Hair Removal Research Articles

Deep learning-based hair removal for improved diagnostics of skin diseases

Deep learning-based hair removal for improved diagnostics of skin diseases

42852 Short and Long-term Effects of Pseudofolliculitis Barbae Treatment with Laser Hair Removal at a Military Treatment Facility

42852 Short and Long-term Effects of Pseudofolliculitis Barbae Treatment with Laser Hair Removal at a Military Treatment Facility

Preventing surgical site infection using operating room bundle of care in patients undergoing elective exploratory laparotomy cholecystectomy surgery

Abstract Objective Surgical procedures manifest immense risks to patients. One of the adverse events that healthcare professionals see as a threat to the patient’s health is the development of complications known as surgical site infection (SSI). Although several efforts are being undertaken to determine the proper means to reduce such complications, there is still a high incidence of SSI worldwide. Surgery requires knowledge in infection control and high precision in maintaining a clean surgical site. This study tested the effectiveness of an operating room (OR) bundle of care in preventing SSI in patients undergoing elective exploratory laparotomy cholecystectomy surgery. Methods A quasi-experimental pretest and posttest design was utilized to determine its effectiveness. The study was composed of 60 participants divided into two groups: 30 subjects were selected to receive the OR bundle of care, while the other 30 subjects received the usual care. The groupings were determined through a systematic random sampling technique. The OR bundle of care had three interventions, namely: (1) maintaining perioperative normothermia, (2) no pre-operative surgical site hair removal, and (3) changing gloves before abdominal wall closure. These patients were evaluated using the standard instrument, Bates–Jensen Wound Assessment Tool (BWAT) in the post-intervention phases of the wound healing process, which are as follows: hemostasis, inflammatory, and proliferative phases. To describe the difference in the patients’ wound status after implementation of the OR bundle of care in each post-intervention phase, Friedman’s test was used. To describe the difference in the patients’ wound status in both groups after implementation of the OR bundle of care, the Mann–Whitney U test was used. Results The patient’s wound status was lower, indicating a more healing process. Differences between the wound status of the control and the experimental group were observed on the third postoperative day. This indicates that the experimental group’s wound status healed much faster and more effectively than the control group based on the BWAT scoring severity scoring. A significant difference in the patient’s wound status from the hemostasis phase compared with the proliferative phase was observed. Conclusions The OR bundle of care has been shown to be effective in preventing SSI in patients who had undergone exploratory laparotomy cholecystectomy surgery in the selected hospital, if there is uniform and consistent implementation of the said intervention.

40561 Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy Among Transgender And Gender Diverse Patients Receiving Laser Hair Removal Prior To Gender-Affirming Surgery

40561 Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy Among Transgender And Gender Diverse Patients Receiving Laser Hair Removal Prior To Gender-Affirming Surgery

Clinical and Dermoscopic Findings of Nevi after Photoepilation: A Review.

Atypical clinical and dermoscopic findings, or changes in pigmented melanocytic lesions located on body areas treated with lasers or intense pulsed light (IPL) for hair removal (photoepilation), have been described in the literature. There are three prospective studies in a total of 79 individuals with 287 melanocytic nevi and several case reports reporting the dermoscopic findings and changes after photoepilation. Clinical changes have been reported in 20-100% of individuals, while dermoscopic changes have been observed in 48% to 93% of nevi. More frequent dermoscopic changes included bleaching, the development of pigmented globules, and irregular hyperpigmented areas and regression structures, including gray areas, gray dots/globules, and whitish structureless areas. The diagnostic approach for pigmented lesions with atypical dermoscopic findings and changes after photo-epilation included reflectance confocal microscopy, sequential digital dermoscopy follow-up, and/or excision and histopathology. Challenges pertaining to these diagnostic steps in the context of photoepilation include the detection of findings that may warrant a biopsy to exclude melanoma (ugly duckling, irregular hyperpigmented areas, blue-gray or white areas, and loss of pigment network), the potential persistence of changes at follow-up, and that a histopathologic diagnosis may not be possible due to the distortion of melanocytes or complete regression of the lesion. Furthermore, these diagnostic approaches can be time-consuming, require familiarization of the physician with dermoscopic features, may cause anxiety to the individual, and highlight that avoiding passes of the laser or IPL devices over pigmented lesions is key.

