Most read dermatology articles of 2022

This past year, medical advancements, new discoveries and FDA approvals made headlines in the world of dermatology.

Healio compiled the most read articles of 2022, which included a story about the FDA issuing warnings to Amazon and two other companies for unlawful sales of mole and skin tag removers as the most read story of this year. Closely following were stories about the harmful effects of sunscreen products and the hair texture changes associated with various medication classes.

Here are Healio’s top 10 dermatology stories of 2022:

FDA warns Amazon, two other companies to cease unlawful sale of mole, skin tag removers

In August, warning letters were sent to Amazon, Ariella Naturals and Justified Laboratories, which were all said to be in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by selling unapproved products that claim to remove moles or skin tags. Read more.

Sunscreen guide finds concerning ingredients, poor protection in about 75% of products

Healio published this article in June about data released in May as part of the Environmental Working Group’s 16th annual Guide to Sunscreens. The guide assessed the effectiveness of more than 1,850 products advertising sun protection such as recreational sunscreens, daily-use moisturizers with SPF and lip balms with SPF. Read more.

Hair texture changes linked to five classes of medication

In this article from October, researchers concluded that there are five classes of medication that are most associated with hair texture changes. Antineoplastic agents showed the most common correlation with 974 of 1,641 patients affected. Antiepileptics affected 56 of 934 treated patients, whereas retinoids affected all 15 treated patients. The three patients who used immunomodulators and the single patient who used HIV antiretroviral therapy were also affected. Read more.

COVID-19 continues to affect hair loss

Published in July, this article detailed a study that evaluated the prevalence of hair loss in patients who had recovered from COVID-19. Results showed that of 62 patients with hair loss, histological evaluations of hair samples from 48 had telogen effluvium, 12 showed evidence of androgenetic alopecia and two showed alopecia areata. Read more.

Dutasteride may be most efficacious in androgenetic alopecia treatment

The results of this meta-analysis indicated that 0.5 mg per day of oral dutasteride has the highest probability of being the most efficacious treatment for androgenetic alopecia. Read more.

Olumiant approved for alopecia areata treatment

The FDA’s approval of Olumiant (baricitinib, Eli Lilly/Incyte) in June made it the first systemic medication approved for the treatment of alopecia areata. The drug is a once-daily oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor that was previously approved for rheumatoid arthritis and atopic dermatitis. Read more.

FDA approves Opzelura cream for vitiligo

In July, Opzelura cream 1.5% (ruxolitinib, Incyte), a topical JAK inhibitor, became the first FDA-approved treatment for repigmentation in patients with vitiligo. It is indicated for adolescents and adults with nonsegmental vitiligo. Read more.

Q&A: Micro-coring ellacor device could improve facial wrinkles, laxity

Last year the FDA cleared ellacor, a minimally invasive micro-coring device, for the treatment of moderate to severe wrinkles in the mid to lower face. The technology, which removes thousands of tiny pieces of skin without lasers or surgery, was developed at Massachusetts General Hospital and is marketed by Cytrellis. Read more.

FDA issues warning about over-the-counter skin lightening products

One of the top 10 articles this year is another warning from the FDA to companies selling unsafe products. The warning was issued to 12 companies for selling over-the-counter skin lightening products containing hydroquinone. Serious side effects were reported with these products including skin rashes, facial swelling and skin discoloration, and the FDA warned the public not to use any OTC skin lightening products. Read more.

Patients present with later stage melanoma during COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 made yet another impact on the dermatological community with many melanoma patients presenting more advanced disease progression during the pandemic. Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis on melanoma staging in 246 patients evaluated at one care center between the start of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 11, 2020, and Jan. 12, 2021. Read more.