A controversy in Afro-textured hair: Saving 'edges' by preventing sweating
More Black women seeking neuromodulator treatments to protect straightened hair (1,200 words, six minutes)
There is a growing interest among Black women who have had their hair straightened regarding using sweat-stopping neuromodulator injections to prevent their “edges”—the fine hairs along the hairline—from returning to their natural curled shape.
In an article in The Washington Post, Indian dermatologist Dr. Alpana Mohta discussed the new trend and some potential concerns.
“Some critics argue that the trend reinforces the pressure on Black women to conform to Eurocentric beauty standards and reinforces the idea that natural hairstyles are not acceptable,” Dr. Mohta said in the article. Dr. Mohta is a medical adviser for BetterGoods.org, a website that analyzes the ingredients in beauty and personal care products.
While some news outlets discussed using neuromodulators to prevent sweat from affecting styled hair as early as 2017, those articles did not mention Afro-textured hair.
Dr. Mohta told the news outlet that the treatment has recently drawn more interest among Black women.
“I know of a few doctors who are working in South India that are performing this procedure off-label because the hair texture of women in South India is pretty similar to the texture of Black women, which is very curly and coarse hair,” she said.
The article also quotes Dr. Michelle Henry, a dermatologist in New York City, who said she had injected women with neuromodulators to stem sweating around their edges hundreds of times. However, it has only been in the last five years that the procedure has gained popularity among Black women with curly hair.
Dr. Henry said some patients are more comfortable pursuing cardiovascular exercise because they no longer worry about sweat damaging their hairstyle.
Bottom line: Black women increasingly seek treatments to stop sweat along their hairline to prevent straightened short hairs from curling again.
From the literature on cosmetic dermatology in skin of colour
Efficacy and safety of DaxibotulinumtoxinA for Injection in the treatment of glabellar lines by age and race: Subgroup analysis of the SAKURA clinical trials
This analysis examined the safety and efficacy of DaxibotulinumtoxinA for Injection (DAXI) as a treatment for glabellar lines across race and age subgroups using data from the SAKURA 1, 2, and 3 studies.
A total of 2,785 patients were included in the analysis. The proportion of patients achieving none or mild glabellar line severity at maximum frown (IGA-FWS) after DAXI treatment was high in all age and race subgroups (>96% at Week 4). After treatment, no- or mild-severity of glabellar lines was maintained for a median of 24.0 weeks in all age subgroups and 27.0, 25.3, and 24.0 weeks in the Asian, Black and African American, and White subgroups, respectively. Treatment-emergent adverse events were similar across all subgroups.
Aesthetic considerations for treating the North American multi-ethnic patient: Thriving in diversity international roundtable series
This paper describes the findings of the first part of a six-part international roundtable series that discussed diversity in aesthetics. The series was conducted from Aug. 24, 2021, to May 16, 2022.
Participants discussed the similarities and differences in anatomy and treatment preferences of patients from various ethnic and racial backgrounds and how these differences may influence the products or techniques utilized to achieve natural-looking results and minimize side effects.
The authors write that a diverse range of patients can benefit from the tailored use of fillers, fat transfer, neuromodulators, lasers, and energy-based devices. Differences in structural support, skin and aging patterns need to be considered.
Considerations for laser therapy, microneedling, and chemical peels when treating patients with skin of colour
The authors of this paper write that there is a considerable lack of information available for clinicians about aesthetic treatment modalities that can be safely and effectively used on patients with Fitzpatrick skin types IV-VI.
They review appropriate treatments, procedures, and protocols for preventing adverse reactions in patients with skin of colour undergoing aesthetic treatments using lasers, microneedling, and chemical peels.
Efficiency and safety of microneedling fractional radiofrequency in the treatment of Chinese atrophic acne scars: A retrospective study of three consecutive treatments with one-month intervals
This retrospective analysis used data from medical records and clinical photographs of 40 Chinese patients with atrophic acne scars (AAS) with Fitzpatrick skin type III-IV.
Each patient received three microneedling fractional radiofrequency (MFRF) treatments at one-month intervals and was followed up three months after the last treatment.
The clinical severity was assessed at each visit, and clinical photographs were taken. Patients evaluated their satisfaction with the treatment using a five-point Likert scale at the last visit.
The authors found that severity scores were decreased by more than one-half at the last visit compared to baseline. Among the three types of AAS, M-shaped scars responded most quickly to MFRF, and the U-shaped scars improved the most after three months. A significant improvement was seen in clinical appearance that paralleled the change in severity scores.
