Louise Gagnon

While the incidence of melanoma is lower among African-Americans than it is among Caucasians, mortality due to melanoma is higher among the former. The reason, experts say, is because skin cancers in African-Americans appear on sites where they behave more aggressively, and there is a delay in diagnosis with this patient population.

The use of a fixed combination of 924 nm and 975 nm continuous wave laser energy can treat primary axillary hyperhidrosis, according to a study presented at the 2012 annual meeting of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.

The combined use of propranolol and pulsed dye laser (PDL) resulted in more rapid and complete clearance of infantile hemangiomas than propranolol monotherapy, according to data presented at the 2012 annual meeting of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.

Pediatric dermatologists are taking a very slow - but hopeful - approach to using propranolol to treat hemangiomas in children. In doing so, they are also carefully monitoring children for possible unwanted reactions such as hypotension, bradycardia and hypoglycemia.

Derms will need to take a more comprehensive approach to age management that will demand more than knowing how to inject the latest filler or toxin or dial in a laser setting.

Scabies infection may be a trigger for bullous pemphigoid, and investigators plan to conduct a larger study to confirm their findings.

According to preliminary data, administration of curcumin diminishes the severity of radiation dermatitis, a common adverse event in cancer patients who are receiving radiation therapy.

Various hyaluronic acid-based fillers are being widely used in cosmetic dermatology, and potential competitors to established products such as Botox are being investigated in trials.

Investigators have found that a particular nicotinic acid receptor has increased expression in later stages of SCC, indicating that this receptor may represent a target for therapy in nonmelanoma skin cancer.

Low-level laser therapy for female pattern hair loss is safe and effective, one expert says.

Use of onion extract cream to treat post-surgical scars improves the appearance of scars after surgery.

Health status, not age, should determine the appropriateness of cosmetic surgery.

Specialized products and ionizing hair dryers battle frizzy hair.

The intake of vitamin D does not influence the risk of developing melanoma, a study shows.

New York - Patients of color have a unique set of skin concerns, and those concerns need to be addressed while clinicians are treating patients, according to Andrew Alexis, M.D., M.P.H., a dermatologist at St. Luke?s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York.

When performing a procedure like blepharoplasty, it's most important to take into consideration the desires and wishes of the patients.

Therapies that combine hydroquinone and other compounds can be prescribed to treat PIH, which can appear secondary to eczema, acne.

Botulinum toxin type A (Botox Allergan) is the gold standard to treat axillary hyperhidrosis, but it also can be administered to treat palmar hyperhidrosis or plantar hyperhidrosis. In very rare instances, it can be used to treat the mid-face. There is not a standard dosing schedule in using botulinum toxin type A to treat hyperhidrosis.

Augusta, Ga. - A new technique for soft-tissue suture lifting in the face is an alternative to the minimally invasive facelift. The technique uses clear, modified polypropylene with bio-absorbable cones and multiple point fixations, says Gloria Mabel Gamboa, M.D., F.A.C.S., associate professor at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Ga.

Nevi of special site can be seen not only in children and adolescents, but in adults up to age 35 as well, according to a recent study. A conservative approach to treating these nevi is justified given they do not appear to have the potential for malignancy.

Systemic therapies, particularly anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents, are an appropriate course of therapy for patients with nail psoriasis.

Women can achieve good control of adult or hormonal acne through spironolactone therapy alone or in conjunction with oral contraceptives.

Topical immunomodulators are effective in managing pediatric vitiligo over six months, with no serious adverse events observed, one study has found. More extended treatment will provide a better sense of efficacy with these therapies in the longer term.

Carboxitherapy involves the administration of gaseous carbon dioxide to penetrate the skin and reach subcutaneous tissues, thereby, reducing localized deposits of fat. It can be used as an adjunct to proceduressuch as liposuction.

Autologous fat harvested from sites of the body can be injected into the buttocks to reshape them. Clinicians can use epidural anesthesia to make the procedure relatively painless. Forceful massage is necessary to distribute the fat and to optimize vascularization through increased contact with the muscles in the buttocks.

Reduced ING4 staining is associated with melanoma thickness, ulceration and poor overall survival, which suggests that restoring the tumor suppressor ING4 is a possible therapeutic direction.

Many new fillers are made from porcine collagen, averting the need for allergy testing. Because many new fillers are biodegradable, they will not induce fibrosis in the skin, leaving surgical correction as an option for patients in the future. Complications that occur with biodegradable fillers disappear spontaneously.

While traditional liposuction may remove unwanted fat, one of its disadvantages is that it produces skin laxity. Contemporary treatment modalities such as laser lipolysis are minimally invasive, tighten the skin and produce less blood loss than traditional liposuction.

Early intervention will prevent the development of visible, linear scars. One of the increasingly common treatment modalities to prevent scar development is the use of lasers. Laser therapy is virtually painless and does not burn the skin.

One published study has found substantive change in wrinkles, particularly in the periorbital region, as well as increased smoothness and firmness, with the use of a combination of 633 nm and 830 nm LED treatments on photodamaged skin. One of the benefits of low-level energy light is that it does not produce side effects, because the impact is not thermal.