Chet Scerra

San Francisco - Two new dermal fillers approved for use without a pre-treatment skin test will enable dermatologists to offer patients same-day collagen replacement therapy.

Chicago - There has been no good explanation as to why people who know that too much sun is not healthy continue to sunbathe or go to tanning salons. Now, for the first time, University of Texas researchers have shown that the act of suntanning shares characteristics of other substance-dependent disorders.

Chicago - A profound understanding of embryology, histology, and anatomy are requisite to the comprehension of pathologic processes in general, and to the pathology of the hair follicle and nail unit, in particular, according to New York City dermatopathologist A. Bernard Ackerman, M.D.

San Francisco - The majority of current treatments for bullous pemphigoid (BP) are not supported by evidence from solid randomized controlled trials, according to Emory University researcher Seaver L. Soon, M.D.

Rancho Mirage, Calif. - Stem cells that exist in the skin and in hair follicles are important targets for delivering genes if physicians are to achieve longterm expression of a favorable genetic characteristic, Jonathan Vogel, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.