Feature Channels: Dermatology

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Patience and compliance remains key to treating acne successfully, says the chairman of dermatology at NYU Langone Medical Center, an expert in adolescent skin conditions.

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Boni Elewski, M.D., led one of two trials featured in the New England Journal of Medicine that show secukinumab is a safe and effective psoriasis treatment.

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Recently, a study in the Journal of Internal Medicine suggested that women who avoid sun exposure are twice as likely to die as compared to those who receive sun exposure. The study attempts to link low vitamin D levels with this increased death rate. However, even the study authors admit that this is speculation on their part.

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A new study by University of Kentucky researchers shows how a genetic defect in a specific hormonal pathway may make people more susceptible to developing melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer.

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A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the Dermatology Online Journal shows that YouTube also allows researchers, journals, and health advocates to connect directly with the public on topics of skin cancer and prevention.

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Melasma affects more than six million women in the U.S. If you have melasma, dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology recommend the following tips for achieving a more even skin tone.

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Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie has signed into law a bill that protects minors from the dangers of indoor tanning.

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We’re often told that worrying can be harmful to one’s health. But University at Buffalo researchers say that when it comes to preventing skin cancer, a little fear is good for you.

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The popular idea that Northern Europeans developed light skin to absorb more UV light so they could make more vitamin D – vital for healthy bones and immune function – is questioned by UC San Francisco researchers in a new study published online in the journal Evolutionary Biology.

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Moffitt Cancer Center researchers developed a new way to identify possible therapeutic targets for patients with drug resistant melanoma. It involves using liquid chromatography-multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry to measure biomarkers or molecules in blood and tissue that indicates cancer is present. These measurements can help researchers determine if a patient is responding to treatment.

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In recognition of Men’s Health Awareness Month and the start of summer, the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy) has released findings from a new survey, which found that more than 90% of American men know something about skin cancer, but only six in 10 (61%) know how to detect signs on their skin, and even fewer actually visit a doctor for annual skin cancer screenings (18%). These shortcomings were more apparent in younger men (18-34), who were also significantly less likely to believe that they are at risk for skin cancer than men over 35 (31% vs. 42%), and are more likely to protect their skin for cosmetic reasons than they are for health reasons (32% vs. 20%).

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Dartmouth researchers have found that early exposure to the ultraviolet radiation lamps used for indoor tanning is related to an increased risk of developing basal cell carcinomas (BCC) at a young age. Their findings are reported in “Early-Onset Basal Cell Carcinoma and Indoor Tanning: A Population-Based Study,” a study that will be published in the July 2014 issue of Pediatrics. Since indoor tanning has become increasingly popular among adolescents and young adults, this research calls attention to the importance of counseling young people about the risk of indoor tanning.

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Research conducted at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute, published in the latest issue of the scientific journal Pigment Cell and Melanoma, has established unequivocally in a natural animal model that the incidence of malignant melanoma in adulthood can be dramatically reduced by the consistent use of sunscreen in infancy and childhood.

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Autoimmune disease occurs when the body's own natural defense system rebels against itself. One example is pemphigus vulgaris (PV), a blistering skin disease in which autoantibodies attack desmoglein 3 (Dsg3), the protein that binds together skin cells. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania recently found a shared genetic link in the autoimmune response among PV patients that provides important new clues about how autoantibodies in PV originate.

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Marty Visscher, Ph.D., Director, Skin Sciences Program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, explains that some parents do not understand the dangers of prolonged sun exposure on their child’s skin.

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Statement from Brett M. Coldiron, MD, FAAD, President, American Academy of Dermatology

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People want their toenails to look great in the summer. But many people allow their toenails to grow too long, which can cause discoloration, blisters and other problems.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United States is experiencing an alarming increase in the number of bedbug populations. In addition to being found in private residences, such as apartments and single-family homes, bedbugs are increasingly affecting restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and schools and day care centers. To help find bedbugs before they find you (and your belongings), dermatologists share their tips for checking near places where you sleep.

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The American Academy of Dermatology (Academy) is pleased to announce Bristol-Myers Squibb’s donation of its Melanoma Exposed™ program to the Academy. The donation, provided through a charitable grant, will be used to increase public awareness of skin cancer – including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer – and expand the number of free skin cancer screenings across the country through the Academy’s SPOT Skin Cancer™ initiative. Bristol-Myers Squibb’s donation of Melanoma Exposed™ includes a five-year contribution to the Academy, totaling more than $4 million.

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Expert can speak on the risks involved in the use of topical corticosteroids, prescriptions of which have risen sharply in the past few years, as well as on the development of new topical non-steroidal Multi-Functional Anti-Inflammatory Drugs that address the symptoms of inflammation without the attendant side effects linked to steroids.