Trunk hair removal treatment with diode laser 810 nm in men population.

In the last years, hair removal has been one of the most common treatments performed for aesthetic purposes, especially in women. Nevertheless, even if it is less popular, the demand within men population has risen. The study aimed to assess the acceptability of the diode 810 nm treatment for hair removal on the back and chest area in men thanks to the speed of treatment and the absence of undesirable effects. For this study, 20 patients were treated for hair removal. They were men with a mean age of 30.5 (±7.3). They underwent 4 treatment sessions at 40-day intervals on the trunk (chest and back area). Patients ranged between a Fitzpatrick phototype I (20%, 4/20) to IV (15%, 3/20) (40% were type II and 25% type III). Moreover, patients were asked to report pain intensity sensation with a visual analogue scale. Overall, in the study population, a hair reduction of 80.6% (±2.8) was registered in the treated areas. The device described in this study was demonstrated to be highly efficient in extended body areas and on difficult-to-treat hair follicles like on the back and chest in the men population.

Screening of lipids for long-term brain irradiation effect based on non-targeted lipidomics

Irradiation and weightlessness are the main causes of neurological damage in astronauts on long-duration manned flights. Ionizing radiation induces the proliferation of microglia and astrocytes and the production of pro-inflammatory and chemokines, leading to neuroinflammatory responses. Peripheral blood sampling is convenient and serum lipidomic analysis allows the characterisation of the lipid profile of biological fluids in serum after whole brain irradiation (WBI) and the assessment of the long-term effects of radiation-induced brain damage. Therefore, a systematic study of neurological damage after whole brain irradiation using a lipidomic approach can help to elucidate the dose- and time-dependent nature of radiation damage and the associated molecular mechanisms of damage, and provide a corresponding theoretical basis for the selection of targets for space radiation bio-protection. In this study the dose dependence of WBI injury was evaluated by monitoring different factors as, hair removal, body weight, and organ index. Data collected after one month after the WBI upon 10 Gy, 10 Gy × 3, and 30 Gy. Non-targeted lipidomics was used to analyze the differential lipids in serum, one-month after the WBIinduced by different radiation doses. The results indicated that the degree of injury in the 10 Gy × 3 group was between 10 Gy, and 30 Gy groups. The proliferation of microglia (Iba-1+), and astrocytes (GFAP+) in different brain regions (prefrontal cortex, striatum, hippocampus, midbrain, and cerebellum) was also analyzed. When parameters are used in combination that prominently effect long-term inflammatory damage to the hippocampus. Our study showed significant difference in the expression of triacylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine lipids in the serum of rats one month after WBI. A total of 191 differential lipids were found common in the 10 Gy, 10 Gy × 3, and 30 Gy groups relative to the non-irradiated group. The lipids belonging to the subclasses, sphingomyelin, monoacylglycerol, lysophosphatidylethanolamine, ceramide nonhydroxyfatty acidsphingosines, and anacardic acid (Acar) were down-regulated. Lipids that belonged to sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, monogalaktos diacylglycerol, lysodiacylglyceryltrimethyl homoserines, and cholesterol ester were up-regulated according to our study. Among these lipids, ω-6 20:4 fatty acids, lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs), and triglycerides (TAGs) showed a promoting effect on inflammation; however, others such as ceramide (Cer), sphingomyelin (SM) showed an inhibitory effect on inflammation. Overall, our study shows a comprehensive long-term inflammatory response after WBI.

Awareness and knowledge of laser hair removal: a cross sectional study from tertiary care dermatology clinics in Oman.

