Journal of Drugs in Dermatology : JDD

Managing chronic conditions is an essential aspect of dermatologic care, especially regarding the resolution of inflammatory dermatologic disease and recovery of skin lesions. Short-term complications of healing include infection, edema, dehiscence, hematoma formation, and tissue necrosis. At the same time, longer-term sequelae may consist of scarring and scar widening, hypertrophic scars, keloids, and pigmentary changes. This review will focus on dermatologic complications of chronic wound healing in patients with Fitzpatrick skin type (FPS) IV-VI or skin of color (SOC), with an emphasis on hypertrophy/scarring and dyschromias...

BACKGROUND: Limited analyses of social media content among psoriasis (PsO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients exist. These patients may turn to social media to gain insight into treatments such as biologics. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to analyze the content, sentiment, and engagement of social media posts regarding biologics for PsO and PsA. METHODS: Posts and comments discussing biologics were extracted from publicly accessible PsO and PsA Reddit groups...

Topical therapies are commonly used to treat psoriasis, either as monotherapy for milder disease or as adjuncts to systemic and biologic drugs. Topical steroids and tazarotene are both options for topical psoriasis treatment, but as monotherapies, they are associated with adverse events (AEs) that make adherence to prescribed treatment challenging. In addition, the topical vehicles may have an unappealing appearance or texture that proves impractical for patients. Consequently, patients may not use treatments as prescribed...

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic resistance related to prolonged antibiotic use is an emerging threat to public health. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate recent trends in oral antibiotic use for acne treatment. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted from January 2014 through September 2016 using the IBM MarketScan® claims database. Patients were aged ≥9 years, prescribed an oral antibiotic, and diagnosed with acne vulgaris on 2 separate occasions...

BACKGROUND: The shape, proportion, and fullness of one's lips are associated with overall facial beauty and attractiveness. Lip augmentation, due to personal preference or to reverse natural aging, has become a standard clinical procedure to improve lip volume or proportion. Several options are available to redefine the lips. To objectively evaluate treatment-related improvements in clinical practice and research, a validated photonumeric scale is needed. OBJECTIVE: To present scale-development methods for the Merz Lip Fullness Assessment Scale (MLFAS) and establish its reliability...

BACKGROUND: The Monkeypox virus (MPX) has been detected in multiple non-endemic countries since May 2022. The cutaneous manifestations of MPX can have multiple distinct presentations, including pustular and vesicular. Although there are no approved treatments, three antivirals (brincidofovir, cidofovir, tecovirimat) have been utilized. The objective of our study was to conduct a systematic review to evaluate antiviral efficacy (first aim) and cutaneous manifestations of MPX (second aim)...

BACKGROUND: The well-established sequential use of topical calcipotriene and topical betamethasone dipropionate in combination has been shown to provide greater benefit than either monotherapy. A newer topical fixed combination formulation of calcipotriene 0.005% and betamethasone dipropionate 0.064% in a cream base (Cal/BD cream) is effective with high patient ratings for convenience and tolerability. The current study compares patient satisfaction between Cal/BD foam and Cal/BD cream formulations...

Novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, designated as COVID-19 by the World Health Organization (WHO) on February 11, 2020, is one of the highly pathogenic β-coronaviruses that infects humans.1 Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic inflammatory disease with sudden hair loss.2,3 There is strong evidence that AA is a tissue-specific autoimmune disease that develops based on genetic predisposition.4 In several patients, acute or chronic psycho-emotional stress may be causing the initiation and/or progress of AA.5 It is suggested that psychological stress can trigger or exacerbate inflammatory skin diseases through the neuroendocrine system, which is an essential connection between the brain and the skin...

In today's society, there is growing interest in outpatient cosmetic procedures. Topical anesthetics are commonly used as anesthesia for these procedures. They can be used alone or part of a multi-pronged anesthetic approach. Topical anesthetics have many benefits, but they also have some negatives including risk of toxicity. For this paper, we focused on the role of topical anesthetics in cosmetic dermatology. We surveyed cosmetic dermatologists on the use of topical anesthetics in their practices. We found that the most popular topical anesthetic was benzocaine 20% / lidocaine 6% / tetracaine 4%...

