News

The International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) and Stiefel have launched Hats On For Skin Heath, a global initiative on sun protection for albinos in sub-Saharan Africa.

A GP100 peptide vaccine can significantly enhance response to the immune activator interleukin-2 in patients with advanced melanoma, MedPage Today reports.

People with Parkinson’s disease have a significantly higher risk of melanoma, new research suggests.

Contact by medical students with the pharmaceutical industry is associated with positive attitudes about marketing, HealthDay News reports.

People with rosacea say the disease can negatively affect their workplace interactions and employment - even to the extent of being denied promotions.

Disaster 101 : Is your practice prepared to meet the challenge? Restoring Skin : ReCell uses patient’s own cells to trigger regeneration Special Report : Men & skin

Rhinophyma, a progressive benign condition causing a large, swollen, bulbous nose, can be treated most effectively if identified early, according to Joseph Bikowski, M.D., director, Bikowski Skin Care Center, Sewickley, Pa. No one knows the cause of rhinophyma, which rarely occurs in women. The condition was once believed to be caused by excessive alcohol consumption, but that was unfounded.

Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss in men, but there are numerous options for treating the condition, and more are being developed.

The incidence of acne in adult men is not as common as it is in female patients, but, nevertheless, some men do seek acne treatment from dermatologists, according to Vic A. Narurkar, M.D., F.A.A.D., founder and director, Bay Area Laser Institute, San Francisco. Adult men usually do not seek treatment for acne as frequently as they do for other conditions, such as rosacea.

Pulsed dye laser (PDL) treatment for infants with port wine stains (PWS) should be performed early and often, according to research conducted by dermatologic surgeons from the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York.

Patricia K. Farris, M.D., never thought she'd experience a natural disaster that would wipe out her practice, a city and an entire infrastructure. Then came Hurricane Katrina. "You couldn't call a patient who had a melanoma. It was so beyond, beyond," says Dr. Farris, who practices in Metairie, La. After the 2005 storm, she says, "I was out of business for seven months."

Addressing male skincare in an office visit may require the dermatologist to make the first move. Men can be hesitant to discuss their concerns, and yet they still comprise a growing segment of patients who want to take good care of their skin, according to Ranella Hirsch, M.D., F.A.A.D.

Intriguing new directions in anti-aging skincare stem from growing knowledge about the human genome and the skin's underlying structure. Much of the latest research into the science of skin aging uses genomics, says Patricia K. Farris, M.D.

Charles E. Crutchfield III, M.D., has had a lifelong battle with pseudofolliculitis barbae. "When I became a dermatologist, it's one of the things I focused on," he says. Razor bumps tend to haunt men - especially those who shave their beards daily - in the neck area.

In planning for disaster, physicians should first analyze their specific risks. That's the advice of Italo Subbarao, D.O., deputy editor of Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness and director of the Public Health Readiness Office in the American Medical Association's Center for Public Health Preparedness and Disaster Response.

Maximizing aesthetic treatments from head to toe requires paying attention to contraindications, treating conservatively and choosing the right cosmeceutical vehicles.

Acne vulgaris and its variants have been distressing adolescents for hundreds of years. The development of therapies such as benzoyl peroxides, topical retinoids and antibiotics has changed the course of acne for many patients, while others suffer a relentless course.

ReCell, a new spray-on skin-regeneration technology that uses the patient's own cells, has the potential to "alter the way we graft humans forever," a researcher says.

Dermatologists whose practices offer laser therapy for hair removal are finding the procedure is becoming increasingly popular among men. "I would say that there is more awareness about hair removal as an option," says Vera Chotzen, M.D., dermatologist and associate director, Laser and Skin Surgery Center of Northern California, Sacramento, Calif.

The identification of genetic mutations in melanoma has opened the door to targeted treatment of melanomas. Delivering a presentation at the 5th annual Canadian Melanoma Conference, Boris Bastian, M.D., chairman of pathology, Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, stated the importance of recognizing the existence of the distinct biological subtypes of melanoma in order to find effective avenues for treatment and prevention.

With all of the partisan bickering on Capitol Hill over the federal deficit, next year's federal budget and what to cut, it appears there may be a consensus building around the idea of finally resolving the Medicare reimbursement crisis. Unless Congress acts before Jan. 1, Medicare physicians will see a 29.5 percent reimbursement cut as a result of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula that is now used.

Although azathioprine requires caution and ongoing patient monitoring, some say their side effects are less severe than many patients - and some dermatologists - think. Even some medically oriented dermatologists express the concern that "these pills will wreck your liver," which overstates the actual clinical risk, says Neil Shear, M.D.

Before investing in aesthetic devices, physicians need to do their homework and carefully weigh the pros and cons of each device and attend lectures focused on various aesthetic devices and technologies. This approach may help them ultimately choose an aesthetic device that is right for them and their patients.

I am a total proponent of the use of technology. As the owner of two single-specialty billing services, I know the value of using the latest technology to save time, optimize the use of human resources, increase efficiency, reduce errors and redundancy and keep the planet "green." But I want providers to have realistic expectations of what an EMR can offer with respect to billing for services rendered and getting paid by insurance carriers.

Joe Skin was unable to afford a $100 fee to see a local dermatologist, and left a pigmented lesion untreated until a seizure from metastatic disease ended with him having multiple surgeries at a cost of $350,000 to taxpayers. Unfortunately, Mr. Skin died anyway from metastatic melanoma. But does his dermatologist have any liability?

Dermatitis in children can be challenging to treat, particularly when commonly used treatment regimens fail. According to one expert, a multi-pronged treatment strategy is the best approach to help clear symptoms and control disease.

The use of topical imiquimod can be beneficial in the treatment and management of lentigo maligna (LM), but knowing the scenarios and settings in which to use the topical immunomodulator is key in achieving successful, safe treatment outcomes.

Among the various aesthetic device technologies used to treat skin laxity, cellulite and achieve circumference reduction, radiofrequency (RF) appears to be one of the most efficacious energy sources currently available.

Intraoperative fractional CO2 laser treatment of wounds resulting from Mohs micrographic surgery significantly improves scar cosmesis at two to three months postoperatively, according to the results of a randomized, split-scar study reported by David Ozog, M.D., at the 2010 joint annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology & Aesthetic Surgery.

The number of men choosing to have cosmetic procedures surpassed 1 million last year, giving a shot in the arm to the field of cosmetic medicine. Alexander S. Gross, M.D., in Cumming, Ga., has treated male cosmetic dermatology patients for 15 years, but he says the number has increased from less than 5 percent to at least 10 percent of his cosmetic practice over the past five years.