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Norman, Okla. - Dermatologist Joel Holloway, M.D., is accustomed to relying on his training as a pharmacist to come up with treatment solutions for his patients' skin conditions.

Dermatologic surgery patients who have some form of cardiovascular (CV) disease or components of metabolic syndrome may be at a higher risk for perioperative complications. Therefore, a careful screening of risk factors in all patients prior to their surgical procedures is warranted in order to help avoid unwanted adverse events and ensure the highest standard of care.

The feds are turning up the heat on the tanning bed industry, with two major regulatory agencies and Congress getting into the act. Late last year, senators developing healthcare legislation dropped a proposed tax on cosmetic surgery and substituted a 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services.

I had two pretty amazing experiences during the month of January that provided me an enormous amount of pleasure and happiness. Both experiences dealt with what I believe is the amazing new generation of dermatologists that will carry our specialty into the future.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) can be treated in a less-invasive manner than surgery via a skin patch that delivers radiotherapy, according to research from India.

The use of bioelectric stimulation is key to a novel wound-healing technology that continues to be explored in studies, says a dermatologist who has investigated the clinical technology.

Periorbital rejuvenation remains an important element of aesthetic medicine. In the past, eyelid rejuvenation often required a long period of downtime, accompanied by some substantial risk. But that's not necessarily the case anymore.

The new decade started out to be challenging, frustrating and concerning for everyone. Whatever the future brings, it is evident that physicians who want to remain profitable and avoid decreases in their practice revenues must be proactive.

Cosmeceuticals carry the promising suggestion of providing cosmetic treatments with active ingredients that give them pharmaceutical-like efficacy to address skin aging and skin problems. Dermatologists are faced with the unique challenge of wading through these claims.

The Food and Drug Administration's rebuke of Florida dermatologist Leslie S. Baumann, M.D., for promoting a then-unapproved drug serves as a warning for clinical investigators to speak carefully in public forums, dermatologists say.

Established in 1985, the so-called "ABCD" criteria (assymetry, border, color and diameter) were designed to help laypersons and physicians evaluate suspicious cutaneous lesions and, possibly, make an early diagnosis of potentially curable melanoma. Currently, there is a grassroots move in dermatology to change the "D" criterion from "diameter" to "dark."

Dermatologists welcome the FTC's recent crackdown on what the agency labels deceptive advertising by the Indoor Tanning Association (ITA). The ITA, meanwhile, says a recent settlement with the federal regulatory agency will allow the industry to continue to have a "meaningful voice" in the debate over the health benefits and risks of tanning.

Dr. Skin is given basic privileges in dermatology, but is told that nobody in the department of medicine is comfortable providing her with surgical privileges. She subsequently applies for the same privileges under the department of surgery. Her request - reviewed by three general surgeons and two plastic surgeons in their monthly peer review meeting - is turned down.

As trusted skincare experts, dermatologists owe it to patients to know about cosmeceuticals, says Wendy E. Roberts, M.D., Women's Dermatologic Society president.

There's nothing more frustrating to patients and staff than a dermatologist who constantly runs behind. Running behind is a vicious cycle; until you root out its causes and take action, everyone - including you - will be miserable.

She stands alone as having made her mark in dermatology. But the way E. Dorinda Shelley, M.D., tells it, hers is a story of a partnership with her beloved late husband, an icon in dermatology, Walter B. Shelley, M.D., Ph.D.

While scarless surgery remains a dream for dermatologic and cosmetic surgeons, the next best thing - minimal scarring - is becoming more of a reality than ever.

A variety of products are advertised both on television and in print that claim to reduce under-eye circles. It is hard to generalize, but under-eye circles are remarkably resistent to treatment.

The business climate of medicine has led more dermatologists to join group practices. That means doctors of widely varying ages often work side-by-side. What impact does that have on the practice of medicine?

Minimizing pain while performing botulinum toxin injections is of paramount importance to patient and physician alike. Though there are several topical anesthetic techniques from which to choose, Pain Ease (Gebauer Company), a topical anesthetic skin refrigerant, appears to be the best choice, according to an expert.

Love or loathe them, public Web sites that let patients rate their physicians aren't going away, experts say. Making these sites work for you rather than against you requires ongoing vigilance, broad-based patient participation and - for some physicians - patient contracts, they add.

Denver - Dr. Papidies interacts daily with patients and staff at Dermatology Associates of Colorado, Englewood, Colo., wearing his white lab coat - and a chewed stethoscope.

Strategies for treating adult female acne include taking detailed patient histories, checking for endocrine abnormalities when indicated and, in many cases, prescribing oral contraceptives also approved for acne, according to an expert.

A cell biologist who has devoted much of his career to understanding the process of cancer argues that the skin may hold the key to predicting cancer risk of the colon, breast and more.

Skincare products developed for a specific purpose work best. Most companies put a lot of time and effort into formulation, and there is no doubt that shaving cream is the best product for any shave in any area in both sexes.

Patients have innumerable opportunities to mix and match anti-aging therapies, which may create more problems than they solve.

We asked a number of doctors around the country whether they are adding procedures, therapies or equipment to their practices this year, and how those plans are being impacted by economic conditions. While some dermatologists are being cautious, others are actually using the economic challenges to plan for the future of their businesses.

A recent study that ranks dermatology among the most satisfying medical specialties to practice finds agreement among dermatologists, who count the specialty's diversity, flexibility and visual nature among its charms.