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New Orleans — Poly-L-lactic acid (Sculptra, Dermik) appears to provide safe and long-lasting volume correction in patients with moderate-to-severe HIV-related facial lipoatrophy, said Graeme Moyle, M.D., at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology here.

Post-radiofrequency

New Orleans — Subcision with autologous fat transfer can safely correct surface irregularities that have been a rare complication of noninvasive radiofrequency treatment (ThermaCool ?, Thermage Corp.) without negating the tissue tightening and contouring benefits of the procedure, said Rhoda S. Narins, M.D, a New York dermasurgeon, at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology here.

Orlando — Laser and light therapy are becoming viable options for refractive acne and related scarring, says Thomas Rohrer, M.D., who prefers infrared lasers over other available devices.

Botulinum toxin is a complex protein produced by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botulinum toxin type A injections can be used to treat various focal muscle spastic disorders and excessive muscle contractions such as dystonias and spasms.

New Orleans — As the number of male patients undergoing liposuction grows, experience shows that these patients' outcomes, as well as the techniques and instrumentation required to achieve them, differ from those of female patients.

New Orleans — Rather than simply plumping up the back of the hand, fat injections given there perform a host of rejuvenation functions that researchers are just beginning to understand.

Washington — Citing a new study that shows that skin disease "is more prevalent than anyone ever imagined," organizations representing dermatology have urged Congress to provide a 6 percent funding increase for research — more than three times the increase approved last year.

Aat the recent annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, there was a coronation of sorts. The biologic agents officially ascended to the status of treatment of choice for moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Several prominent dermatologists spoke on the subject and hailed these new agents as superior to old-fashioned remedies, which have now been dubbed "pre-biologics." Am I being too sensitive if I feel somewhat prehistoric when others label as pass? therapies that I use and upon which I routinely depend?

National report — With the number of cosmetic procedures performed nationally rising each year, the line between dermatology and plastic surgery continues to blur as dermatologists devote more time to cosmetic procedures and plastic surgeons embrace less invasive treatments.

Riverside, Calif. — Fifty years after the negative effects of cigarette smoke first became broadly known, doctors are still discovering the magnitude of and mechanisms behind its toxic assault on the body. Dermatologists are particularly interested in discoveries over recent years that cigarette smoke results in premature aging of the skin and decreases blood flow to wound sites, resulting in retarded granulation tissue development and remodeling during wound healing and greater scarring.

Tokyo — Growth factors offer seemingly endless potential to skin wound repair and regeneration, yet there are several questions surrounding those that are exogenously applied to acute or chronic skin wounds, according to Xiaobing Fu, M.D., professor, Wound Healing and Cell Biology Laboratory, Burns Institute, The General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China.

Potsdam, N.Y. — Researchers at Clarkson University are working on a skin substitute that they hope one day will heal and function like normal skin. As such, physicians could use it successfully to treat large burns or areas of surgical reconstruction.

Patricia K. Farris, M.D., likes the mix that dermatology offers: traditional clinical work, new-fangled cosmetic options and marketing opportunities for services and products.

The act of taxing a single group of patients who are seeking cosmetic surgery simply because they are easy targets is unfair, injudicious, potentially sexist and wrong.

New Orleans — The biggest mistake most dermatologists make when they decide to start a cosmetic dermatology practice is trying to jump into things too fast. That's the message Joel Schlessinger, M.D., a successful cosmetic dermatologist from Omaha, Neb., likes to share with his colleagues who are considering that move.

San Diego — Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is a common complaint among skin of color patients and one that is important to manage effectively because it can be a source of significant psychosocial distress, said Patricia Dunwell, M.D., at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS).