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Zoe Diana Draelos, M.D. answers questions and clears up cosmetic concerns

Well-chosen procedures can help improve issues that make our faces look older. Brown spot, rough texture, fine lines, thinning lips and nasolabial folds are all aging culprits that don't take a lot of money to fix.

Systemic retinoids have a place for treating immunosuppressed patients with multiple AKs and squamous cell carcinomas.

Whatever the cause, there is a lot you can do to get rid of unwanted hair.

An inflammatory skin disease shared by the likes of Princess Di, Bill Clinton and W.C.Fields, rosacea can start innocently with a flush on your cheeks that seems to last just a little too long. You may notice it after working out, eating spicy foods or even sipping a glass of red wine.

A 4 mm punch biopsy sectioned horizontally will show a normal terminal:vellus hair ratio of 8:1 to 9:1 in patients with chronic telogen effluvium whereas in female pattern hair loss the ratio is 2:1.

Wilkes-Barre, Pa. - A careful preoperative evaluation to acquire a thorough understanding of individual risk factors is the foundation for success when performing dermatologic surgery in older patients, Christine E. Cabell, M.D., tells Dermatology Times.

National report - The Food and Drug Administration's plans for 2007 and beyond include greater attention to postmarket risks and more timely reviews of medical devices, including those used for plastic and reconstructive surgery, spokesmen say.

ETFs can actually be traded on an intraday basis, impossible with most conventional funds.

Las Vegas - Building a successful cosmetic practice from scratch requires starting with low-risk treatments geared to one's skills and interests, says a cosmetic office practice expert.

Costs directly associated with AD range from less than $100 to more than $2,000 per patient per year. In the United States alone, AD's direct costs amount to almost $1 billion a year.

When compared with the general population, psoriasis patients participating in phase 2 and phase 3 clinical studies of biologic agents were more likely to be overweight and obese.

Maastricht, Netherlands - Warts have proven too much for duct tape, according to researchers in the Netherlands.

Salt Lake City - Head lice appear to succumb to intense blow-drying just as well as to chemical treatments, and more so than to louse combs, MedPageToday.com reports.

Washington - Botox may relieve severe pain from osteoarthritis of the knee, new research suggests.

Crawfordsville, Ind. - An 18-year-old Indiana woman's left breast was removed after she contracted a severe infection following nipple piercing, the Associated Press reports.

London - Twin boys have been born with different skin color, a rare genetic occurrence, experts say.

Boston - A combination of Rituxan (rituximab, Genentech) and intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) can be effective in patients with severe refractory pemphigus vulgaris, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine reports.

National report - A pilot study has identified gadolinium within the soft tissues of patients with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), formerly known as nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy.

San Diego - ArteFill (Artes Medical), the latest federally approved facial filler, offers dermatologists a long lasting alternative, and, although it has come late to the party, it is the only product now approved that has a potential to remain in the face for years, experts say.

Bridgewater, N.J. - Sculptra (Dermik) demonstrated significantly longer-lasting effects than CosmoPlast (Allergan Medical) in a randomized, evaluator-blinded, parallel group, multicenter study of 233 patients who sought treatment of nasolabial folds.

It's doubtful the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) could have picked a better spokeswoman for its recently launched PSA campaign to educate teens about the risks of indoor tanning.

And, says the AAD, a 2005 study shows that regular exposure to tanning beds significantly elevates a person's risk for developing melanoma.

Perhaps the patients will all sue the laser company and not Dr. Laser. After all they sent a "beginner" laser representative to guide the "beginner" physician.

It is noble that Mr. Eckley Keach (June 2006) wishes to alleviate the morbidity and mortality from melanoma, but is he on target in stating that the best way to accomplish this is by utilizing photography as a substitute for patient education, careful serial skin exams and biopsies?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Dr. Leon Kircik is replying to a clarification from Chester Valley Pharmaceuticals that ran in our November issue on an article in the October issue, "Vehicles often drive treatment of difficult ailments." Atopiclair is Chester Valley Pharmaceutical's product. While Dr. Kircik was not the author of the article (he was interviewed by Senior Staff Correspondent John Jesitus) he did see the article before it went to press for his approval, as is Dermatology Times' standard practice with clinical articles.

Cincinnati-Procter & Gamble, based here, will resume sales of its Japanese-made SK-II cosmetics in China following the Chinese government's finding that the products are not harmful to consumers, according to the People's Daily Online.

Washington-The federal government's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended that Americans aged 60 and above get anti-shingles vaccinations.

Washington-The Food and Drug Administration has approved ArteFill for use in correcting nasolabial folds.

Philadelphia - As the human body ages, its ability to muster a robust and effective immune response diminishes, a fact reflected in cutaneous immunity.