Digital brand building and online reputation management in dermatology.

The percentage of American adults who use social media has steadily increased over the years. With information just a click or swipe away, social media has allowed its users to make empowered decisions, including in health care. Its role in health care is undeniable and ranges from impacting disease awareness to influencing the professional clout of physicians. Its use in dermatology is especially relevant due to the visual nature of the field. Dermatologists can educate the public, build relationships with other users, strengthen their brand, network with colleagues, and combat the rise in fake medical news. Additionally, social media humanizes physicians, and followers have embraced a combination of both educational and personal posts. We provided an overview on the history and current state of social media in dermatology along with a commentary on the strategies for digital brand building and reputation management.

Growing impact of social media in aesthetics: Review and debate.

Social media has exponentially grown in the past 15 years, and the recent increase in the use of social media platforms in medicine is undeniable. In aesthetic medicine, having a social media presence can help to educate patients, the public, and colleagues on medical knowledge and procedures, while also dispelling the overcrowded misinformation from nonmedical influencers. Social media has many positive aspects that can be incorporated into aesthetic medicine to make the field stronger as well as negative aspects that should be avoided. We review the overall impact of social media in aesthetic medicine.

Sound levels and safety in cosmetic laser surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Measure the sound levels produced by various lasers commonly used during routine outpatient cosmetic surgery to determine whether or not their use exceeds exposure levels set forth by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using two different meters, the sound levels of lasers commonly used in cosmetic surgery were recorded during various procedures for several indications: tattoo removal, treatment of lentigines and pigmented lesions, facial erythema and vascular lesions, hair removal and resurfacing of acne scars, and photoaging. RESULTS: All but five lasers had a maximum sound level below 85 dBA, the limit proposed by NIOSH. The loudest laser examined was a fully ablative 2,940 nm Er:YAG during facial resurfacing, with an average maximum sound level of 101.5 decibels (dBA). Two other lasers used for resurfacing exceeded 85 dBA including a fractional ablative 1064 Nd:YAG with an average maximum of 97.8 and a different fully ablative 2,940 nm Er:YAG which had an average maximum of 96.3 nm. The two other lasers that exceeded 85 dBA were picosecond lasers used to treat black tattoos, including a 1,064 nm Nd:YAG with an average maximum of 93.7 dBA and a 755 nm alexandrite with an average maximum of 93.6 dBA. CONCLUSION: Although some lasers in cosmetic surgery may be perceived as being quite loud, they remain safe. Even the loudest laser studied would have to be used for nearly 2 hours before exceeding the OSHA recommended exposure limit. Even physicians who spend a large amount of time using lasers in clinical practice should be reassured that these devices are not likely to produce noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) hearing loss. Lasers Surg. Med. 51:491-494, 2019. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Eruptive vellus hair cysts in identical triplets with dermoscopic findings.

Eruptive vellus hair cysts (EVHCs) are asymptomatic, follicular, flesh-colored to hyperpigmented papules that are typically located on the chest and extremities with an unclear inheritance pattern and pathogenesis. We report a case of EVHCs in 4-year-old identical triplet girls. Our aim is to present another rare case of autosomal-dominant inheritance of EVHCs and to emphasize the utility of dermoscopy as a diagnostic aid for EVHCs that may be misdiagnosed clinically.

Successful treatment of Ota nevus with the 532-nm solid-state picosecond laser.

Laser treatment of Ota nevi can be complicated, particularly in darker skin types, as there is a higher risk for adverse effects if the laser is not carefully employed. We report a case of successful treatment of an Ota nevus in a patient with Fitzpatrick skin type IV with the novel 532-nm solid-state picosecond laser after 2 treatments.

A noninvasive approach to off-face skin laxity and tightening: a review of the literature.

Off-face skin scales tailored to each anatomical site can measure laxity and tightening of the neck, chest, arms, hands, abdomen, buttocks, and medial thighs. Although surgery may be indicated for major weight loss patients, other noninvasive modalities may be considered including: CO2 laser, bipolar radiofrequency, monopolar radiofrequency, microfocused ultrasound, and combination therapies. We provide a review of the literature for each modality and relevance to the off-face anatomical sites.

Genital ulcers associated with Epstein-Barr virus.

Genital ulcerations are a rare clinical finding of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. We present the case of a 16-year-old adolescent girl who reported the onset of diarrhea, headaches, dysuria, and vaginal discharge along with vulvar ulcerations with edema. Laboratory studies revealed a high-quantitative EBV IgG and early antigen as well as a positive IgM antibody for EBV. Although the association between EBV and genital ulcerations is rare, physicians should be aware of this clinical presentation to exclude other infectious entities, to be reassured to accept negative testing, and to quell patient distress or concerns of abuse.