The skin health and beauty pyramid: a clinically based guide to selecting topical skincare products.

The use of cosmeceuticals by patients is now commonplace. Without consultation and direction from an informed clinician, marketing pressures can lead consumers to make poor product choices that can result in wasted money and unsatisfactory outcomes. Skin professionals need a scientifically based, succinct tool to guide their patients toward best topical skincare practices. The Skin Health and Beauty Pyramid is an educational framework and product guide created from extensive scientific literature and study review on ingredients, formulations and technologies affecting skin biology. This clinical tool can simplify product choices for physicians and clinicians in the process of professionally guiding patients toward the optimal use of topical products to achieve best outcomes for skin health and beauty.

Hyaluronic acid filler and botulinum Neurotoxin delivered simultaneously in the same syringe for effective and convenient combination aesthetic rejuvenation therapy.

Facial aesthetics and rejuvenation techniques have been evolving, with the most commonly applied techniques being the use of hyaluronic acid fillers and botulinum neurotoxins. Because of complementary actions, it is common for both products to be used in the same anatomical sites to optimize outcomes, either administered consecutively at one visit or at two separate visits. The author shows for the first time that hyaluronic acid (HA) and botulinum neurotoxin (BNT) can be delivered in combination in the same syringe--at the same time--to rejuvenate the upper face. Not only does concomitant administration result in excellent clinical outcome, without apparently compromising the attributes of either product alone, but this technique enhances the patient experience by allowing the use of small-gauge needles and inherently decreasing, by half or more, the number of needle sticks incurred. Larger studies are underway to study optimal techniques for administering HA and BNT combined in a single syringe.

Highly attenuated smallpox vaccine protects rabbits and mice against pathogenic orthopoxvirus challenge.

The possible reemergence of smallpox through bioterrorism requires the preparation of adequate stockpiles of vaccine. Dryvax, the only US-licensed vaccinia virus smallpox vaccine, has an unacceptable safety profile in the pre-event setting. LC16m8 is a Japanese-licensed attenuated vaccinia virus strain that has been safely used in over 50,000 persons. Until now, efficacy of this vaccine was unproven. Using two animal models, we show that LC16m8 and Dryvax elicit comparable humoral immune responses after a single vaccination and equivalently protect against lethal poxvirus disease. Thus, LC16m8 shows promise as a safe and effective smallpox vaccine with the potential for replacing Dryvax.

Anthrax.

Anthrax is an ancient disease associated with the plagues in biblical Egypt and modern bioterrorism. Three clinical syndromes result from exposure to anthrax spores: cutaneous,inhalational, and gastrointestinal. Cutaneous anthrax is the most common naturally occurring syndrome; inhalational anthrax is most likely to result from airborne release of spores. Prophylactic and early treatment can improve the mortality from inhalational anthrax. A vaccine is available, but has many limitations. New vaccines are currently being developed.

Smallpox: vaccine reactions and contraindications.

Concern regarding the use of smallpox for bioterrorism has led to the reintroduction of smallpox vaccination. The historic background leading to protective methods against smallpox disease, the adverse reactions and contraindications associated with vaccination, and the ongoing development of potentially safer smallpox vaccines are reviewed here.