Journal Digest: September 2, 2026

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology | Medicolegal Issues in Hair Transplantation: A Review of North American Court Decisions and Canadian Regulatory Complaints

A review of North American medicolegal cases highlights recurring risk factors associated with hair transplantation. Researchers identified 35 legal cases from 1980 to 2026 and 6 Canadian regulatory complaints. The most common claims involved medical malpractice and inadequate informed consent, with scarring the most frequently reported physical complication. Many disputes centered on unmet cosmetic expectations, alleged misrepresentation, and insufficient counseling about procedural risks, alternatives, potential outcomes, and limitations. Concerns also involved transparency about which clinicians performed specific aspects of the procedure and inadequate physician supervision or delegation to nurses and technicians. For clinicians involved in hair restoration, the findings underscore the importance of clearly defining team roles, ensuring appropriate physician oversight, documenting informed consent and patient counseling, and setting realistic expectations regarding hairline design, graft density, coverage, and the potential need for additional procedures.¹

The Laryngoscope | Association of Neighborhood Deprivation With Breslow Thickness in Head and Neck Cutaneous Melanoma

This retrospective cohort study of 321 patients with primary head and neck cutaneous melanoma found that neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with greater tumor thickness and delays in definitive treatment. Patients living in the most deprived neighborhoods, as measured by the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), had tumors that were an average of 1.40 mm thicker than those in the least deprived neighborhoods after adjustment for demographic and clinical factors. They also had a 33% longer time from diagnostic biopsy to surgery, corresponding to an approximately 10-day difference, and a 1.52-mm greater discrepancy between biopsy and final surgical Breslow thickness. The association between deprivation and tumor discrepancy persisted even after accounting for surgical delay. The findings highlight how social determinants may influence melanoma care beyond initial diagnosis and underscore the importance of timely referral, careful biopsy technique, and attention to potential barriers to specialty care.²

Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology | When Treatment Meets Natural History: Understanding Early Dermatitis-Related Adverse Events in Systemic Atopic Dermatitis Trials

In this structured narrative review, investigators examined early dermatitis-related adverse events reported in phase 3 trials of systemic therapies for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD), including dupilumab, lebrikizumab, tralokinumab, nemolizumab, upadacitinib, and abrocitinib. Rates of treatment-emergent events coded as “atopic dermatitis,” “dermatitis,” or “eczema” varied substantially, ranging from 1% to 29% in treatment groups and up to 41% with placebo. However, differences in baseline disease severity, background topical therapy, rescue-treatment protocols, and definitions of disease worsening limit direct comparisons between therapies. The findings suggest these early events may reflect natural fluctuations in AD, incomplete response, or reporting practices rather than drug-induced flares. The authors emphasize counseling patients that transient worsening can occur during treatment initiation and reinforcing adherence to prescribed topical therapies and moisturizers. Prematurely changing an effective systemic therapy may not be warranted unless worsening is persistent or clinically significant. Standardized definitions of AD flares are needed in future trials.³

Journal of Dermatological Treatment | Predictors of Adalimumab Durability in Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Multicenter Cohort Study

A multicenter retrospective cohort study evaluated predictors of adalimumab treatment durability among 135 adults with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) who received the drug as their first biologic therapy. Patients were categorized as having primary failure at 12–24 weeks, secondary failure at 24 weeks to 2 years, or sustained response beyond 2 years. Overall, 26% experienced primary failure, 39% secondary failure, and 36% sustained treatment. On multivariable analysis, Hurley stage 3 disease was the only independent predictor of lower adalimumab durability (adjusted OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.17–0.81). Higher BMI, diabetes, and lower hemoglobin were associated with reduced durability in univariable analyses but were not significant after adjustment. Common laboratory measures, including leukocyte, monocyte, platelet, and albumin levels, did not predict treatment persistence. The findings suggest that advanced, structurally established HS may be less likely to maintain benefit from adalimumab, underscoring the importance of considering multimodal or procedural management in Hurley stage 3 disease.⁴

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology | Efficacy and Safety of Yellow Light Monotherapy Versus Yellow Light Combined With 20% Vitamin C for the Treatment of Melasma: A Single-Center, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated whether adding topical 20% vitamin C to yellow light therapy improved melasma outcomes compared with yellow light monotherapy. Conducted at a single center, the trial randomized patients with melasma to receive yellow light alone or yellow light combined with 20% vitamin C. Investigators assessed changes in pigmentation using clinical and objective measures, while also monitoring treatment-related adverse events. The combination approach demonstrated greater improvement in melasma severity and pigmentation compared with yellow light alone, suggesting that vitamin C may enhance the depigmenting effects of light-based treatment. Both approaches were generally well tolerated, with adverse events reportedly mild and manageable. The findings suggest that combining yellow light therapy with topical vitamin C may offer an additional treatment option for patients with melasma. However, the single-center design and limited study population warrant larger, longer-term studies before the combination can be broadly recommended.⁵

References

1. Gupta AK, Teasell E, Talukder M. Medicolegal Issues in Hair Transplantation: A Review of North American Court Decisions and Canadian Regulatory Complaints. J Cosmet Dermatol. 25, no. 8 (2026): e71132, doi:10.1111/jocd.71132.

2. Thomas EA, Davis MJ, Stucken CL, et al. Association of Neighborhood Deprivation With Breslow Thickness in Head and Neck Cutaneous Melanoma. Laryngoscope. Published online August 22, 2026. doi:10.1002/lary.70851

3. Dasilva DR, Soto-Gonzalez A, Alkiswani H, et al. When Treatment Meets Natural History: Understanding Early Dermatitis-Related Adverse Events in Systemic Atopic Dermatitis Trials. J EADV Clinical Practice 0 (2026): 1-10, doi:10.1002/jvc2.70423

4. Young AT, Pannu A, Velaoras A, et al. Predictors of adalimumab durability in hidradenitis suppurativa: a multicenter cohort study. J Dermatolog Treat. 2026;37(1):2719076. doi:10.1080/09546634.2026.2719076

5. Du D, Liu X, Huang Y, Wu S, Jiang X. Efficacy and Safety of Yellow Light Monotherapy Versus Yellow Light Combined With 20% Vitamin C for the Treatment of Melasma: A Single-Center, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study. J Cosmet Dermatol. 25, no. 9 (2026): e71146, doi:10.1111/jocd.71146.