Excellent improvement was seen in pores and texture, and side effects, including pain and erythema, were transient and mild. The number of MFRF treatment sessions was positively associated with the degree of improvement.
VIDEO: Dermal Filler for Black women (Best options for cheeks, tear troughs and more)
At the intersection of skin and society
Dalhousie University in Halifax has added a new elective course to educate students on the Black Canadian experience in healthcare.
According to a press release from the university, the Centering Black Canadian Health course will examine this issue through the lens of social determinants of health. It will be open to students in Dalhousie’s Health and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences programs.
The course was co-created by Dr. Barb Hamilton-Hinch, associate professor in the School of Health and Human Performance and assistant vice-provost of Equity and Inclusion; Dr. Marie Earl, assistant professor in the Dal School of Physiotherapy and past-chair of the FOH Inclusion and Equity Committee; and Michelle Patrick, associate director in the Office of Community Partnerships and Global Health in the Faculty of Medicine, and special project manager.
“Anything you learn in this course can be applied to any profession that you are going into,” Dr. Hamilton-Hinch said in the release. “Even though our focus is on health, it’s really intentional in people developing a race-conscious lens.”
The course covers an overview of Black peoples’ migrations to Canada, emphasizing African Nova Scotian experiences, equity, diversity and inclusion, cultural humility, and selected health topics such as mental health. Stories of Black joy are also actively discussed.
“It’s one thing just to focus on the negativity and the challenges that people of African descent experience in Canada,” said Dr. Hamilton-Hinch, “but it’s also important to celebrate the resilience, the strength, the beauty of the Black community.”
This week
March 12 to 18 is World Glaucoma Week
March 15 is International Day to Combat Islamophobia
March 16 to 18 is European-Wide Action Week Against Racism
Something to think about in the week ahead. . .
Next week
Dr. Jaggi Rao discusses using lasers to treat pigmentation issues in darker skin types at the 8th annual Skin Spectrum Summit on Sept. 17, 2022. As part of that talk, he covers how lesion depth and variety of pigmentation—melanotic or melanocytotic—inform treatment decisions.
Free webinar: Teledermatology and remote and rural Indigenous communities
Edmonton-based dermatologist Dr. Jaggi Rao and Regina-based dermatologist Dr. Rachel Netahe Asiniwasis invite dermatologists and other medical professionals to attend a free virtual webinar on March 23, 2023 at 9:00 p.m. EST.
The one-hour webinar will cover the role of teledermatology in meeting the healthcare needs of rural and northern Indigenous populations. These topics will be explored through the lens of chronic spontaneous urticaria.
Free registration is available through this link:
Recordings of the webinar will be available to registrants after the event.
If you like Skin Spectrum Weekly, why not check out Chronicle’s other publications, podcasts, and portal?
Established in 1995, The Chronicle of Skin & Allergy is a scientific newspaper print providing news and information on practical therapeutics and clinical progress in dermatologic medicine. The latest issue features:
The winning essay from Dr. Samantha Bizimungu (Montreal) was submitted to the 2022 Dermatology Industry Taskforce on Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (DiTiDE) short essay contest. Dr. Bizimungu wrote on the issue of hair loss in women with skin of colour.
Dr. Nowell Solish (Toronto) discusses recent research on the use of daxibotulinumtoxinA for treating glabellar lines that found no significant difference in outcomes by race or age.
A review of new and upcoming treatments, featuring interviews with Dr. Ron Vender (Hamilton), Dr. Jeff Donovan (Whistler, BC), Dr. Sam Hanna (Toronto), and Dr. Mariusz Sapijaszko (Edmonton)
Plus regular features, including the popular column “Vender on Psoriasis” by Hamilton dermatologist Dr. Ron Vender
Read a recent online edition here. To apply for a complimentary* subscription or to receive a sample copy, please email health@chronicle.org with your contact information.
The Women in Dermatology e-newsletter updates new findings concerning dermatologic issues that affect women and the female dermatologists who care for them. Read the current issue here.
Season two of the Shear Listening Pleasure podcast with Dr. Neil Shear has launched. Listen to the sixth episode here, where Dr. Shear speaks with Dr. Samantha Bizimungu, a dermatology resident at the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) about her winning essay for the DiTIDE essay competition, why she chose dermatology, and why ethnodermatology should matter to all physicians.
And if you’re looking for a web destination for all things derm, please visit derm.city, “Where Dermatology Lives.” Please like, rate, review, and share it with your colleagues.