Do men influence decisions by women seeking laser treatments?
Today’s report also covers research into treating acne vulgaris during pregnancy, the association between female pattern hair loss and metabolic syndrome, and more (1,488 words,7 minutes)
The Women in Dermatology e-newsletter is supported without restriction by Galderma Canada
Good morning and welcome to the Women in Dermatology e-newsletter from Chronicle Companies. We’re pleased to have you join us. This biweekly bulletin will update you on new findings regarding dermatologic issues that affect women and the female dermatologists who care for them. We welcome your feedback and opinions, so let us know if you have any comments, observations, or suggestions. You can email them to us at health@chronicle.org
According to a recent study published in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology (Mar. 2023; 16(1):617-633), laser treatments for skin care are becoming increasingly popular. However, while research shows that women are more likely to opt for these treatments, little is known about men’s direct or indirect involvement in motivating these decisions by women.
In the study, the researchers hypothesized that some men may demand that women improve their physical appearance or look a certain way, potentially influencing a woman’s decision.
The authors conducted a systematic literature review on PubMed Central using the keywords “laser,” “minimally invasive aesthetic procedures,” “motivations,” “male,” “opposite sex,” “opposite gender,” “partner,” “husband,” “romantic,” “man,” “beauty,” “attractive,” and “boyfriend.” The researchers selected 27 articles to discuss and analyze. All of the studies covered many types of cosmetic treatment, including laser procedures.
The authors found articles from different areas of the world and noticed differences among cultures. Studies conducted in Asia showed a more significant and clear male influence than studies conducted in America or Europe. Furthermore, four out of seven Asian studies involving participants from East and West Asia expressed explicitly that men were the main reason women chose laser procedures. Alternatively, only one American and one Australian study showed that men directly motivated women to use laser treatments. No European study showed any sort of male involvement.
The authors also determined that motivations, including male involvement, depend on the type of treatment. For example, patients using lasers for pigmentation or erythema were motivated by the desire to reverse skin damage to look younger. Overall, the primary motivation for accessing laser procedures tends to be aesthetic purposes.
A Saudi study showed that 28.6% of female participants underwent cosmetic procedures to look younger than their spouse, and 2.8% stated that their goal was to please their male partner. A Chinese study revealed that 5% of female participants used cosmetic laser procedures to increase their chances of finding a partner. Another study conducted in East Asia showed that 9.2% of female respondents chose a cosmetic procedure because it was suggested by their partner or a family member. A study conducted in the United States found that 2.7% of female participants chose cosmetic procedures due to pressure from their husbands.
Bottom line
The authors concluded that men may directly or indirectly influence women to use cosmetic procedures. They found a significant difference in the level of influence by males among different cultures. Asian studies show a greater level of male involvement than American, Australian, or European studies. More extensive and specific research is needed to determine how much men really motivate women to undergo cosmetic laser procedures.
The relationship between pre-gestational acne and physiologic skin changes during pregnancy
A study published in Lium Concilium assessed the association between pre-gestational acne and the physiologic skin changes that occur during pregnancy. The authors found that pre-gestational acne increased the possibility of developing stretch marks during pregnancy. Acne also increases the likelihood of developing palmar erythema.
The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study involving a randomized sample of women. The study showed that pre-gestational acne improved during pregnancy for nearly half of the participants, while it worsened for the other half. Additionally, pre-gestational acne was associated with stretch marks and redness of the palms but did not affect hyperpigmentation or melasma.
Trends in the treatment of acne vulgaris in pregnancy
A study published in the International Journal of Women’s Dermatology analyzed real-life data on acne management during pregnancy. The researchers found that physicians modify acne treatments during pregnancy to avoid the teratogenic effects of some commonly prescribed acne medications.
For this study, the authors conducted a retrospective study using patient data from the Northwestern Medicine Enterprise Data Warehouse in Chicago. They selected 115 patients—66 were trying to get pregnant, 37 were pregnant, and 12 were breastfeeding. These patients were only prescribed pregnancy category B and C medications, such as topical azelaic acid and clindamycin.
The clinic-epidemiological profile of female pattern hair loss and its association with metabolic syndrome
A study in the Indian Dermatology Online Journal evaluated the demographic factors and clinical characteristics of female pattern hair loss (FPHL) in Western India and its association with metabolic syndrome (MetS). The authors found that FPHL is becoming more common among Indian women, who usually present with bitemporal recession of the hairline. They also found that the prevalence of MetS among Indian women with FPHL was 34.4%, and obesity might be considered a risk factor for FPHL. They noted that MetS may lead to early onset FPHL and greater disease severity.
A case of vulvar allergic contact dermatitis to multiple acrylates
A case study in the International Journal of Women’s Dermatology reported on a 23-year-old woman who presented with itching, redness, and skin shedding in the vulvar area. The symptoms had started eight years earlier and appeared during her periods. The patient reported the symptoms had stopped for a few months while using the menstrual cup instead of absorbent hygiene products (AHPs). The doctors suspected allergic contact dermatitis due to acrylates used in AHPs. They performed an allergy patch test, which did show the patient reacted to most acrylates, a common allergen. The researchers note that many AHPs contain acrylates, and add that if a patient experiences recurrent genital discomfort and itching, contact allergic vulvar dermatitis should always be suspected, and the patient should be referred to a dermatologist.
VIDEO: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and antibiotic use
Dr. Vivian Shi, associate professor in the Department of Dermatology in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine, discusses atypical HS and the use of antibiotics in the treatment of HS.
Rare association between vulvar Dowling-Degos disease and hidradenitis suppurativa
A case study published in the International Journal of Women's Health described a 45-year-old woman who presented with pigmented spots in the genital, perianal, and armpit areas. The lesions first appeared around the age of 30, during a pregnancy. The patient also reported a diagnosis of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) at age 35. A skin biopsy showed mild thickening of the skin’s keratin layer, epidermal bud elongation, and hyperpigmentation without associated melanocytic hyperplasia.
After clinical and histological evaluation, the patient was diagnosed with Dowling-Degos disease (DDD), which is a rare dermatosis also known as reticular dermatosis of the folds. According to the authors, there may be an association between DD and HS.
“Pattern recognition is central to dermatology, and a lot of the pattern recognition is training your eye to recognize certain colors that trigger you to think of certain diseases. But the color in question is impacted by the surrounding color. It can look different in darker skin. If you’re only trained to look at something in one color, you won’t recognize it in another color.”
— Dr. Jenna Lester, a San Francisco-based dermatologist, in an interview with The New York Times.
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