Seven recent developments in cosmetic dermatology

Study findings that many patients achieved improvement in submental fullness after one treatment session of Kybella was among the recent developments reported on Healio.com/Dermatology.

Other developments included findings that platelet-rich plasma poor in leukocytes demonstrated improvement in facial skin biostimulation, and the completion of Allergan’s acquisition of Zeltiq Aesthetics, including its proprietary controlled-cooling fat-reducing treatment, CoolSculpting:

Kybella shows efficacy in submental fullness after one treatment session

Many patients achieved improvement in submental fullness after one treatment session of Kybella in a private practice setting, according to study results published in Dermatologic Surgery.

Sachin M. Shridharani, MD, of Luxurgery, New York, conducted a prospective study of 100 patients (mean age, 45.4 years; 39 men; mean BMI, 26.1) with submental fullness who received subcutaneous treatment of Kybella (deoxycholic acid, Allergan), also known as ATX-101. Read more

Patients perceived as younger, more successful after undergoing facial rejuvenation surgery

Patients who underwent face-lift and upper facial rejuvenation surgery were perceived as younger, more attractive and more successful by observers, according to survey results recently published in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.

Researchers conducted web-based surveys featuring photographs of patients before and after facial rejuvenation surgery. There were 504 participants (333 women; mean age, 29 years) who successfully completed the survey. Read more

Storage of partially used hyaluronic acid carries some contamination risk

Storing partially used hyaluronic acid gel fillers after the initial patient injection carried a small risk of contamination, according to study results in Dermatologic Surgery.

“After tissue augmentation procedures, the remaining continent of filler syringes are commonly used for a retouch after a few weeks or for re-treatment, when the augmentation effect begins to subside after many months,” Mohammed Al-Haddab, MD, of the dermatology department at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and colleagues wrote. Read more

Allergan completes acquisition of Zeltiq Aesthetics, CoolSculpting

Allergan announced it has completed its acquisition of Zeltiq Aesthetics for $2.4 billion in cash.

Zeltiq’s proprietary controlled-cooling fat-reducing treatment, CoolSculpting, is the sales leader in the cash-pay body contouring segment of medical aesthetics, according to a news release from Allergan. Read more

Platelet-rich plasma injections show efficacy in facial skin biostimulation

Platelet-rich plasma poor in leukocytes demonstrated improvement in facial skin biostimulation, according to study results published in Dermatologic Surgery.

Researchers studied 12 healthy women aged 45 to 65 years, who were enrolled between October and November 2014 and underwent three sessions of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections into facial skin at 1-month intervals. Read more

Botulinum toxin A shows efficacy in treating upper platysma area of lower face

Botulinum toxin A was effective at treating the upper platysma muscle area, showing that the area of the lower face can be safely modulated by neuromodulators, according to published study results.

Ada R. T. de Almeida, MD, of the dermatologic clinic at Hospital do Servidor Pứblico Municipal de São Paulo, Brazil, and colleagues conducted a retrospective, open-label study of 161 patients (median age, 57.5 years; 142 women) who had loss of lower face contour, and/or lower face and upper neck wrinkles and lines, during lower face animation. Read more

Tranilast 8% liposomal gel demonstrates efficacy in treating postcesarean scars

Tranilast 8% liposomal gel provided significantly better aesthetic postcesarean surgical scar treatment when compared with placebo, according to published study results.

“The good cosmesis and hidden anatomical area make most [cesarean section] scars acceptable and negligible,” Libi Kohavi, MD, of the dermatology department, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Israel, and colleagues wrote. “However, in the minority of cases, [C. section] delivery may produce abnormal, aesthetically unpleasing scarring.” Read more