What Is New In the World Of Dermatology?

By Nicole Hayre, MD

The American Academy of Dermatology recently had their annual meeting in Washington, DC where many new and exciting methods and procedures were highlighted. The technology that has recently become available makes procedures easier for patients, while giving them improved results as compared to previous techniques.

New Non-Surgical Skin Biopsy

One of the most exciting new developments is the new pigmented lesion assay (PLA) test to determine if a mole is a malignant melanoma or not. Until now, if a physician thought a mole was suspicious, the only way to have the mole analyzed was to remove it surgically, leaving a scar. The specimen would then be sent to a pathology lab where it was analyzed under a microscope.

The new PLA assay allows dermatologists to take a sample of the superficial cells of the mole in question by using a clear plastic sticker. The area is cleaned and dried, and then a sticker is rubbed onto the area allowing some of the superficial cells to stick to it. The mole is circled with a marker, and then the sticker is removed. This is repeated four times, and the four stickers are then sent into a laboratory for genetic analysis. This makes biopsies to rule out melanoma much easier on the patients, and it does not leave a scar. A board-certified dermatologist will be able to take this information along with the history and exam to determine what is best for the patient.

New Tattoo Removal Method

Until now tattoo removal has required the use of a laser. Some drawbacks to this are that not all lasers can treat all colors of tattoos, and there is some concern about what happens to the ink after being broken up by a laser. There is now a new method that uses a microneedling pen to inject a solution into the tattoo, causing it to push the ink out of the skin. This can be used on all colors of ink, and could be better for patients because most of the ink is being directly expelled out of the body instead of being altered by a laser and flowing through the lymphatics.

Full tattoo removal takes multiple sessions, and there is a little downtime after each treatment. The treated areas have round crusts on them which usually heal after a couple of weeks.

New Fat Removing Device

The field of body contouring has seen many exciting new developments in recent years. It seems the bar is always being raised as a new device becomes available. Well, it has happened again! The latest fat removing device, SculpSure, is a revolutionary new laser which targets fat and causes it to self-destruct. This new procedure takes only 25 minutes, and is typically painless. It can cause up to 34% of the fat in the treated area to melt away after only one treatment. The hard part is waiting for the results, as it can take 12 weeks to see the full result after a treatment.

As with any new dermatologic procedure, it is always best to see a board-certified dermatologist for an evaluation and possible treatment.