Wow!
From the Editor
Dr. Schwarzenberger is the former physician editor of DermWorld.
By Kathryn Schwarzenberger, MD, FAAD, April 1, 2025
Attendance at the 2025 Annual Meeting in Orlando last month broke our all-time record with over 20,000 attendees! I hope you were one of the many who enjoyed an amazing array of experiences. Perhaps reflecting our Immediate Past President Dr. Seemal Desai’s theme of unity, the Scientific Assembly Committee, AAD members, and Academy staff worked together to offer a strong educational curriculum interspersed with many fun entertainment and social offerings. It was heartening to see so many of our younger (and even some of us older) members fully engaged; the enthusiasm and excitement was palpable! Based on what I saw in Orlando, I feel confident about the future of our organization, which is now in the very competent and caring leadership of Dr. Susan Taylor. Even with challenges ahead, I predict this will be a wonderful year! Godspeed, Dr. Taylor!
We have some outstanding features for you this month — as usual! Female pattern hair loss has historically been somewhat of an underappreciated problem, complicated by the fact that hair loss in women is often multifactorial. Fortunately, recent research has provided us with many viable, albeit off-label, treatment options for treating this often-challenging condition. Several of our specialty’s experts shared their wisdom and expertise in this feature. I promise you will appreciate it if you ever treat women with hair loss!
How safe are the products we use? This is a question asked by many, but answering it is not always a simple one, as there are many different parameters to be considered in deciding what is “safe.” For example, a contact dermatitis specialist might consider a highly fragranced product to be “unsafe,” as it is likely to cause contact allergies. Carcinogenic chemicals in products have historically raised concerns, and recent studies have found benzene, a known carcinogen, in multiple cutaneous products. While it remains to be seen what the actual impact from the use of these products might be, the finding has appropriately raised concern and the AAD has responded. Our feature article will get you up to date on the benzene story.
There is a lot going on in the advocacy world, which we address in our “out of bounds” feature this month, as well as in several of our columns. Scope of practice concerns continue to be a big fight for our organization, as we strive to ensure that our patients get the very best and most authentic care they deserve. If you are in practice, MIPS and the new Dermatological Care MVP continue to evolve; we offer updates you should be aware of. And while I hope none of you ever suffer through a payer audit, we offer a concrete approach to this likely inevitable experience.
On a more personal note, I heard from quite a few of our members how much they value our DermWorld family of publications. It was wonderful meeting many of you in Orlando and I thank you for taking the time and effort to offer feedback. Of course, we love the good comments but also welcome any constructive criticism you may have! We serve the members of our organization, and it is our goal to remain timely and relevant. Please continue to engage with us and help us continue to be the publications you want us to be!