Laser hair removal (LHR), including the use of home-based devices, is becoming very popular in Oman. Despite this, some people still have many misconceptions about this procedure, especially of its long-term complications. This study aimed to assess the awareness and knowledge of LHR among dermatology clinic attendees in Muscat, Oman. A cross sectional survey study was conducted at Al Seeb and Bowshar polyclinics in Muscat, Oman, to attendees between the ages of 18 and 70 years. The Chi-square test was used to assess the association between different categorical variables. Results were considered to be statistically significant if P < 0.05. Of the 500 questionnaires which were distributed, 403 were completed (response rate = 80.6%). The mean (± standard deviation [SD]) age of participants was 32.9 (8.5) years old. In this study, 45.7% (184/403) of participants had used LHR, and of those, 88.6% (163/184) were satisfied with the results. The knowledge percentage among individuals was higher among those who used LHR compared to those who did not use LHR (46% vs. 27%, respectively; P < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences in LHR knowledge percentages based on employment status or monthly income. Female participants and subjects with an educational level of a college degree or above had superior knowledge regarding the safety of LHR use during pregnancy (P < 0.05). This study noted a lack of knowledge, with various misconceptions, about LHR among patients attending dermatology clinics in Oman, especially in individuals who had not used LHR before.

187 Improving adherence to anaesthetic room preoperative shaving: A surgical site infection quality improvement project

Abstract Introduction The correlation between hair removal and surgical site infection (SSI) remains debated but the limited guidance suggests when hair removal is necessary it should take place in the anaesthetic room. Our local policy is for preoperative hair removal to be performed in the anaesthetic room. We completed a quality improvement project after auditing our practice. Methods Location of preoperative shaving in emergency and trauma theatres were recorded for 7 days. Results were presented to surgical leadership teams and SSI steering groups, and information was disseminated to surgical and anaesthetic teams. Posters specifying the appropriate location of hair removal were created. Results were re-audited after six weeks. Results Pre-intervention, 15 cases required preoperative hair removal. This included 9 general surgery cases, 2 urology, 1 gynaecology and 4 trauma and orthopaedics. Overall, 6/15 (40%) cases were shaved in the anaesthetic room. The rates of hair shaving in the anaesthetic room were 2/9 (22%) general surgery, 1/2 (50%) urology, 1/1 (100%) gynaecology, and 2/4 (50%) trauma. Post-intervention, 9/12 (75%) cases were shaved in the anaesthetic room. This included 7/9 (78%) general surgery, 1/2 (50%) urology, 0/0 gynaecology and 1/1 (100%) trauma and orthopaedics. Conclusion The rate of appropriate preoperative hair shaving in the anaesthetic room increased as a result of initial audit and intervention. Notable change was observed in general surgery in emergency theatres. Future studies should record the rate of surgical site infection, to determine the overall effect this can have on patients and should extend the assessment to elective theatre.

SP9.8 An Audit of Intraoperative Hypothermia Rates in Adults Undergoing Emergency Surgery in a Tertiary General Surgical Unit and Evaluation of the Efficacy of Preoperative and Intraoperative Forced-Air Warming on Achieving Intraoperative Normothermia

Abstract Aims Surgical site infections (SSIs) inflict significant economic burden on the NHS. Preoperative and intraoperative hypothermia are risk factors for SSIs. Evidence shows that maintenance of intraoperative normothermia significantly reduces SSI rates. Perioperative SSI bundles addressing factors including hair removal, antibiotic prophylaxis, skin preparation, drape positioning, and hypothermia are critical to improving SSI rates. We aim to audit rates of intraoperative hypothermia in our surgical caseload and evaluate the efficacy of preoperative and intraoperative forced-air warming through bespoke gowns in achieving intraoperative normothermia. Methods We conducted a retrospective audit of the intraoperative core temperatures of all adult patients undergoing surgical procedures on the emergency theatre list of a general surgery department and who had a temperature at knife-to-skin recorded (n=88). We then ran a prospective trial, outfitting patients listed for surgery (n=15) with forced-air warming gowns. Patients underwent forced-air warming with the gowns for 45 minutes on the surgical ward, throughout anaesthetic induction, and intraoperatively. Patient core temperature was measured at baseline, upon arrival at the anaesthetic room, and at knife-to-skin. Results Baseline audit data showed over 18% of patients were hypothermic at knife-to-skin. Contrastingly, 100% of patients wearing forced-air warming gowns were normothermic at knife-to-skin. The mean core temperature at knife-to-skin was significantly higher in patients wearing warming gowns (p=0.012). Conclusions Forced-air warming gowns are superior to traditional hospital gowns, blankets and surgical access forced-air warming devices in achieving intraoperative normothermia. They are an effective, sustainable, and cost-neutral, ‘all-in-one’ alternative to current perioperative protocol and will reduce SSI rates.

