Direct-to-consumer dermatology-related advertising differs in magazines targeted to women of color: A cross-sectional analysis of top-circulating consumer magazines.

BACKGROUND: Advertisements for dermatology-related products in consumer magazines serve as a potential source of health literacy, which varies by demographic group. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to examine differences in advertisements for dermatology-related products in the top U.S. consumer magazines targeted at women of color compared with three other demographic groups: teenagers, adult women, and adult men. METHODS: Dermatology advertisements in the most circulated U.S. consumer magazines targeting these four demographic groups were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were obtained. Simple logistic regressions were used to compare the product indications, language used, and the sex, age, ethnicity, and skin type of models between magazine categories. Limitations of this study included that certain magazines could not be included due to a lack of accessibility, and subjective assessments were made when necessary because not all data collected were explicitly stated. RESULTS: Significant differences exist in print media advertising for women of color in comparison with other demographic groups, including skin-of-color magazines having an increased number of darker-skin models, more advertisements related to products that target pigmentation, and differences in advertisement word choices. CONCLUSION: The differences in print media advertising for women of color in comparison with other demographic groups may influence the dermatologic concerns of this population, including their dermatology-related knowledge base, grooming practices, beauty perceptions, and utilization of dermatology as a specialty.

Lichen sclerosus among women in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Vulvar lichen sclerosus (LS) is a chronic dermatosis for which the true prevalence is not well established. LS remains an underrecognized and undertreated disease, and treatment patterns and differences among various specialties that care for patients with LS are largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to determine the prevalence of diagnosed vulvar LS, demographic characteristics, and diagnostic and treatment patterns in the United States. METHODS: A database comprising >21.7 million women with commercial insurance in the United States was analyzed, and the largest cohort of patients with LS in the United States to date was identified. RESULTS: We found that obstetricians/gynecologists are diagnosing and managing approximately half of women with LS, and regardless of specialty, the majority of providers are appropriately prescribing high-potency topical steroids. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that LS may truly be underrecognized and underdiagnosed, especially in younger women.

Camouflaging vitiligo using a spray tan.

Vitiligo is a depigmenting skin disorder that can cause significant patient distress. Treatment of vitiligo is challenging and should address patient's concern for cosmetic treatment. Herein, we report the case of a 60-year-old patient who achieved temporary improvement in pigmentation using a spray tan. Camouflaging vitiligo using a spray-tan is a reasonable, safe, and effective mechanism for management of vitiligo.

The color of skin: purple diseases of the skin, nails, and mucosa.

The color purple can be seen in several types of eruptions including inflammatory dermatoses like lichen planus, infectious dermatoses like ecthyma gangrenosum, neoplasms like Kaposi sarcoma, and vasculitis and vasculopathy. The current review focuses on the clinical appearance, pathophysiology, and treatment of several vasculitides and vasculopathies including capillaritis, cutaneous small-vessel vasculitis, immunoglobulin A (IgA) vasculitis, cryoglobulinemia, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, microscopic polyangiitis, polyarteritis nodosum, warfarin-induced skin necrosis, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, purpura fulminans, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, calciphylaxis, levamisole-induced vasculopathy, and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Dermatologists play a central role in treating patients with cutaneous vasculitis and vasculopathy and may have the opportunity to facilitate identification of systemic disease by diagnosing cutaneous vasculitis and vasculopathy.

Generalized essential telangiectasia.

The pathophysiology of generalized essential telangiectasia is not well understood. Generalized essential telangiectasia is an uncommon disorder in which widespread telangiectasias of unknown cause develop without associated systemic or antecedent dermatologic disease. We report a case of generalized essential telangiectasia in an otherwise healthy 49-year-old man.