The Progressive Loss Risk Scale for Hair Restoration Surgery.

Background: Limited information exists on the long-term risks to individuals undergoing procedures in hair restoration surgery. The short-term risks are well known and similar to other procedures in dermatologic surgery. The long-term risks of hair restoration surgery are seldom discussed between the physician and patient.

Randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, vehicle-controlled study of ingenol mebutate gel 0.025% and 0.05% for actinic keratosis.

Background: There is a need for improved medical approaches to the treatment of actinic keratosis. Ingenol mebutate, a diterpene ester extracted and purified from the plant Euphorbia peplus, is being evaluated as a topical therapy for actinic keratosis.

Objective: Assess the efficacy and safety of ingenol mebutate (formerly PEP005) gel at 3 dosing regimens for the treatment of actinic keratosis.

Core curriculum for hair restoration surgery, recommended by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS).

Background: Because hair restoration surgery (HRS) has changed so significantly, the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) presents the recently developed Core Curriculum for Hair Restoration Surgery (CCHRS). Physician competence in HRS demands a sound understanding of all of the alternate pathologic causes of hair loss, as well as their risks and treatments.

Objective: The CCHRS defines the knowledge, didactic information, medical insights, and surgical techniques that are essential to physician competence in the correct diagnoses and treatment of hair loss problems, in a manner consistent with patient safety and sound esthetic results.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III study evaluating efficacy and tolerability of 2 courses of alefacept in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis.

Background: In previous phase II studies, alefacept significantly improved psoriasis and was well tolerated. The clinical response to alefacept was durable.

Objective: Our purpose was to further evaluate efficacy and tolerability of alefacept in a phase III study of patients (n = 553) with chronic plaque psoriasis.

Finasteride improves male pattern hair loss in a randomized study in identical twins.

Objectives: This study compared the efficacy of finasteride with placebo in the treatment of male pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) in nine pairs of male identical twins.

Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-center study, one twin from each identical twin pair received finasteride 1 mg/day for one year while the other received placebo. Hair growth was evaluated from standardized clinical photographs, hair counts and patient self-assessment questionnaires.