BACKGROUND: Melatonin, a pleiotropic hormone, affects the physiological processes including that of the hair follicle. We seek to identify the scientific evidence to support the potential benefits of melatonin in human hair growth. OBJECTIVE: To summarize the evidence on the association between melatonin and hair health, denoted by hair growth. METHODS: A literature review using 3 databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane) identified studies investigating the relationship between melatonin and hair loss (2022)...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: TikTok gives its users a platform to share and view short videos on a wide range of topics, including dermatology related topics. This project sought to analyze the sources of TikTok videos associated with the treatment of four dermatologic conditions and to report the percentage of videos posted by board-certified dermatologists. METHODS: On July 16th, 2021, an investigator input the following hashtags into the TikTok application’s search bar: #AcneTreatment, #EczemaTreatment, #PsoriasisTreatment, and #RosaceaTreatment...

BACKGROUND: Non-adherence to topical minoxidil in alopecia patients is a barrier to efficacy. Understanding patient factors associated with adherence and non-adherence may provide actionable targets to improve adherence and outcomes. METHODS: Ninety-nine alopecia patients at an outpatient university dermatology specialty clinic completed a survey assessing demographics and aspects of treatment adherence. Patients currently using minoxidil additionally completed a survey grading their level of adherence...

There is a plethora of dermatologic clinical trials; however, little is known regarding the representation of skin of color (SOC) populations. We evaluated the 15 most prevalent skin conditions in SOC patients and their representation in clinical trials over 14 years (2008-2022) to address the lack of research regarding dermatologic clinical trials and SOC inclusion. There have been 1,419 clinical trials conducted over the last 14 years regarding the 15 dermatologic conditions most commonly affecting SOC. Despite the prevalence of these conditions in SOC, Black/African American participation was greater than 50% in clinical trials for two conditions, keloids (77...

Erythema dyschromicum perstans (EDP) is a rare cutaneous disorder in which patients develop gray or blue-brown macules or patches on their bodies.1 This condition does not appear to have a gender or age predilection. The diagnosis of EDP is essentially clinical, with histopathology findings being nonspecific. To date, treatment for EDP varies. The use of several therapies, including dapsone, clofazimine, retinoid A, tacrolimus, and ultraviolet light have been reported but with minimal effectiveness.5 We report a case of EDP occurring in a patient following the COVID-19 vaccine that was given topical ruxolitinib with success in treatment...

INTRODUCTION: Inflammatory skin disorders compromise skin barrier health. Early and daily skincare use aims to maintain a life-long healthy skin barrier. Racial/ethnic and age variations in skin barrier properties, cultural differences, and clinical presentation of the inflammatory skin disorder influence the choice of treatment and skin care. Ceramide-containing skin care may play a role in restoring and maintaining a healthy skin barrier. METHODS: A panel of 6 dermatologists met to develop consensus statements based on their 8 previous publications on promoting skin barrier health throughout life using ceramide-containing skin care...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Discordance between patient and clinician treatment goals and expectations can present a challenge to implementation of effective therapeutic plans. Because topical treatments are commonly used for plaque psoriasis, both as monotherapy and adjuncts to other treatment modalities, providers need to understand the concerns of patients with psoriasis regarding use of topical products. Psoriasis is a complex and chronic disease with treatment needs that may change over time, influencing patient treatment goals and expectations of efficacy...

BACKGROUND: Recent data on unmet needs in the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in the US are not available. OBJECTIVE: To describe disease control, quality of life (QoL), and treatment satisfaction in a United States population with moderate-to-severe AD. METHODS: Cross-sectional 2021 survey conducted among US patients recruited to an online survey from Kantar e-profiles, their panel partners, and Global Perspectives...

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common inflammatory skin disease and dupilumab is US Food and Drug Administration-approved in both adult and pediatric AD patients. OBJECTIVE: To qualitatively assess the life experiences and impact of treatment in adult and adolescent patients with AD being treated with dupilumab. METHODS: Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with adult (n=9) and adolescent (n=7) participants who had received a diagnosis of AD between 1/1/2017 and 1/1/2022 after they had received treatment with dupilumab...