Treatment of androgenetic alopecia by exosomes secreted from hair papilla cells and the intervention effect of LTF.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common cause of chronic progressive hair loss in men, and AGA has a severe negative impact on the quality of life and physical and mental health of patients. Four female C57BL/6 mice were isolated from DP cells in culture (≤4 generations) after stimulation of DPC proliferation by herbal concentrations obtained by the CCK-8 method, and exosomes were isolated by differential centrifugation at low temperature. Testosterone propionate and topical hair removal treatments were used together to establish the C57BL/6 mouse AGA model, which was treated with LTF, 5% minoxidil, and LTF-DPC-EXO, respectively. ELISA was used to detect serum hormone levels, in vivo tracing was used to observe dynamic changes in exosomes, H&E staining showed changes in mouse hair follicle tissue, and (q) RT-PCR and WB were used to detect dorsal skin VEGF, AKT1, and CASP3 expression in dorsal skin tissues. Hair regeneration was significant in the LTF group, minoxidil group, and LTF-DPC-EXO group mice, and the hair growth was only seen in the local skin in the model group. The hormone T in all treatment groups was lower than that in the model group, and e2 was higher than that in the model group. (q) RT-PCR and western blot showed that VEGF and AKT1 expressions were upregulated and Caspase3 expression was downregulated in the skin sections of mice in the treatment groups. DPC-EXO obtained through LTF may activate AKT1 and VEGF in the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to inhibit CASP3, thereby protecting DPC to restore the hair growth.

CLINICO-TRICHOSCOPIC EVALUATION OF HIRSUTISM TREATED WITH INTENSE PULSED LIGHT IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN EASTERN INDIA

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of Intense Pulsed Light in treating hirsutism after three sittings, as evaluated through clinical and trichoscopic assessments, in patients attending a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India. Methods: This was a Descriptive Longitudinal study conducted at the Dermatology Outpatient Department (OPD), Government Medical College, Kolkata, from March 2019 to February 2020. The study included 40 cases of Dermatology OPD attendees who complained of hirsutism. Trichoscopy was used to evaluate treatment response. Data were analyzed using Medcalc. Results: Seventy percent had functional while 30% had organic hirsutism; 65% patients had PCOD and 27.5% had idiopathic hirsutism. All the patients had significant improvement with intense pulsed light with regard to terminal-vellus hair ratio and Terminal hair density observed with trichoscopy irrespective of their medical treatment. The mean modified visual analog score was 6.75±1.1209. According to the modified visual analog score, 57.5% had good reduction while the rest had a moderate reduction. Conclusions: The majority had functional hirsutism. Polycystic ovarian disease and idiopathic hirsutism are the most common causes of hirsutism. Intense pulsed light is an effective and safe method of hair removal, regardless of medical treatment, and trichoscopy can be used to evaluate treatment response.

Changes in melanocytic nevi treated with laser hair removal: A systematic review.

