Feature

Feature

Interactive Internet Dermatology Mailing Lists: An Important Educational Tool

VOLUME: 17 PUBLICATION DATE: Apr 01 2009
Issue Number: 
Volume 17 - Issue 4 - April 2009

Interactive Internet mailing lists, which enable subject-specific groups to communicate via email, are being used by many medical specialties. These authors discuss their current usage in dermatology.

An interactive Internet mailing list (IIML) gathers a subject-specific group whose member communicate via email. IIMLs are used to coordinate productive Internet discussions. This paper reviews the current status of IIMLs in dermatology.

Useful terms

Some of the terms are familiar. A mailing list is a collection of names and addresses — for ordinary or electronic mail — used by an

Liposuction of the Malar Fat Pads

VOLUME: 17 PUBLICATION DATE: Apr 01 2009
Issue Number: 
Volume 17 - Issue 4 - April 2009

The subcutaneous fat spaces of the face are subdivided into (1) submental, (2) submandibular, (3) pre-parotid, (4) lower nasolabial, (5) upper nasolabial, and (6) malar fat pads.1-3 These spaces are highly compartmentalized and change at different rates with time.4 In a youthful face, transitions between these different subcutaneous compartments are smooth, whereas in the aging face, disruptions between these spaces break up cosmetic units and draw attention to these discrepancies. The malar fat pad is an area composed of subcutaneous fat between the obicularis oris muscle and the deep dermis.

A Review of the Top 10 Wound Care Research Findings

VOLUME: 17 PUBLICATION DATE: Apr 01 2009
Issue Number: 
Volume 17 - Issue 4 - April 2009

Skin & Aging’s sister journal Wounds is the nation’s leading wound care research journal, and it’s the major source of current research, treatment methodology, and current protocol in the field of wound care. In addition, this journal is the standard reference tool of those healthcare professionals who are leaders in establishing wound care programs and treatment centers both nationally and internationally.

This month, we bring you the top 10 selections from the whole body of research published in Wounds in 2008.

Dermatologist and wound care expert, Dr. Robert Kirsner, who is Section Edi

PHOTOTHERAPY: A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO PATIENT SELECTION

VOLUME: 17 PUBLICATION DATE: Mar 01 2009
Issue Number: 
Volume 17 - Issue 3 - March 2009



Though phototherapy is a very successful, safe and cost effective treatment option, its use as a common therapy for psoriasis is declining. This series was created to offer readers practical advice on how and when to use phototherapy.

Although the beneficial properties of phototherapy are well known, they are countered by certain side effects, including increased risk of skin cancer, photodamage and photosensitivity reactions. The balance between therapeutic effects and adverse effects is achieved through proper patient selection. This article focuses on patient selection

SKIN CANCER AND PHOTOAGING UPDATE: A look at news and research highlights.

VOLUME: 17 PUBLICATION DATE: Mar 01 2009
Issue Number: 
Volume 17 - Issue 3 - March 2009

Electron Beam Radiation Therapy May Reduce Need For Invasive Surgeries, Post-Op Radiation Treatment

The Mobetron, the first fully portable, self-shielding intra-operative electron radiation therapy device, from IntraOp Medical Corporation (Sunnyvale, Calif.), can now be used to provide non-surgical radiation therapy to skin cancer patients in any operating room, including in the office setting,

The only FDA-approved self-shielding device, the Mobetron is typically used to deliver intraoperative electron-beam radiation therapy (IOERT) to cancer patients at the time of surgery, in

Melanoma Update: Highlights of research presented at ASCO and an update on vaccines trials.

VOLUME: 17 PUBLICATION DATE: Mar 01 2009
Issue Number: 
Volume 17 - Issue 3 - March 2009

Mixed Melanoma Trial Results Point to Need for Tailored Studies

Effective melanoma therapies may be inching forward, with a number of the new class of potential therapeutics in the pipeline entering Phase III trials, and researchers presenting some of the first published data on other agents at this year’s annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago.

But with mixed results, some disappointing, some surprising, some researchers say clinicians and clinical trial designers must rethink development strategies, including patient selection, if some o

Are Skin Self-Exams Worthwhile?

VOLUME: 17 PUBLICATION DATE: Mar 01 2009
Issue Number: 
Volume 17 - Issue 3 - March 2009

Should you be encouraging patients to check for moles and other signs of skin cancer at home?

Since the 1980s, the incidence of melanoma has continued to rise, making it one of the most common preventable cancers. During this time, the trend has been for more and more thin melanomas to be detected, suggesting that the disease is being detected earlier, possibly because of the encouragement of more vigilant self-screening practices and greater public awareness of the disease.

Because the best treatment for early stage melanoma is surgery, earlier discovery of melanoma may seem to

Optimizing Your Patients’ Rejuvenation Investment: The Value of Pre- and Post-Procedure Topical Skin Care

VOLUME: 17 PUBLICATION DATE: Feb 01 2009
Issue Number: 
2 Feb 09

How can patients get more bang for their cosmetic buck during tough economic times? Cosmetic surgeon Ken Beer suggests that proven topical skin care regimens before and after cosmetic procedures may help patients optimize their nonsurgical facial rejuvenation investment.

The popularity of non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as laser skin resurfacing, chemical peels and microdermabrasion shows little sign of abating significantly, even in these tough economic times. The range of advances in technology and technique is so great that these procedures — with minimized risk and shorter

Treatment Strategies for Challenging Melasma Cases

VOLUME: 17 PUBLICATION DATE: Feb 01 2009
Issue Number: 
2 Feb 09

While many treatment options exist for this condition,
the exact etiology is still not known, so treatment is difficult.

Melasma, or hormonally induced hyperpigmentation, is one of the most common skin conditions in the United States, affecting nearly 6 million Americans annually.1 Commonly referred to as the “pregnancy mask” due to its correlation with hormonal fluctuations and its mask-like appearance, melasma remains one of the most frustrating skin concerns for physicians and patients alike. While there are many treatment options for melasma, the exact etiology has not been com

Banishing Burnout

VOLUME: 17 PUBLICATION DATE: Feb 01 2009
Issue Number: 
2 Feb 09

Keeping positive and remaining engaged in medicine sometimes can be difficult, but it’s worth the effort — for all concerned.

When he feels a bout of stress threatening to hijack his psyche or senses he’s out of balance in his professional life, Williamstown, MA, dermatologist David Elpern, MD, invokes the words of renowned Canadian physician and professor Sir William Osler.

“I try to focus on some of Osler’s quotes, that ‘the practice of medicine is an art, not a trade, and a calling not a business’—and his reminder that the best part of my work has nothing to do with powders or