Sep 03
0
Hair Loss Callendar

Understanding Hair Loss in Skin of Color Patients

By | Skin of Color Update Agenda | No Comments

These are clinical pearls from SOCSS 2018 on hair loss in skin of color patients by Valerie Callender, MD

At the Skin of Color Seminar Series 2018 (now Skin of Color Update), Dr. Valerie Callender focused on how structural differences in afrocentric hair and cultural haircare practices contribute to the high prevalence of alopecia in African American women in particular.

*Clinical pearls* from this session are bolded, underlined, and marked with asterisks.

Dr. Callender started her lecture with an introduction to alopecia – one of the most common dermatologic concerns of African American patients. Given that healthy hair is considered to be a sign of beauty, youth, and attractiveness, alopecia has a huge negative impact on the quality-of-life of affected individuals. The psychological comorbidity of hair loss makes it essential that physicians understand the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of common causes of scarring and non-scarring alopecia. *It is important to note that patients can present with BOTH scarring and non-scarring alopecia, and both must be considered during the work-up*.

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Aug 18
0
Ask a mentor Amy McMichael

Ask a Mentor Q&A Recap – Dr. Amy McMichael

By | Skin of Color Update Agenda | No Comments

We had the opportunity to ask a mentor,  Dr. Amy McMichael, chair and professor of dermatology at Wake Forest University Health Sciences and Skin of Color Update faculty, questions about establishing a career in academics, finding a mentor, and better serving patients of color.  See all of her insightful answers below.

Q1: I previously attended the Skin of Color Seminar Series (now Skin of Color Update) and while sitting in the audience, I noticed that many of attendees appeared to be white physicians. Do you think there’s a representation problem in Dermatology, and could it be impacting our patients?

However, we know from other research in the house of medicine that Dermatology is second only to Orthopedics in having the worst representation of African Americans. Also identified as a major problem is the poor pipeline of under-represented minorities in college, medical school, and ultimately, in residency. We all have lots of work to do in terms of mentoring at every level to get the pipeline full of appropriate candidates.

In addition to this, we need to all be thoughtful about looking at residency applicants who may not be traditional, but who would make resilient and excellent dermatologists.

Q2: Most dermatologists (at least most of the ones I know) seem to think they don’t need special training for treating patients of color and can’t seem to acknowledge that a gap in training exists. As a dermatologist of color, I find it personally frustrating. Do you find this to be true among your peers?  If so, how do you address this with them?

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Aug 04
0
Psoriasis Skin of Color Alexis

Psoriasis in Skin of Color: Are there differences in Presentation and Treatment?

By | Sessions | No Comments

While previously thought to be a rare diagnosis in non-white racial ethnic groups, more recent data has shown that psoriasis in patients with skin of color is much more common than was once thought. Dr. Andrew Alexis spoke during the Skin of Color Seminar Series (now Skin of Color Update) in New York City on May 5th, 2018 on this condition and on the important differences in clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of psoriasis in skin of color.

Beginning with the diagnosis of psoriasis in skin of color, it is important to be aware that the classic red plaque typically seen in Caucasian skin may appear more violaceous or even red-brown in our skin of color patients.  This can be confusing with the similar appearing, but histologically unique entity, lichen planus. Pay close attention to the distribution of the plaques—extensor surfaces and asymptomatic will favor psoriasis whereas flexural and pruritic may favor lichen planus. Other conditions that may be more common in our skin of color patients such as sarcoidosis or hypertrophic discoid lupus also need to be considered.

Once a diagnosis of psoriasis is established, it is important to understand the intricacies of treating the psoriasis in skin of color patients. For example, when treating psoriasis of the scalp, it is important to select practices and treatments that are compatible with the patients’ hair care regimen and hair texture. It is critical to determine how frequently patients are washing their hair and how feasible it is for patients to use a daily solution or medication on the scalp. One potential option shown to have clinical benefit is a mixture of calcipotriene and betamethasone dipropionate in a castor oil vehicle.

Read more.

 

Excerpt provided with permission. Originally published by Next Steps in Dermatology. All rights reserved.
Jul 25
0
Keloids skin of color update Baldwin

Updates on the Prevention and Management of Keloids

By | Skin of Color Update Agenda | No Comments

This article features a recap of Dr. Hilary Baldwin’s talk on the etiology, risk factors, and treatment of keloids at the 2018 Skin of Color Seminar Series, now known as the Skin of Color Update. Dr. Bridget Kaufman, onsite correspondent for the meeting, shares highlights directly from the talk. Dr. Baldwin focused on earlobe keloids in particular, which may present with several different morphologies: anterior button, posterior button, wraparound, dumbbell, and lobular. *Clinical pearls* from this session are bolded, underlined and marked with asterisks.

Dr. Baldwin started by discussing why some patients develop keloids and others do not. Based on a study of 220 patients at Kings County Hospital, there appears to be no difference in rate of cartilage piercing, metal sensitivity, types of earrings worn, piercing method, hormonal influences, or age at piercing between keloid formers and non-keloid formers.  In the keloid former group, 12.8% of patients developed keloids at the first piercing, and the risk of keloid formation dramatically increased at each piercing thereafter (70.2% risk for 2nd piercing).

Important Points:

– *Ear pierces on babies have a 0% risk of keloids*

– *Piercings done pre-menarche have a significantly lower risk of keloids than those performed post-menarche*

– *First pierces rarely keloid*

– *The chances of subsequent pierce keloiding in a keloid former is at least 20% or higher*

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Jul 05
0

Poster Interview: Socioeconomic and Geographic Barriers to Dermatology Care in Urban and Rural U.S. Populations

By | Skin of Color Update Agenda | No Comments

Brianna Olamiju, Next Steps Correspondent, interviewed Toral S. Vaidya, Medical Student at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, to dig deeper on her research study titled “Socioeconomic and Geographic Barriers to Dermatology Care in Urban and Rural U.S. Populations” recently published in theJournal of the American Academy of Dermatology and presented at the Skin of Color Seminar Series (now Skin of Color Update) in May 2018.

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Jul 02
0

Avoid Antibiotics for Acne Treatment When Possible

By | Media Coverage | No Comments

Source: Dermatology Times

Years ago antibiotics were used to treat acne because it was thought that the condition was an infectious disease, says Dr. Hilary Baldwin of the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey. However, it is now realized that while Propionibacterium (P) acnes is implicated in the pathophysiology of the condition by producing an inflammatory cascade, acne is not the result of a bacterial infection because all adults have P. acnes in follicles and the severity of acne does not correlate with P. acnes counts.

Read more. 

Jul 01
0
Skin of Color Perez skin Cancer

Skin Cancer Detection and Treatments in Latino Patients

By | Skin of Color Update Agenda | No Comments

During the 2018 Skin of Color Seminar Series (now the Skin of Color Update), Dr. Maritza Perez, one of the foremost leaders in skin of color dermatology, took attendees inside the world of the U.S. Hispanic population shedding light on the sociological diversity, cultural lifestyle hazards, and the healthcare disparities that increases their risk of deadly melanomas. Many Hispanics believe erroneously that they are less likely to get skin cancer, a dangerous preconception shared with many physicians who believe that this population is invulnerable to skin cancer, resulting in a delay in diagnosis and an unnecessary higher mortality rate.

Next Steps correspondent, Brianna Olamiju, reports back on Dr. Perez’s lecture and shares high- yield information all dermatologists should know.

 

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Jun 04
0

Aging through the Decades

By | Media Coverage | No Comments

Source: Dermatology Times

Dermatologists have always known that different ethnic skin types age at different rates, but until now there hasn’t been clear evidence that these phenotypic differences have a pathophysiologic and histologic basis. Maritza Perez, M.D., Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, presented new research illustrating the aging process across the decades and how it differs between ethnic skin types. Read more.

