INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES: Learning From Counterparts Around the World 

Dermatology has taken H.L. Greenberg, MD, around the world. The Las Vegas, Nevada-based dermatologist sat down overseas with one of the developers of the first hyaluronic acid filler approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and learned about a new filler being developed. He heard a Saudi Arabian doctor assert that exosomes are really only effective because of their additive ingredients. He was reminded by an American doctor thousands of miles from home of the importance of a patient’s basic nutrition in hair regrowth. 

“I am learning all the time,” Dr. Greenberg told Practical Dermatology. “I really value seeing what my colleagues are doing in other places. What drugs are they using? What’s hot in their countries? I love being in America, but I attend enough meetings here to know how we do things; I want to know if there other things out there that we should be doing.”

International conferences and trips present valuable opportunities for doctors to add to their knowledge base in the ongoing pursuit of the best patient outcomes. The European Academy of Dermatology & Venereology (EADV) was set to hold its EADV Congress in Amsterdam in late September, and the International League of Dermatological Societies will host its next World Congress from June 21-26, 2027, in Guadalajara, Mexico. Various other conferences are held around Europe, Asia, and South America, and some doctors visit other countries for professional purposes even when there are no conferences.

Differences in Culture

While the most advanced drugs typically are available in the United States, Dr. Greenberg said doctors can learn so much more from other countries. For example, he took in a lecture about filler for male genitalia at the 5 Continent Congress in Lisbon. 

“Apparently, in certain cultures, men frequently sit together naked, so it is a big issue,” he said. “Cultural differences also often exist in people’s concepts of beauty. In Thailand, very thin arms are considered beautiful for women, which is contrary to the fitness craze in America.”

Cutting-Edge Procedures

Sometimes, doctors come back from other countries with advanced procedures to apply in their practices. Jennifer Levine, MD, a double board-certified plastic surgeon based in New York, New York, recently implemented a laser stacking technique that she observed on a trip to South Korea. The technique involved a custom combination of multiple laser treatments performed on the same day. 

“Generally, we want to achieve maximum results with the least possible amount of downtime,” Dr. Levine told Practical Dermatology. “By combining multiple treatments that do not have a lot of downtime, we are able to amplify our results without increasing that downtime.”

New Drugs and Approaches to Care

International trips also can provide glimpses of drugs that may make their way to the United States eventually but have not yet been FDA approved. Paola Pasquali, MD, a dermatologist based in Spain and a member of the EADV Congress Scientific Program Committee, noted that even within Europe, each country has its own regulations, so doctors from one country can often learn from their counterparts from others. 

“Certain medications may be permitted in one place but not another,” Dr. Pasquali told Practical Dermatology in an interview.

Other useful perspectives are not limited to those countries where more advanced solutions are being utilized. Henry W. Lim, MD, a dermatologist in Detroit, Michigan, and President of the ILDS, told Practical Dermatology that much can be learned from how dermatologists in “resource-constrained” countries operate as well. 

“Phototherapy, for example, is not as commonly used in the United States anymore, but in many parts of the world, it is still a very important part of the therapy,” Dr. Lim said.

In some instances, doctors might learn that new therapeutic options or technologies may not be worth adopting. 

“New is not always better, so you might have a discussion with a doctor from another country and realize that what you are doing currently is still the best option,” Dr. Levine said.

Even going back to the basics can be helpful. Dr. Greenberg’s revelation about nutrition for hair regrowth came during a lecture by a New York-based doctor, whom he had seen lecture before, but typically on more advanced topics. 

“She mentioned protein intake as a necessity for hair regrowth,” Dr. Greenberg said. “Yes, they taught us that in medical school. However, it is not something we usually think about on a day-to-day basis as we focus on what drug to prescribe.”

Expanding Tunnel Vision

Dr. Greenberg, who will lecture at the 12th DASIL World Congress in Hanoi, Vietnam, in November, noted that many of the places he travels to are less expensive than some of his domestic trips. 

“The hotels are cheaper, the food is cheaper, and I would say it’s often better,” he said. “In many cases, it is an opportunity to simply see leading American doctors speak in a different environment, and in others, we’re able to get different perspectives from around the world.”

While some cultural differences are likely to persist well into the future, others may offer previews of what is to come in the United States. Dr. Levine noted, for example, that she observed during a trip to Brazil an emphasis on skincare for other parts of the body below the head and neck. She said American doctors should be prepared for this trend as well. 

“As doctors, we tend to have tunnel vision,” Dr. Levine said. “Doctors are very anecdotal, in general. We tend to remember what we have last seen, or the last patient we had. We tend to base our practice on our own personal experience. However, there is a whole big world out there, and many of us treat very diverse populations, so it is important to get out of your comfort zone and see what the rest of the world is doing. It can open your mind to other possibilities and ways of doing things better to ensure that you achieve the best patient outcomes.” -By Jason Mazda