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Studies find climate therapy (CT) at the Dead Sea of psoriasis efficient for induction therapy, but few studies address disease relapse, long‐term maintenance using CT, confounders, and the patient perspective. CT combines sunlight, balneotherapy, stress reduction, and education. This study aimed to examine Dead Sea CT and relapse of psoriasis over a 2 years period, patients' satisfaction, and treatment outcome and preference relative to other therapies. A structured questionnaire was offered to patients, who during the recent 2 years had undergone a 4 week course of CT at the Dead Sea. Patients included applied for a new CT session due to relapse of their psoriasis. Questionnaire items covered their recall of relapse, disease severity, potential triggers of relapse and patient's preference relative to other treatment options. The study enrolled 40 patients, with an average age of 55.5 years. CT was highly effective and resulted in marked reduction in the affected skin area, from 16% to less than 1% of the body surface. The median time from CT to first visible new lesion was 4.8 months, to first bothersome relapse 6.1 months and to full blown relapse 8.0 months. Patient satisfaction with conventional therapeutic modalities, especially oral methotrexate, was reserved, and CT was generally preferred. Relapse after CT was an inclusion criterion, and patients with long‐lasting healing were not assessed. CT for 4 week treatment course of moderate to severe psoriasis at the Dead Sea which was studied in patients with relapsing disease was highly efficient for induction for clearing of the skin, matching new biologicals. In the studied group, return to prestate level took median 8 months on average. Patients' satisfaction with CT scored high, and maintenance through repeated Dead Sea treatments often is best treatment of this segment having intolerance or poor effect of other treatments, or fear of medicines as a personal attitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tattooing has been part of the human culture for thousands of years, yet only in the past decades has it entered the mainstream of the society. With the rise in popularity, tattoos also gained attention among researchers, with the aim to better understand the health risks posed by their application. 'A medical‐toxicological view of tattooing'—a work published in The Lancet almost a decade ago, resulted from the international collaboration of various experts in the field. Since then, much understanding has been achieved regarding adverse effects, treatment of complications, as well as their regulation for improving public health. Yet major knowledge gaps remain. This review article results from the Second International Conference on Tattoo Safety hosted by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and provides a glimpse from the medical‐toxicological perspective, regulatory strategies and advances in the analysis of tattoo inks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Grenz ray therapy popular in dermatology decades ago causes multiple and recalcitrant skin cancer in the treated field many years later. The treatment of choice is surgical excision, but limitations especially disfiguring scarring are a major challenge. We introduce 20 MHz high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) as a new therapy overcoming the limitations of excisional surgery. Case Presentation: A 66-year-old female, who in the 1980s had received several grenz ray treatments of the scalp, developed multiple basal cell carcinomas in the field. She had over 30 excisional surgeries including Mohs surgery in the past with many local complications but, nevertheless, recurrent cancers. HIFU treatments applied to eight basal cell carcinomas and two precancerous lesions resulted in complete clearing at 12-month control, but one recurrence after 15 months. Conclusion: The HIFU treatment is convenient, with very few complications, and applicable to field eradication of skin premalignancies and malignancies. HIFU may fill out a hitherto unmet need of both preventive and curative treatment with better long-term control of patients with recalcitrant skin cancer after grenz ray given in the past. HIFU is a new potentially important therapeutic modality in skin oncology, combining curative treatment, field eradication, and prevention in one procedure through treatment of lesions in different states of progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Europe, Australia, and the USA, the estimated overall prevalence of tattooing is around 10–20%. Tattoo ink often comprises harmful chemicals and epidemiological studies on adverse effects of tattoos are lacking. Objectives: We aimed to estimate the prevalence of tattoo-associated skin reactions in the general Danish population and describe individuals with tattoo-associated skin reactions by socio-demographic factors and tattoo characteristics. Methods: The study was based on respondents aged 16 years or older from a population-based 2021 survey entitled "How are you?" conducted in the Central Denmark Region (n = 33,925). Logistic regression was used to characterise individuals with tattoo-associated skin reactions by socio-demographic factors (gender, age, educational level, and ethnic background). Also, the relationship between size, age and colour of the tattoo, and tattoo-associated skin reactions was studied. Model 1 was adjusted for all socio-demographic variables (gender, age, educational level, and ethnic background); model 2, for all socio-demographic variables and tattoo characteristics (size, age, and colour). Results: In total, 21.1% reported that they had at least one tattoo, 10.2% hereof reported that they had experienced tattoo-associated skin reactions (itching, pain, inflammation, and swelling) beyond the first 3 weeks after the tattoo was made. Lower age (16–44 years) (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) ≥1.75), larger tattoos (AOR ≥1.61) and having had tattoos for more than 10 years (AOR = 2.92, 95% confidence interval 1.45–5.88) increased the odds of tattoo-associated skin reactions. In general, tattooed individuals with colours other than black had higher odds of tattoo-associated skin reactions. Conclusion: Among participants with at least one tattoo, 10.2% had experienced tattoo-associated skin reactions beyond the first 3 weeks after their tattoo was made. This finding highlights the need for safer tattoo inks to prevent the adverse health problems experienced by many individuals with tattoos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]