References:

“The Evaluation of the Aging Process Across Ethnic Variations,” Maritza Perez, M.D. Skin of Colour Seminar Series. 5-6 May, New York. May 5, 2018

May 21
0

Cosmetic Needs Differ for Skin of Color Patients

By | Media Coverage | No Comments

SOURCE: Dermatology Times

If a Caucasian patient comes to my practice they will be looking for treatment for sun damage, wrinkles and capillaries, whereas, if it is a person of color, they will be looking for treatment for dark spots — dark spots from hair, dark spots from melasma, dark spots from scars, says Eliot F. Battle, Jr., M.D., CEO and Co-Founder, Cultura Dermatology and Laser Center, Washington, D.C.

Read more.

May 17
0

UV Protection Still Lags in Skin of Color

By | Media Coverage | No Comments

Source: Dermatology Times

NEW YORK ― In skin of color, ultraviolet (UV) and visible light protection are crucial to maintaining a healthy and youthful appearance. Although the mechanism by which UVA, visible light, and infrared damages the skin is still under study, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are thought to play a major role, said Steven Q. Wang, M.D., at the Skin of Color Seminar Series held here in April. Read more.

Apr 02
0

Staying Ahead of the Game in Skin of Color Dermatologic Care

By | Sessions | No Comments

The optimal treatments for skin of color patients seeking dermatologic care are constantly changing. Keeping up to date with the latest advances in the field, both medical and aesthetic, can prove to be difficult and overwhelm even the most brilliant dermatologist. With a growing recognition that constant training and direct access to skin of color thought leaders is necessary to be at the forefront of trending evidence-based research, leading experts in the field are joining forces to ensure skin of color patients receive the care they need. Among these experts are Dr. Andrew Alexis and Dr. Eliot Battle, co-chairs of the Skin of Color Seminar Series, the largest CE event dedicated to patients with skin types III – VI. With an unparalleled agenda and an esteemed faculty of KOL’s, this is probably THE event all dermatologists wanting to stay up to date on all skin of color medical and aesthetic advances must attend.

Always a highlight of the Skin of Color Seminar Series, attendees have the rare opportunity to ask their most pressing questions to the world’s top skin of color dermatology experts.

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Apr 01
0

Skin Type Classification: A Decennial Perspective

By | SOC Manuscripts | No Comments

Source: Journal of Drugs in Dermatology April 2018

Wendy E. Roberts MD FAAD 

The intent of this brief communication is to revisit the Roberts Skin Type Classification System published by Journal of Drugs in Dermatology (JDD) in 2008 with a 2018 lens and provide additional information for its wider acceptance and implementation. The key points of this communication are that the 2010 US census indicates rapid growth of the multiple race population up 30-50% from the 2000 census, cosmetic procedures have increased from 9.5 million to 12.8 million over the same 10 year period, and cosmetic procedures in SOC patients have increased 6% over the same 10 year period. We have come very far in our knowledge of skin safety and colorblind technology, however, as we experience rapid globalization and increasing diversity of traditionally diverse populations, this classification system is even more relevant now than it was 10 years ago. What standard are we using to predict our diverse patient outcomes to skin insult, injury, and inflammation? Why do we still use the limited Fitzpatrick Phototype System to communicate safety when the system does not address dyspigmentation and scarring, the most frequent complications in ill-fated skin trauma?