Incidental treatment of melanocytic nevi during laser hair removal (LHR) has been noted to cause clinical and dermoscopic changes that may appear similar to findings seen in atypical or neoplastic melanocytic lesions. The rate and characteristics of these changes has not been well-studied. The objective of this review article is to assess the literature for reported changes in melanocytic nevi following LHR to guide clinical practice. PubMed was searched December 5, 2022 for articles evaluating changes in melanocytic nevi after LHR treatment using the following search terms: "nevi laser hair removal," "nevi diode," "nevi long pulse alexandrite," "nevi long pulse neodymium doped yttrium aluminum garnet," and "melanoma laser hair removal." All English language patient-based reports discussing incidental treatment of melanocytic nevi while undergoing LHR with a laser were eligible for inclusion, while reports of changes following hair removal with non-laser devices such as intense pulsed light were excluded. Studies evaluating non-melanocytic nevi such as Becker's nevus or nevus of Ota were excluded as were those evaluating the intentional ablation or removal of melanocytic lesions. Ten relevant studies were included, consisting of seven case reports or series and three observational trials, two of which were prospective and one retrospective. Among the seven case reports or series there were a total of 11 patients, six of which had multiple affected nevi. Clinical and dermoscopic changes to nevi following LHR appear to be common in clinical practice, though not well studied. Clinical and dermoscopic changes have been noted to present as early as 15 days after treatment and persist to the maximum time of follow up at 3 years. Commonly reported changes include regression, decreased size, laser induced asymmetry, bleaching, darkening, and altered pattern on dermoscopy. Histologic changes include mild atypia, thermal damage, scar formation, and regression. Although some of the clinical and dermoscopic alterations may be concerning for malignancy, to our knowledge, there are no documented cases of malignant transformation of nevi following treatment with LHR. This study is limited by the low number of relevant reports and their generally small sample size, many of which is limited to single cases. Additionally, comparison of available data was limited by variable reporting of treatment regimens and outcomes. Changes to nevi treated during LHR are not uncommon. Modifications to nevi may occur and look similar to changes seen in dysplastic or neoplastic melanocytic lesions. Notably, despite the widespread use of LHR since the first device was Food and Drug Administration approved in 1995, a time span of nearly three decades, there have been no reported cases of melanoma or severe dysplastic changes within treated nevi. However, dermatologists should be aware that morphologic and dermoscopic alterations can occur after LHR to prevent unnecessary surgical procedures. Although melanoma has not been reported to occur in nevi treated with LHR nor with any other laser exposures, further long-term data is needed to fully elucidate this concern. Optimally, nevi should be examined by a dermatologist before LHR to determine a baseline clinical and dermoscopic morphology. If there is concern for potential atypia, laser should be avoided over such nevi to avoid confusion at future follow up visits.

Finite Element Method (FEM) Modeling of Laser-Tissue Interaction during Hair Removal

In this study, a comprehensive and realistic model of laser light interaction with skin and hair was constructed. The model was applied to study the characteristics of laser-tissue interaction for the deeply penetrating Nd:YAG laser. Three types of finite element method (FEM) models were developed. In the first model, the hair shaft grew straight out of the follicle; in the second model, it grew at a variable angle; and in the third model, an array of hair was considered. The transport equation and heat diffusion equation were solved with the mesh-based Monte Carlo method and partial differential equations, respectively. The results of the simulations indicated that the area of necrosis increased with increasing fluence; cooling had a limited effect on the extent of necrosis, particularly at a fluence of 80 J/cm2. The thermal damage to hair follicles on the periphery of an irradiated array of hair may be insufficient for achieving necrosis. The pulse itself and the short cooling-down period after the pulse contributed the most to the final thermal damage to the hair follicle. The FEM modeling of laser-tissue interaction has proven to be a useful tool for studying the influence of different therapeutic parameters on the resulting hair and skin damage.

PEGylated Polymeric Nanoparticles Loaded with 2-Methoxyestradiol for the Treatment of Uterine Leiomyoma in a Patient-Derived Xenograft Mouse Model

