Aesthetics

Tri-Active LaserDermology (SM) is the result of the newest FDA-approved technology incorporating triple-action methodology for restoring a normal balance to the skin and outer layers, including smoothing and tightening. The treatment reduces the appearance of cellulite through the combined action of mechanical massage, localized cooling, and deep laser stimulation.

As more consumers look for non-invasive ways to turn back time, cosmeceuticals are proving to be a lucrative market. Cosmeceuticals are one of the fastest-growing segments in department stores' skin-care business, according to NPD Group, a market research firm.

The use of Botox to make a woman's breasts stand out has arrived in Canada, according to The Globe and Mail. "It's a new, emerging use for Botox, and we are still refining our techniques," said Kevin Smith, M.D., a dermatologist in Niagara Falls, Ont.

Researchers are testing a new cream that may prevent skin damage before it starts.

Britain is at the forefront of a pioneering technology that could soon allow patients to grow their own facelifts. Its makers claim that it can remove lines, wrinkles, and even scars.

Connetics Corp. has agreed to acquire exclusive U.S. rights to Roche Holding AG's Soriatane (acitretin).

Washington D.C. -- Cryoanesthesia using the refrigerant spray dichlorotetrafluoroethane (Freon 114; Frigiderm) safely and effectively reduces the pain of botulinum toxin type A (Botox) injections for palmar hyperhidrosis but does not interfere with the efficacy of that treatment for decreasing sweating, said Leslie S. Baumann, M.D., at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology here.

Washington D.C. - In a recent trial involving four patients with dissecting cellulitis, long-pulsed Nd:YAG (1,064 nm) laser treatments were shown to reduce pain, purulent drainage, and the need for systemic antibiotics. In addition, some patients' hair regrew without recurrence of the disease.

Vernon Hills, Ill. - The rate people age - or don't age - runs according to what they eat, according to Mitchell V. Kaminski, M.D., a cosmetic surgeon board certified in both surgery and nutrition.

New York - As injectable filler options grow, so do their power to offer patients a second round of youthful looks. The market is expanding with fillers that offer various compositions, indications, durations of effect, and stages of FDA approval. The growing choices are cause for celebration and consideration.

New York - Requiring no pretreatment allergy testing, human-based collagen fillers CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast are rapidly replacing bovine-based Zyderm and Zyplast, respectively, according to Brian M. Kinney, M.D.

New York - Imagine fat as a substance bundled into intact parcels that are a size and shape allowing for them to travel through a small cannula - both when harvested and injected. This is the key to transferring the permanent subcutaneous filler, Sydney R. Coleman, M.D. said.

Dallas - Pre-clinical research suggests a new compound can boost the efficacy of diagnostic and laser therapeutic applications. The chemical mixture appears to increase the transparency of normal human skin, thereby allowing a better, deeper and much greater penetration of light for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Deer Valley, Utah -- Patients seeking long-lasting cosmetic improvement without a facelift have a new treatment modality - non-ablative radiofrequency (RF) - in which improvement continues for up to six months after a single treatment.

Washington D.C. - Cryoanesthesia using the refrigerant spray dichlorotetrafluoroethane (Freon 114; Frigiderm) safely and effectively reduces the pain of botulinum toxin type A (Botox) injections for palmar hyperhidrosis but does not interfere with the efficacy of that treatment for decreasing sweating, said Leslie S. Baumann, M.D., at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology here.

Washington - Extensive skin cancer can be a life-ruining or even lethal event for organ transplant recipients. Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, Clark C. Otley, M.D., reviewed for his colleagues five lessons he learned, some times the hard way, to address this challenging problem.

Washington - Topical application of anti-tumor necrosis factor-? (TNF-?) monoclonal antibody (infliximab) produced dramatic improvement with wound closure in chronic, non-healing leg ulcers, said Markus Streit, M.D., department of dermatology, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland.

Washington - The recently concluded American Academy of Dermatology conference witnessed the first published report documenting the safety and efficacy of the Smoothbeam laser treatment for inflammatory facial acne. Building on previous research that showed the 1,450-nm diode laser to be effective for treating inflammatory acne on the back, a team of researchers led by Paul M. Friedman, M.D., showed the same type of laser to be safe and effective for treating facial acne vulgaris.

About 15 years ago, while riding on a shuttle bus at the annual American Academy of Dermatology meeting, I overheard two elderly dermatologists discussing the state of dermatology, as they perceived it. One gentleman commented that he had not seen a single advance to rival the advent of tetracycline for acne, and that most of the new treatments did not work very well. At the time, I remember thinking that these practitioners were out of touch with all of the hot new therapies for skin disorders. Since that time, as I have been bombarded by myriad new and supposedly revolutionary "advances," I, too, am beginning to question whether we should equate the concept of "newness"

National report - The continuing debate over the safety of office-based procedures ignited in Florida, where a 90-day moratorium on combined liposuction/ abdominoplasty procedures prompted new questions. Some surgeons wonder if such restrictions will become permanent - and if, in coming days, other states will follow suit or restrict other office-based procedures.

Dallas - A new Q-switched combination 532/1,064 Nd:YAG laser provides physicians with an option for treating postsclerotherapy hyperpigmentation, according to a presentation scheduled for the annual meeting of American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.

Washington - Preclinical study results indicate that topical oxygen therapy using an emulsion containing supersaturated oxygen may be a safe and effective method for enhancing healing of a variety of wounds, said Stephen C. Davis, at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Maui, Hawaii - Some time in the not-too-distant future, people will ingest tablets for sun protection instead of slathering lotion over their bodies, according to Howard Murad, M.D. A dermatologist, pharmacist, and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at UCLA, Dr. Murad's personal quest is to develop that pill. He believes it may well contain pomegranate extract.

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. However, because of limited clinical data and fear of off-label use, the panel recommended attaching five conditions to that approval.

Moderator: What is ringworm, and do you find it to be seasonalin nature?

Q&A/ROSACEAAlbert Kligman, M.D., Ph.D., is a pioneer who continues to break new ground in dermatology. Dialogue with a Mentor is brought to you by an unrestricted educational grant from Galderma Laboratories, LP.

The Smoothbeam diode laser was given expanded FDA clearance for treatment of facial acne.

Akron, Ohio - Maggot debridement therapy (MDT), a controversial, but reportedly effective wound-healing technique, has attracted a following abroad in recent years, and is now gaining interest in the United States, as well. MDT is the medical use of live maggots or fly larvae for cleaning non-healing wounds. "MDT has been around for centuries -- so it's certainly not new, but there has been a resurgence of interest," said dermatologist and wound-care specialist Elliot N. Mostow, M.D., of Wound Care Associates of Akron (Ohio).

National report -- In a study that could have implications for faster wound healing in the future, Australian researchers have dispelled the belief that only epidermal stem cells are capable of tissue regeneration; short term and long term. They report in the February 2004 issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation that significant proliferative and tissue-regenerative capacity resides in the more mature progeny of keratinocyte stem cells - including early differentiating cells.

Amsterdam - Cell culture techniques have been developed that allow in vitro reconstruction of skin, based on three different techniques developed 25 years ago at MIT in three independent laboratories (those of Howard Green, Ioannis Yannas and Eugene Bell). The use of these techniques has given rise to a variety of tissue substitutes that can serve not only as permanent covering, used in the repair of large skin defects, but also as temporary biological dressings to promote wound healing.