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Apr 01
0

Psoriasiform Pemphigus Foliaceus in an African American Female: An Important Clinical Manifestation

By | SOC Manuscripts | No Comments

Source: J Drugs Dermatol. 2018;17(4):471-473

Evan Austin BS, Jillian W. Millsop MD, Haines Ely MD, Jared Jagdeo MD MS and Joshua M. Schulman MD

A 50-year-old African-American woman presented to the dermatology clinic with a pruritic eruption of 3 years’ duration. On clinical examination, the patient had well-demarcated, pink, atrophic plaques and superficial erosions over the inframammary folds and mid-chest. She also had well-demarcated, hyperpigmented, hyperkeratotic scaly plaques over the abdomen, suprapubic region, elbows, knees, and back with sporadic small superficial blisters. A punch biopsy of the right abdomen was performed and revealed psoriasiform epidermal hyperplasia, focal parakeratosis, and acantholysis throughout the superficial spinous and granular layers. Only a sparse inflammatory infiltrate was present in the underlying dermis. Clinical and histological findings supported the diagnosis of pemphigus foliaceus (PF), but psoriasis was included in the differential diagnosis due to the presence of discrete plaques with an erythematous border. We hypothesize that patients with psoriasiform presentations of PF may be misdiagnosed with plaque psoriasis. It is important to distinguish between PF and psoriasis as there is evidence that ultraviolet light, a common treatment for psoriasis, may exacerbate PF. We document and highlight this atypical psoriasiform presentation of PF in a patient with skin of color to raise awareness and improve diagnosis and outcomes.

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Mar 29
0

Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia and Concomitant Lichen Planus Pigmentosus: A Case Series of Seven African American Women

By | SOC Manuscripts | No Comments

Source: J Drugs Dermatol. 2018;17(4):397-400.

Laura N. Uwakwe MD, Leah A. Cardwell MD, Emily H. Dothard MD, Bernice I. Baroudi BS, and Amy J. McMichael MD

The association of frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) and lichen planus pigmentosus (LPPigm) is rare. Prior reports suggest that FFA and LPPigm are on the same spectrum of disease, and a diagnosis of LPPigm may predict the future development of FFA. We aim to further characterize the association between FFA and LPPigm by reviewing the clinical cases of seven African American women. Seven patients with FFA were diagnosed clinically by recession of frontotemporal hairline and confirmed by histopathologic examination showing lymphocyte-mediated cicatricial alopecia. LPPigm was diagnosed by clinical evaluation alone based on the characteristic morphology, color, and distribution of the lesions. It is difficult to distinguish whether halted progression of FFA was due to the success of the treatment regimen or spontaneous stabilization of disease over time. Our case series supports the theory that FFA and LPPigm likely exist on the same spectrum of disease. Our observations demonstrate a likely positive correlation between FFA and LPPigm.

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Mar 29
4

Treating Scalp Psoriasis in Women of African Descent

By | Sessions, Skin of Color Update Agenda | No Comments

Dr. Andrew Alexis is the Chair of the Department of Dermatology at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai Roosevelt. He is also Associate Professor of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Alexis is the Co-Chair of the Skin of Color Seminar Series in New York City. During the 2017 conference he provided practical pearls and treatment outlines for skin of color patients with scalp psoriasis.

Dr. Alexis recommends selecting a treatment regimen that is compatible with the patient’s hair care practices including less frequent hair washing in women of African descent (typically once per week to once every other week). Daily hair washing, especially with most prescription shampoos, is often associated with increased hair dryness and breakage. In addition, it is also very time consuming for most women of African descent due to common styling practices.

Suggested Regimen for African-American Females:

  • Once weekly washing with prescription shampoo. This may be increased to two times a week depending on the severity and patient preferences
  • Continue with usual conditioner
  • Once weekly topical fluocinolone acetonide in peanut oil vehicle applied to the scalp for 6-8 hours overnight prior to washing or several times per week without washing
  • Once to twice daily application of POTENT topical steroid in vehicle that is compatible with hair care practices and hair texture (e.g. lotion, emollient foam, oil > gel, solution, ethanolic foam) Ask the patient for vehicle preferences
  • Alternative: calcipotriene and betamethasone dipropionate topical suspension daily

Attendees at the Skin of Color Seminar Series May 5-6 in NYC will have the opportunity to dig deeper into psoriasis treatment in skin of color patients as Dr. Alexis gives his latest updates, pearls and therapeutic insights and also personally answers attendees’ most pressing questions.