A Patient-Centered Guide to Hidradenitis Suppurativa Flare Prevention.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic debilitating skin disease characterized by painful dermal abscesses, subcutaneous inflammatory nodules, draining sinuses and hypertrophic scars. Prompt recognition and management of the disease is of the utmost importance as prolonged disease can have long-standing physical and psychological consequences. Quality of life and symptom improvement are viable outcomes from preventative interventions in patients with HS. While there is not a cure for HS, symptoms can be managed, and recurrence can be reduced following various lifestyle changes. Treatment should be focused on prevention of disease progression, reducing the frequency of recurrence, and treating existing lesions to minimize pain and drainage. J Drugs Dermatol. 2021;20(12):1295-1300. doi:10.36849/JDD.5838.

Art of Prevention: Essential Oils - Natural Products Not Necessarily Safe.

Aromatherapy is defined as the use of essential oils, through inhalation or direct application to the skin, to achieve physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being. It has become an increasingly popular trend in modern-day holistic approaches to health care. Essential oils are thought to be natural and pure products, some of the most common being lavender, tea tree, peppermint, and ylang-ylang. In recent years, however, the composition of these oils has been found to be more complex than previously thought. Increased use has led to increasing reports of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to allergens in sensitized individuals. Inquiring about essential oil use is important when conducting clinical evaluations of suspected ACD. Herein, the authors seek to highlight the possibility that natural products may not be necessarily as safe as once thought and in particular seek to highlight ACD caused by essential oils.

Common Allergens and Considerations When Performing Pediatric Patch Testing.

Pediatric allergic contact dermatitis (Ped-ACD) is an increasingly recognized highly prevalent skin disease that has a significant impact on the quality of life of patients and their families. Accurate and appropriate patch testing is vital to diagnosing Ped-ACD. This requires knowledge of the most common allergens in the pediatric population, consideration of concurrent diseases that can complicate the clinical picture, and potential modification of techniques to lessen exposure to irritants and sensitizers while obtaining true positive results. This article reviews the most common pediatric allergens and discusses considerations when performing pediatric patch testing.

Art of prevention: Practical interventions in lip-licking dermatitis.

Dry, cracked lips are a common occurrence in both cold winter months and arid climates, leading many patients to experience discomfort year-round. Lip-licking is a compensatory measure that perpetuates the condition and often leads to lip-licking dermatitis. In patients in whom this compensatory measure becomes a chronic habit, other sequelae such as irritant contact dermatitis, cheilitis simplex, angular cheilitis, factitial cheilitis, secondary infections, and exfoliative cheilitis can arise. Given the high prevalence of lip-licking and subsequent dermatitis, it is important to counsel patients on interventions to prevent associated dermatitis and treatment methods to alleviate symptoms. Practical interventions in a daily routine should include application of a bland lip balm with ultraviolet protection, adequate hydration, protection of the lips from harsh weather conditions, and recognizing when dermatitis is present and further dermatologic care is indicated.