Leiomyomas, the most common benign neoplasms of the female reproductive tract, currently have limited medical treatment options. Drugs targeting estrogen/progesterone signaling are used, but side effects and limited efficacy in many cases are major limitation of their clinical use. Previous studies from our laboratory and others demonstrated that 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME) is promising treatment for uterine fibroids. However, its poor bioavailability and rapid degradation hinder its development for clinical use. The objective of this study is to evaluate the in vivo effect of biodegradable and biocompatible 2-ME-loaded polymeric nanoparticles in a patient-derived leiomyoma xenograft mouse model. PEGylated poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PEG-PLGA) nanoparticles loaded with 2-ME were prepared by nanoprecipitation. Female 6-week age immunodeficient NOG (NOD/Shi-scid/IL-2Rγnull) mice were used. Estrogen-progesterone pellets were implanted subcutaneously. Five days later, patient-derived human fibroid tumors were xenografted bilaterally subcutaneously. Engrafted mice were treated with 2-ME-loaded or blank (control) PEGylated nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were injected intraperitoneally and after 28 days of treatment, tumor volume was measured by caliper following hair removal, and tumors were removed and weighed. Up to 99.1% encapsulation efficiency was achieved, and the in vitro release profile showed minimal burst release, thus confirming the high encapsulation efficiency. In vivo administration of the 2-ME-loaded nanoparticles led to 51% growth inhibition of xenografted tumors compared to controls (P < 0.01). Thus, 2-ME-loaded nanoparticles may represent a novel approach for the treatment of uterine fibroids.

The effect of long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser-assisted hair removal on some skin flora and pathogens: An in vivo study.

Background The effect of NDYag on normal skin flora and pathogenic microbes has not been studied. Objectives Evaluation of immediate (before versus after each session) and delayed (pre-first session versus pre-fourth session) antimicrobial effect of Nd:YAG laser-assisted hair removal. Methods Thirty females scheduled for axillary Nd:YAG laser hair removal were included. Skin swabs were collected from the vault of the dominant axilla before and after each of the four sessions. Bacteriological cultures were performed to record the counts of total aerobes, total anaerobes, lipophilic bacteria, total staphylococci, Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis), S. saprophyticus, S. hominis, and S. aureus. Reported changes in sweat odour and folliculitis (if present) were recorded. Results S.hominis was the predominant species in all subjects before and after all sessions. Counts of total aerobes, total anaerobes, lipophilic bacteria, total staphylococci, and S.hominis significantly decreased after all 4 sessions. A significant reduction was noted in the median colony counts before the fourth session as compared to the baseline count before the first session in total aerobes (278.9 versus 126.3 × 105 CFU/cm2, p = 0.003), total anaerobes (338.7 versus 103.7 × 105 CFU/cm2, p = 0.002) and total staphylococci (248.5 versus 105.0 × 105 CFU/cm2, p = 0.004). Most subjects reported worsened or unchanged axillary sweat odour. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between sweat odour and the counts of total aerobes (r = 0.433, p = 0.017), total anaerobes (r = 0.377, p = 0.040), total staphylococci (r = 0.383, p = 0.036) and S.hominis (r = 0.497, p = 0.005) ; lower counts were associated with a worsened odour. Limitations Small sample size; few laser sessions; short follow-up; subjective assessment of sweat odor and quantity. Conclusions Laser caused an immediate and delayed reduction in axillary aerobes, anaerobes, lipophilic bacteria, and staphylococci. This form of dysbiosis might lead to sweat odour changes.

Hierarchical agglomerative clustering-based skin lesion detection with region based neural networks classification

The skin cancer disease is widely spreading in the world due to abnormal increment of radiation. The segmentation of images is a crucial yet challenging aspect of the image processing process. It has emerged as a central focus in the study of image comprehension in recent years. Skin cancer is one of the critical diseases, which caused millions of deaths over the globe. The computer aided detection (CAD) of skin cancer can save the human lives. Further, the CAD models are resulted in poor segmentation and classification performance due to basic image processing, and machine learning models. Therefore, this work focused on development of skin lesion detection and classification (SLDC) using deep learning models. Initially, Guided image filtering (GIF) based preprocessing method, which performs noise removal, skin lesion enhancements, and basic hair removal operations. Then, skin lesion disease effected region is identified by using hierarchical agglomerative clustering (HAC). Then, multi-level features are extracted from segmented images. Finally, the region based neural network with long short term memory (RNN-LSTM) are used to perform the benign and malignant classes classification using trained features. The simulations conducted on International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI) dataset shows that, the proposed RNN-SLDC system resulted in superior subjective and objective performance as compared to other approaches. The proposed method achieved 99.71% of segmentation accuracy, and 99.46% of classification accuracy.

