Telederm Visits Popular for Stress-exacerbated Acne, Rosacea

“We know that many skin conditions are exacerbated by stress. Certainly within the last year, there has been an increasing amount of stress related to the pandemic. And in my practice, I have seen an increased number of visits for presentations that may have been exacerbated by stress. Those visits have included conditions like psoriasis, acne, rosacea, herpes zoster, and other stress-related skin conditions,” says Christy Rainey, MD, who is a practicing dermatologist and chief medical officer for DermatologistOnCall.

In the case of acne and rosacea, stress can lead to, “exacerbation to the point where it’s becoming more pustular, more nodular, more cystic, more painful. It can lead to more self-esteem issues, more embarrassment.”

Dr. Rainey has seen an increase in requests for virtual consults for acne, rosacea, and other stress-related dermatoses. She uses DermatologistOnCall to see patients on lunch breaks or after hours. “Acne and rosacea themselves are a very visual diagnoses and easily lend themselves to be evaluated and managed online through a platform with photographs.

“Our workflow is very busy. Virtual care can help us control patient volume. We all know that dermatologists’ schedules are pretty backed up; If we don’t have an appointment immediately that day, that week, sometimes that month, it allows us to jump online and quickly evaluate and treat somebody within minutes, giving them the same type of care that they would have received in office, but just through a virtual platform. It often gives us a much quicker ability to see these patients who are suffering, perhaps even more greatly at home, because it brought them to the point to click the call to action to create the visit,” she says.

“These patients are often at their worst, and to give those patients immediate help with prescriptions and management is an excellent opportunity when we use teledermatology,” Dr. Rainey observes. She adds that the teledermatology platform provides patients an extended list of recommendations, skincare guidelines, prescription drug management tips. “Those are the types of things that sometimes, in a busy day, can be hard to sit down and explain verbally. This is automatic. You can save your favorite recommendations and the platform delivers it to the patient.”

DermatologistOnCall, the leading platform for teledermatology with more than 200 board-certified dermatology providers on the platform, has seen significant growth in the last year. Visits have more than doubled since the pandemic began, Dr. Rainey says. “There’s been just a slight slowdown in cases, now that visits are open and patients are engaging in person. We still see continued growth compared to what we saw in 2019,” she adds. “I do think the future of dermatology can be expanded through teledermatology for the future. I think it will continue to grow as millennials get older and use their cell phones.”

Accure Acne Seeks to Raise Up To $20 Million Through Private Placement Offering

Accure Acne, Inc. has launched a private placement offering on the M-Vest platform to raise up to $20 Million.

Building on the research of R. Rox Anderson, MD, Accure Co-Founder and Chief Scientific & Medical Officer, Accure has developed the Accure Laser System, an energy-based device that targets sebaceous glands. The company believes the technology utilizes a novel, proprietary treatment method that has been demonstrated on human tissue to damage sebaceous glands through selective photothermolysis, while sparing the surrounding epidermis from damage.

In March 2020, Accure’s exclusive manufacturing partner for the Accure Laser System, Quanta System S.p.A, received clearance for CE Mark certification. Accure believes this is the only 1726nm laser with CE Mark clearance for the treatment of moderate inflammatory acne.

The company notes that this investment involves a high degree of risk and should not be made by anyone who cannot afford to lose his or her entire investment. This investment is highly speculative and illiquid. The Subscription Agreement & Limited Liability Company Agreement is available online at m-vest.com/offerings/accureacneinc.

Understanding Rosacea’s Effect on Patients’ Social Lives

The National Rosacea Society recently conducted a survey focused on how rosacea impacts the social lives of patients. More than 575 people with rosacea took part in the survey, and 85 percent of respondents said a flare-up of rosacea frequently or occasionally brings them unwanted attention. Ninety-one percent said this unwanted attention affects how they perceive themselves.

More than 200 shared comments about their personal experiences of living with rosacea. While each case of rosacea is unique and symptoms vary widely from patient to patient, there were many commonalities among their experiences with the disease and how it impacted their social lives. The main takeaways were that patients with rosacea can bring on unwanted attention, that most people don’t know what rosacea really is, and that living with rosacea and always being prepared to try to hide it is exhausting and expensive. Survey respondents also indicated that it can be overwhelming to read about all the potential triggers and the fact that it’s a life-long condition. Education and continued support is needed since many said it takes several tries to find a treatment that can work. Multiple patients said that they felt less self-conscious about their skin as they found more of their peers and acquaintances knew about rosacea and recognized its symptoms, making events like Rosacea Awareness Month and the need to spread awareness important.

WATCH NOW

Scientifically Speaking: New Directions in Acne Management
The recognition that inflammation is at the heart of acne has led to changes in management approaches and better understanding of how treatments work. Host Joel L. Cohen, MD talks to Diane Berson, MD; Linda Stein Gold, MD; and Emil Tanghetti, MD about acne approaches, with a focus on the latest in topical interventions. They address hot topics, including bacterial resistance and variations in treatment response across different patient populations.
To watch now, visit:PracDerm.com/scientifically

Mederma Survey: Acne and Acne Scars Top List of Skin Insecurities

One-third of Americans would not use their smart phone for a year if it meant they could have picture-perfect skin, according to a new survey from Mederma. That’s not all they would do for clear skin, either. Many would cancel Netflix for life, eat only oatmeal for a year, give up their favorite food for life, or skip sex for a year, the survey found.

More than half of Americans avoid events altogether (pre-pandemic) instead of going through the hassle of dealing with skin issues and insecurities, and three in five respondents agree that their skin has a big impact on their self-confidence and mental health.

When it comes to what makes people most self-conscious about their skin, top concerns include acne scars (32 percent), stretch marks (30 percent), and existing acne (25 percent).

Respondents also revealed that skin injuries like cuts (27 percent), burns (24 percent) and surgery scars (22 percent) have made them feel insecure about their physical looks.

In May for Mental Health Awareness month, Mederma unveiled their new “You Are More Than Your Scar” campaign to help people overcome skin insecurities and boost self-esteem. Alongside the new campaign, Mederma has also unveiled new packaging design across their entire suite of products that is currently rolling out on shelves.