosing techniques can improve clinical outcomes with alefacept (Amevive, Biogen).

New York - American dermatologists have been ignoring cellulite, but they need to start paying attention, says Mitchel Goldman, M.D., medical director of Dermatology/Cosmetic Laser Associates in La Jolla, Calif.

Internationally recognized researcher, Alan Menter, M.D., considers the future of psoriasis treatment.

New York - Jean D. Carruthers, M.D., thinks it might be appropriate for her and her dermatologist husband, Alastair, to change their middle names to "determination."

Suzanne Kilmer, M.D., started out life on the move, in tandem with the amazing tech-nological developments evolving in laser medicine. The daughter of a pioneer in the manufacture of calculators, she was born in Dallas but early on moved to Chicago, then to Silicone Valley during her freshman year in high school.

New York and Pennsville, N.J. - While hydroquinone remains crucial for treating pigmentary disorders in ethnic patients, the most effective treatments frequently combine this drug with other preparations and treatment modalities.

National Report - Freckle-faced patients - whether they have one bothersome lentigo or a face full of mottling - have many options when it comes to achieving clearer, more even-toned skin. Depending on a patient's perceived concern, dermatologists have at their disposal therapies ranging from topical treatments to more aggressive lasers and light sources to combinations of both.

National Report - Combination therapy, featuring a newer dual-agent topical solution containing mequinol 2 percent and tretinoin 0.01 percent (Solag?,Galderma) used alone but particularly together with laser or intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment, provides an improved approach for treating solar lentigines, agree Marta I. Rendon, M.D., and Fran E. Cook-Bolden, M.D.

The recently organized Pigmentary Disorders Academy (PDA) already can be credited with a number of significant accomplishments. These accomplishments exemplify its aims to increase awareness of pigmentary disorders within the medical community and to update and educate physicians about these conditions and their treatments to enhance patient care.