Factors Associated with Bacterial Vaginosis in Women of Reproductive Age

The BV is the most prevalent alteration of the vaginal microbiota and constitutes an important public health problem, the prevalence varies by age, ethnicity, socioeconomic factors, and geographic region and the risk factors associated with this condition, are included the number of sexual partners, the use of the intrauterine device, use of vaginal douche, hygiene habits and sexual practices/behaviors. To determine the prevalence and factors associated with bacterial vaginosis in women of reproductive age. Cross-sectional study was developed in Botucatu, Brazil, including 315 women. Data were obtained by applying a questionnaire and gynecological examination, with sample collection for analysis of the vaginal microbiota pattern, according to the Nugent scoring system. The association between independent variables and outcome was performed using a regression model. The variables that most influenced the outcome (p&lt;0.20) were taken to the multiple logistic regression model and those independently associated with the outcome (p&lt;0.05) were identified. The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis was 32% (101/315) and the associated variables were: not living with a partner [1.13(1.02-1.25), p=0.021], use of vaginal douche [1.42(1.22-1.64), p=0.000] and genital hair removal [1.19(1.01-1.42), p=0.042]. Results point to the importance of screening for this vaginal dysbiosis in routine gynecological care and suggest the importance of health professionals conducting guidance on proper intimate hygiene practices for women.

Laser and light therapy for pediatric hair removal: a systematic review.

Hair removal with lasers and intense pulsed light (IPL) is considered safe. However, data on the efficacy and safety of these procedures specifically in the pediatric population remain sparse. To determine the efficacy and safety of lasers and IPL for hair reduction in children and adolescents, a systematic review was conducted of original studies evaluating hair removal with lasers or IPL in patients aged less than 18 years. Primary outcome measures were efficacy and safety of treatment. The literature review yielded 2 retrospective cohort studies and 11 case reports/case series including a total of 71 patients aged 9 months to 17 years. Diagnoses ranged from localized lumbosacral to generalized hypertrichosis. Six treatment modalities were evaluated: alexandrite, Nd:YAG, Q-switched Nd:YAG, ruby, and diode lasers and IPL. Only one of the cohort studies (n = 28), using the ruby laser, provided efficacy data. The results showed a 63% hair loss in 89% of patients after completion of treatment, although partial regrowth was evident during 6 to 32 weeks of follow-up. Most of the case reports and case series (10/11) reported significant hair reduction following laser and IPL treatments. None of the patients experienced scarring or dyspigmentation. Some kind of pain management was necessary in 65% of patients; 25% required general anesthesia. On the basis of the limited available data which consisted primary of case reports and case series, lasers and IPL might be effective for pediatric hair reduction. Recurrence following treatment may be higher in children than adults, and pain control may be a limiting factor.

An automated hybrid attention based deep convolutional capsule with weighted autoencoder approach for skin cancer classification

ABSTRACT Skin cancer is a serious cancer caused by the uncontrollable growth of damaged DNA that leads to death. It is essential to identify the disease at the initial stage and eliminate it from spreading. Hence, this research introduces an automated hybrid deep learning (DL) technique for improving the accuracy of cancer diagnostic systems. In the pre-processing, histogram stretching, colour constancy, hair removal and noise elimination process are undertaken. Then, the Adaptive fuzzy c-means clustering (AFC) is introduced for segmenting the tumour portion. Then, the feature extraction and classification stage is performed using an attention-based deep convolutional capsule weighted auto-encoder classifier network (A-DCCN-WAE) technique. For experimentation, the dataset is collected from International Skin Imaging Collaboration (ISIC) 2019 dataset and is implemented in the PYTHON platform. The proposed method obtains an accuracy of 97%, Precision of 95.6%, F-measure of 97.2%, Mathew's correlation coefficient (MCC) of 90.6% and specificity of 96.9%.