J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. Vol. 17, No. 9 • September 2024
Dear Colleagues: I am still enjoying the JCAD redesign, but the ultimate proof is in the quality of the content…
I was very happy to receive several positive comments about the redesigned look of the JCAD which debuted with the August 2024 issue. I want to thank our Managing Editor, Julia Eckert, for doing the heavy-lifting on making it all happen so quickly, while assuring quality. Many others helped in this team effort. We will continue to tweak the journal as necessary as new ideas and suggestions come forward that make sense to us in adding quality and clarity for our readership. The second round of Special Section Assistant Editors was also announced in the August 2024 issue. Now it is time to look forward, which brings us to this September 2024 issue of JCAD.
With this September 2024 issue, the third round of Special Section Assistant Editors is announced. I am a strong believer in collaboration in order to bring forth publications and educational initiatives that are highly relevant to the dermatology community across a wide range of interests. The selection of individuals was specifically designed to include several areas of expertise and a high level of experience in medical dermatology, dermatologic surgery, and cosmetic dermatology. The list includes several very knowledgeable and talented dermatologists, along with nurse practitioners and physician assistants who are highly academic and clinically experienced in dermatology. Importantly, the list covers many geographic locations, practice types, and many with areas of special interest. Among my many goals for JCAD, to me the most important goal is to bring forward publications that ultimately enhance patient care. Many of the selected names are well known nationally through conferences and publications, some for longer periods over time than others. However, a few newer faces have been included to freshen up and diversify educational contributions. The list of Special Section Assistant Editors is now complete at the moment, but over time, some new names will surely be added.
So why read this issue of JCAD? All of the articles bring valuable information to the table. To start, the article by Alexis et al entitled “Is Acne the Same Around the World?”, brings to the forefront the global importance of acne in all patient populations, due to its frequency, chronicity, physical implications, psychosocial impact, and persistent sequelae in many individuals. Recognition of some disparities in how different populations and skin types/colors may be affected are highlighted. The article by Ashley et al takes a look at gender disparity and speaker representation at international aesthetic medicine conferences and the direct and downstream implications of these disparities that the authors discuss. This article raises the issue of how gender representation can be further improved while maintaining fairness and quality for all involved. Hopefully, disparity issues improve with time across the globe, starting first with awareness and recognition. My impression is that in the USA, gender disparities have progressively lessened, at least in some important areas. The article by Lal and Herringshaw discusses a topic that is currently very popular overall, “The Use of GLP-1 Agonists in the Management of Cutaneous Disease”. With the widespread use of these agents for management of obesity and/or diabetes, this article is a good start in looking at potential applications in dermatology. The article entitled “Safety and Efficacy of Trichloroacetic Acid Peels in the Treatment of Melasma: A Split-face, Randomized, Prospective Trial in Latin American Women”, by Lorenzo-Rios et al, was very interesting and eye-opening for me, especially as melasma is difficult to treat, and peeling procedures have been limited by concern regarding inconsistency of results and fear of complications, especially with darker skin. The two photographic examples shown are impressive. Mariwalla et al explain in their article points of differentiation between once daily facial application of a multi-weight hyaluronic acid (HA) plus antioxidant lotion compared to a single-weight HA plus ceramide-based lotion. The outcomes for dryness, roughness, fine lines and radiance in adult women with moderate-to-severe facial dryness are based on an 8-week, double-blind comparative study. Lastly, I enjoyed the article by Pandit, Elewski and Vlahovic, “Concealing Meets Healing in the Treatment of Toenail Onychomycosis: A Review of Concurrent Nail Polish Use with Topical Efinaconazole 10% Solution”, especially as I have been personally involved in several publications about onychomycosis. This article addresses the very practical consideration of the effect of toenail polish on treatment efficacy with topical efinaconazole 10% solution for toenail onychomycosis. Data to date from four small studies discussed in this article have demonstrated the efficacy of efinaconazole 10% solution for toenail onychomycosis among participants concurrently using toenail polish, with no visible impact on gel-polished nails.
I enjoyed this JCAD issue, but that alone does not satisfy me. I hope you do. Until next month, stay happy and healthy.
James Q. Del Rosso, DO, FAAD, FAOCD
Editor-in-Chief, Clinical Dermatology