Closing out 2024—Hottest Treatments, Toughest Challenges, and Things We Wish Our Patients Knew!
Happy Holidays, MedscapeLIVE! Dermatology Newsletter Readers! We hope you are enjoying this holiday season. In this issue, we look back on the year with a few thought leaders who are in the trenches of both research and practice. These Medscape faculty candidly share their thoughts on current topics and treatments, including use of Ellacor®, microneedling with Sculptra®, use of JAK inhibitors for alopecia areata, most recent memorable cases, challenges in 2024, and what they wish their patients knew. Read on to see what they say as we close out 2024!
Don’t miss this month’s Derm Resource section—which includes articles from JAMA Dermatology, Dermatology News, Cutis, NEJM and more. Thank you to these thought leaders featured in this issue for sharing their perspectives. Please contact me at colleen@cmhadvisors.com with comments or suggestions. Thanks for reading! —Colleen Hutchinson
What is a recent advance you utilize in treating your patients?
Dr. Lauren Bonati: We have been treating skin laxity of the lower face with Ellacor® for over a year now and love being on the cutting edge of technology. Ellacor® is a microcoding device that removes thousands of tiny columns of skin without causing scars.
Dr. Susan Taylor: JAK inhibitors for the treatment of alopecia areata. They have been a game changer for this devastating form of hair loss.
Dr. Michael Kaminer: Microneedling immediately followed by the topical application of Sculptra® for wrinkles around the mouth.
Dr. Seaver Soon: Topical oxymetazoline in combination with pulse-dye laser for facial erythema and telangiectasia.
What was a challenging or memorable case or patient you have helped in the last year?
Dr. Kaminer: A patient with a traumatic cheek fracture that created a disfiguring appearance that we were able to completely correct with injectable dermal fillers.
Dr. Taylor: A patient with longstanding facial lichen planus pigmentosus who is improving nicely with a topical JAK inhibitor.
Dr. Bonati: A challenging case for me this year was a young patient with a genetic syndrome that leads to the continuous growth of multiple basal cell carcinomas. We’ve been treating her with all our skin cancer modalities, including Mohs surgery, excisions, ED&Cs, and now anti-neoplastic medications like vismodegib. It’s been a long journey for this patient, but we are creatively problem solving and working with her family to find the right solution for her.
Dr. Soon: A Hispanic woman I treated with a medium depth chemical peel developed terrible post-inflammatory pigmentation (PIH) that progressed inexorably despite optimal management. In desperation, I made a house call only to discover firsthand that her home was full of floor to ceiling windows and that, even though she stayed indoors in attempt to avoid the sun, she was subject to intense doses of visible light through windows in her home. Adding a tinted mineral sunscreen (which blocks visible light responsible for pigmentation in skin of color) even while indoors to her PIH treatment regimen reversed this complication in a matter of weeks. This drove home the importance of tinted mineral sunscreen in our skin of color patients and that sometimes you are not even safe in your home!
Dr. Omar Ibrahim: I had a case of a significant filler reaction that required long-term immunosuppression, so instead of long-term prednisone, I treated the patient a newer JAK-inhibitor with resolution of the issue and no side effects.
What’s one thing you wish patients understood better?
Dr. Kaminer: two things...that the internet and TikTok are usually wrong, and that unskilled injectors can be dangerous.
Dr. Taylor: How to best utilize a dermatology visit by preparing in advance a brief summary of their problem: "What, How, Where, When". That is, what is the problem, how long has been going on (don't say "a while"), where is the problem located, when did the problem begin. Those answers provide a great starting point.
Dr. Bonati: The best way to rejuvenate and maintain healthy skin is to do a combination of small things frequently. Patients often ask for that one magic bullet, but the truth is, every modality works best when used in combination with other modalities. It’s like working out - you can’t get six pack abs by going to the gym once or twice per year. It requires a routine and consistent effort. In our office, the doctors direct a long-term plan for each patient consisting of low downtime, monthly procedures to achieve their goals and then maintain their results.
Dr. Soon: Medicine is an inexact art and an inexact science.
Dr. Ibrahim: TikTok and Instagram are great resources for exposure and education, however, there are tons and tons of fads and incredible resources/information out there. Don’t believe everything you see!
What has been a significant challenge in 2024?
Dr. Taylor: Medicare Physician Reimbursement and the lack of inflationary updates.
Dr. Kaminer: Staffing, especially getting people to actually show up for interviews.
Dr. Soon: Learning to replace trusted office staff who have decided to retire with new staff, and re-learning that relationship.
Dr. Ibrahim: I recently went back to graduate school to obtain a Masters in business administration, and achieving a healthy work life balance has been the most significant challenge this year!
Do you want to earn CME/CE in Sunny Florida?
You’re invited to join us at the ODAC, Dermatology, Aesthetic & Surgical Conference, taking place January 17 - 20, 2025 at the beautiful JW Marriott Grande Lakes in Orlando, FL.
Attend ODAC to stay informed and up-to-date on clinical dermatology updates, new treatments, new uses for old treatments, new product lines, changes to therapeutic guidelines and to witness live demonstrations from the experts. Unique to ODAC, each presentation focuses on practical pearls you can immediately use in your practice.
Register now to receive 30% off! Use code MSLDERM at checkout.
Need CME? We’ve got you covered! Check out these 4 critical CME conference opportunities to plan ahead and get yourself covered for 2025:
ODAC Dermatology, Aesthetic & Surgical Conference
January 17 - 20, 2025 | Orlando, Florida
Register here!
Pigmentary Disorders Exchange Symposium
June 7 - 8, 2025 | Chicago, IL
Register here!
September 11 - 13, 2025 | Las Vegas, NV
For more info, click here!
October 3-5, 2025 | New York, NY
For more info, click here!
Do you treat pigmentary disorders?
Join conference chair, Pearl Grimes, MD, June 7–8, 2025 at the JW Marriott in Chicago, IL for the 3rd Annual Pigmentary Disorders Exchange Symposium.
PDE will bring back together world-renowned dermatology experts who will spend two full days diving deep into pigmentary disorders in the full spectrum of skin tones, from lightest through darkest.
Register now to receive 30% off! Use code MSLDERM at checkout.
Dermatology Resource Section:
JAMA Dermatology—Viewpoint: Prescription Cost-Saving Platforms in Dermatology
NEJM Original Research: Neoadjuvant Nivolumab and Ipilimumab in Resectable Stage III Melanoma
Dermatology News Managing Rosacea: Tips for Reducing Facial Erythema, Flushing
Dermatology News Recognizing Burnout: Why Physicians Often Miss the Signs in Themselves
MEDSCAPE MD-IQ QUIZ: Ocular Complications of Atopic Dermatitis
Loading ...