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Women with afro-textured hair are at increased risk of hair breakage and hair loss due to endogenous and exogenous factors. Conditions such as central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, discoid lupus erythematosus and androgenetic alopecia affect women with afro- textured hair.

A specialized, minimally invasive phlebectomy technique can improve the appearance of hands with prominent veins. Subcutaneous injection of fat into the hand is also a method of camouflaging protruding hand veins.

Nonsurgical skin-tightening procedures based on deep-tissue energy delivery have many attractive features for consumers and physicians. The number of devices available is expanding, but despite the growth in this industry, results remain variable and modest.

An article published Aug. 14, 2008, in the online version of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology created quite a stir among the media. This paper, titled "Tumorigenic Effect of Some Commonly Used Moisturizing Creams when Applied Topically to UVB-Pretreated High-Risk Mice" (Yao-Ping Lu et al), drew some dubious conclusions regarding the relationship between moisturizers and skin cancer.

A concept called the "Universal Angle of Beauty," which measures the slope from the cheekbones to the chin, can help physicians and patients assess botulinum toxin treatments of the lower face, the concept's creator says.

A classic 1-2-3 approach to treating rosacea of the body and scalp is effective, an expert says.

Cathelicidins appear to have dual roles in the skin, working not just as antimicrobials that act as natural antibiotics but also as proponents of healing. Researchers are looking into the underlying workings of antimicrobial cathelicidins with the hope of better understanding their role in osacea. Factors such as toll-like receptors and vitamin D3 appear to be part of the equation.

Several new compounds are currently being tested for safety and efficacy in treating rosacea. These medications may make treatment easier for patients, an expert says.

Cosmeceuticals such as Kinerase (Valeant), niacinamide and a combination of methylsulfonylmethane and silymarin can have a place in treating rosacea, particularly when there is a reason why pharmacological therapies can be used. However, as the number of treatments claiming to help with skin redness grows, physicians shouldwarn patients that just because something can treat redness, that doesn't necessarily mean it can treat rosacea.

Although there is a lot of ongoing research into rosacea and a number of FDA-approved medications, very little of either have to do with skin of color. Research protocols have not included ethnic skin, and medications were approved before the FDA required the inclusion of ethnic subjects.

Combining laser and light-based treatments for rosacea have a synergistic effect, and the combination works better than each does separately, an expert says.

Some research has demonstrated efficacy with the off-label use of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in treating inflammatory skin conditions such as pyoderma gangrenosum and hidradenitis suppurativa. The use of infliximab, in particular, has resulted in disease quiescence in patients who had either condition, and its use has demonstrated a steroid-sparing effect in patients with pyoderma gangrenosum.

Several ingredients found in topical preparations help treat dry skin and the subsequent symptom of pruritus. The results of a recent study with dihydroavenanthramide D demonstrate the agent is very effective in the treatment of pruritus, and according to one expert, should be considered an option when trying to treat and subdue pruritic symptoms.

Allergic contact dermatitis is a cell-mediated condition in which natural killer T cells act both locally in the skin and systemically. Researchers have identified a novel transcription factor that regulates the molecule that natural killer T cells recognize when they migrate into the skin. The finding points to a new pharmacological target in the treatment of allergic contact dermatitis.

A multicenter study enrolling 100 patients investigated the safety of calcium hydroxylapatite microspheres (Radiesse, BioForm) injection for treatment of nasolabial folds. After follow-up to six months, there were no clinically significant adverse reactions, including no cases of keloids, hypertrophic scarring or hypo- or hyperpigmentation.

Etanercept is effective in treating psoriasis in the pediatric population, a study has found. The research also found that patients in the study had increased levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker that may be elevated as a result of abdominal obesity.

Occlusion in patients with atopic dermatitis causes increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased regulation of specific inflammatory cytokines, according to one study. The findings suggest positive patch tests in atopic dermatitis patients may not necessarily indicate true allergy.

Vitiligo in patients with skin of color can have devastating psychosocial consequences. A variety of newer therapeutic options are improving management for patients with disease manifestation ranging across the spectrum, from localized to general.

Several studies show that a new barrier cream provides effective protection against irritants and allergens, its manufacturer says. The cream also withstands gentle hand washing better than a comparator product, a researcher adds.

Topical retinoid treatment is the mainstay of acne management in ethnic skin, as it is in fairer individuals. However, additional considerations are needed to address the unique postinflammatory sequelæ in dark skin and precipitating factors for acne eruptions.

Dapsone gel, Oracea capsules and modified photodynamic therapy are three brand-new approaches to acne therapy, all of which may change current acne treatment and management.

Tissue necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a pivotal cytokine in inflammatory pathways, but its role in acne has not been characterized. Studies under way at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine aim to elucidate more information with the ultimate goal of identifying potential new therapeutic targets for acne.

Unhappy patients have always existed. Just as many physicians say they get patients through word-of-mouth, unhappy patients can create problems through the same medium.

Patients with acne that is unresponsive to traditional therapies were enrolled in a multicenter study evaluating photopneumatic therapy with a vacuum-assisted pulsed light device (Isolaz, æsthera). The treatment was easy to deliver and well-tolerated.

The state-of-the-art 3-D imaging system known as Lifeviz raises the bar in the management of acne and rosacea lesions by allowing the clinician to visualize much more accurately lesion images and, therefore, better follow the treatment progress of patients.

Photodynamic therapy with methyl aminolevulinate cream and red light is associated with marked and relatively durable reductions in inflammatory lesion counts in patients with moderate inflammatory acne, an expert says.

Early in September, a group of dermatologists descended on Capitol Hill, where they met with members of Congress to discuss their concerns and priorities and sought to increase awareness among lawmakers of the importance of dermatology to their constituents.

Dr. Job is a hard-working dermatologist practicing in a city hard hit by the downturn in the economy. Overhead is up, and revenues are down. He is left with no choice but to start terminating some employees.

It seems that over the past several decades, there has been an apparent increased level of concern about the lack of work ethic and selfish motivation of next generation, and whether or not the world will survive the laid-back, "me first" attitude that seem all too prevalent in the younger generation today.

National report - Gardasil presents no significant safety concerns. That was the consensus of a Center for Disease Control (CDC) advisory committee following a review of safety studies of the human papillomavirus quadrivalent vaccine, manufactured by Merck, two years post-approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).