Treatment options for androgenetic alopecia: Efficacy, side effects, compliance, financial considerations, and ethics.

BACKGROUND: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common form of hair loss consisting of a characteristic receding frontal hairline in men and diffuse hair thinning in women, with frontal hairline retention, and can impact an individual's quality of life. The condition is primarily mediated by 5-alpha-reductase and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which causes hair follicles to undergo miniaturization and shortening of successive anagen cycles. Although a variety of medical, surgical, light-based and nutraceutical treatment options are available to slow or reverse the progression of AGA, it can be challenging to select appropriate therapies for this chronic condition. AIMS: To highlight treatment options for androgenetic alopecia taking into consideration the efficacy, side effect profiles, practicality of treatment (compliance), and costs to help clinicians offer ethically appropriate treatment regimens to their patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search was conducted using electronic databases (Medline, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, EBSCO) and textbooks, in addition to the authors' and other practitioners' clinical experiences in treating androgenetic alopecia, and the findings are presented here. RESULTS: Although topical minoxidil, oral finasteride, and low-level light therapy are the only FDA-approved therapies to treat AGA, they are just a fraction of the treatment options available, including other oral and topical modalities, hormonal therapies, nutraceuticals, PRP and exosome treatments, and hair transplantation. DISCUSSION: Androgenetic alopecia therapy remains challenging as treatment selection involves ethical, evidence-based decision-making and consideration of each individual patient's needs, compliance, budget, extent of hair loss, and aesthetic goals, independent of potential financial benefits to the practitioners.

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Active- and Placebo-Controlled Trial Evaluating a Novel Topical Treatment for Keloid Scars.

Keloid and hypertrophic scars are fibroproliferative disorders resulting from abnormal wound healing in genetically susceptible individuals. Current therapies are often ineffective. Kynurenine shows promise as a topical treatment for keloids and hypertrophic scars. In this study, healthy adult male and female subjects seeking treatment for mature keloid scars were enrolled. Subjects were randomized in double-blind fashion to receive kynurenic acid 0.5% (FS2) cream (Group 1), an active onion extract comparator treatment (Group 2), or the inactive vehicle (Group 3). Each treatment was applied twice-daily. Qualitative assessments were made using the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS), as well as the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scales (POSAS). Among subjects in Group 1, there was a substantial decrease in mean PGSS scores after 30 days of treatment that continued to trend downward, becoming significant versus Group 2 at days 90 and 180 (P<0.05) and versus Group 3 at day 180 (P<0.01). Based on mean VSS scores, subjects in Group 1 achieved beneficial effects that became significant versus Group 2 at day 90 (P<0.01), day 120 (P<0.05), and day 180 (P<0.001) and versus Group 3 at day 180 (P<0.05). There were no significant improvements in Groups 2 or 3. There were no adverse events or local skin reactions. The twice-daily application of FS2 Cream represents a potentially new and effective treatment for mature keloid scars. J Drugs Dermatol. 2021;20(9):964-968. doi:10.36849/JDD.6197.

The mechanisms of action and use of botulinum neurotoxin type A in aesthetics: Key Clinical Postulates II.

BACKGROUND: The literature on botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT-A) is extensive, often contradictory, and confounded by a competitive market of products and research attempting to distinguish brand individuality. METHODS: A comprehensive review of literature on the principles of BoNT-A in aesthetics as well as clinical examples. RESULTS: In 2017, the Eight Key Clinical Postulates were formulated as a guide for the aesthetic practitioner in understanding BoNT-A pharmacodynamics and to compare different toxins. These are now updated to include (a) All type A toxins act identically; (b) The mathematical relationship between toxin and receptor is the basis of efficacy, and clinical efficacy is influenced by molecular potency and patient attributes including muscle mass, gender, age, and ethnicity; (c) Efficacy, onset, and duration are functions of "molecular potency" defined as the number of active 150 kDa molecules available for binding; (d) "Molecular potency" is difficult to objectively quantify for commercially available toxins; (e) Up to a point, increased molecular potency decreases time to onset and increases duration of effect, and the "Molecular Potency Quotient" is a construct for comparing molecular potency commercial cost; (f) The area of effect of a toxin injection is dependent upon molecular potency, diffusion (passive), and spread (active); (g) Differing reconstitution volumes; and (h) Increased number of injection sites can affect spread, onset, and duration of effect. CONCLUSIONS: The principles of BoNT-A use in aesthetics are complex yet understandable as outlined in the framework of the updated Eight Key Clinical Postulates and serves as a useful tool for providing the most effective treatment and interpreting research on present and future toxin formulations.

"Masking" our emotions: Botulinum toxin, facial expression, and well-being in the age of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The globally devastating effects of COVID-19 breach not only the realm of public health, but of psychosocial interaction and communication as well, particularly with the advent of mask-wearing. METHODS: A review of the literature and understanding of facial anatomy and expressions as well as the effect of botulinum toxin on emotions and nonverbal communication. RESULTS: Today, the mask has become a semi-permanent accessory to the face, blocking our ability to express and perceive each other's facial expressions by dividing it into a visible top half and invisible bottom half. This significantly restricts our ability to accurately interpret emotions based on facial expressions and strengthens our perceptions of negative emotions produced by frowning. The addition of botulinum toxin (BTX)-induced facial muscle paralysis to target the muscles of the top (visible) half of the face, especially the corrugator and procerus muscles, may act as a therapeutic solution by its suppression of glabellar lines and our ability to frown. The treatment of the glabella complex not only has been shown to inhibit the negative emotions of the treated individual but also can reduce the negative emotions in those who come in contact with the treated individual. CONCLUSIONS: Mask-wearing in the wake of COVID-19 brings new challenges to our ability to communicate and perceive emotion through full facial expression, our most effective and universally shared form of communication, and BTX may offer a positive solution to decrease negative emotions and promote well-being for both the mask-wearer and all who come in contact with that individual.

Rethinking the Journal Impact Factor and Publishing in the Digital Age.

Clinical and experimental literature search has changed significantly over the past few decades, and with it, the way in which we value information. Today, our need for immediate access to relevant and specific literature, regardless of specialty, has led to a growing demand for open access to publications. The Journal Impact Factor (JIF) has been a long-time standard for representing the quality or "prestige" of a journal, but it appears to be losing its relevance. Here, we define the JIF and deconstruct its validity as a modern measure of a journal's quality, discuss the current models of academic publication, including their advantages and shortcomings, and discuss the benefits and shortcomings of a variety of open-access models, including costs to the author. We have quantified a nonsubscribed physician's access to full articles associated with dermatologic disease and aesthetics cited on PubMed. For some of the most common dermatology conditions, 23.1 percent of citations (ranging from 17.2% for melasma to 31.9% for malignant melanoma) were available as free full articles, and for aesthetic procedures, 18.9 percent of citations (ranging from 11.9% for laser hair removal to 27.9% for botulinum toxin) were available as free full articles. Finally, we discuss existing alternative metrics for measuring journal impact and propose the adoption of a superior publishing model, one that satisfies modern day standards of scholarly knowledge pursuit and dissemination of scholarly publications for dermatology and all of medical science.