A Marine Protein-based Dietary Supplement for Subclinical Hair Thinning/Loss: Results of a Multisite, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial.

Introduction: Since skin and hair quality are potent vitality signals, and hair growth deficiency can cause significant psychological morbidity. In addition to clearly-defined hair loss disorders, milder forms of hair thinning or hair loss appear to be increasingly common, with a suggestion that sub-optimal diets and stressful lifestyles may be involved.

Methods: Here we assess the value of a dietary marine-extract based dietary supplement in premenopausal women with subclinical hair thinning or hair loss conditions.

Comparative effectiveness of less commonly used systemic monotherapies and common combination therapies for moderate to severe psoriasis in the clinical setting.

Background: The effectiveness of psoriasis therapies in real-world settings remains relatively unknown.

Objective: We sought to compare the effectiveness of less commonly used systemic therapies and commonly used combination therapies for psoriasis.

Methods: This was a multicenter cross-sectional study of 203 patients with plaque psoriasis receiving less common systemic monotherapy (acitretin, cyclosporine, or infliximab) or common combination therapies (adalimumab, etanercept, or infliximab and methotrexate) compared with 168 patients receiving methotrexate evaluated at 1 of 10 US outpatient dermatology sites participating in the Dermatology Clinical Effectiveness Research Network.

Patient-reported reasons for the discontinuation of commonly used treatments for moderate to severe psoriasis.

Background: Despite widespread dissatisfaction and low treatment persistence in moderate to severe psoriasis, patients' reasons behind treatment discontinuation remain poorly understood.

Objectives: We sought to characterize patient-reported reasons for discontinuing commonly used treatments for moderate to severe psoriasis in real-world clinical practice.

Methods: A total of 1095 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis from 10 dermatology practices who received systemic treatments completed a structured interview.

Comparative effectiveness of commonly used systemic treatments or phototherapy for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in the clinical practice setting.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of biologic systemic therapy, nonbiologic systemic therapy, and phototherapy for treatment of psoriasis.

Design: A cross-sectional design was used.

Setting: Ten outpatient dermatology sites across the United States participating in the Dermatology Clinical Effectiveness Research Network contributed to the study.

A randomized, double-blind, controlled comparative trial of the anti-aging properties of non-prescription tri-retinol 1.1% vs. prescription tretinoin 0.025%.

Vitamin A and its derivatives (commonly termed retinoids) are widely used in topical anti-aging products. Certain retinoids such as retinol and its esters are available without a prescription, while others such as tretinoin are available only via prescription. A randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical study was conducted to compare the efficacy and tolerability of a tri-retinol 1.

Vesiculobullous eruption from intense pulsed light treatment.

Background: Intense pulsed light (IPL) systems emit non-coherent, polychromatic light and are increasingly used for various dermatologic indications. Although generally regarded as safe therapy, IPL is not without risk.

Objective: We report a 21-year-old woman who experienced a severe blistering eruption after IPL treatment by a nonphysician.

Self-healing papular mucinosis in an adult.

Papular mucinosis is a rare, idiopathic cutaneous mucinosis that is typically chronic and progressively severe. We present a case of a 59-year-old woman with a 6-month history of a dramatic papular eruption on her face and neck, with no associated internal organ involvement. A biopsy specimen demonstrated increased dermal mucin with associated plump fibroblasts, consistent with a diagnosis of papular mucinosis.

Papular dermatitis and a persistent patch test reaction to gold sodium thiosulfate.

The role of gold in allergic contact dermatitis is poorly understood and is a subject of increasing interest. Recent studies demonstrate that gold-positive patch testing is not uncommon, but persistent patch test reactions are rarely reported. We present a case of a 53-year-old woman with a 7-year history of a scattered, pruritic papular dermatitis.