Category Archives: American Academy of Dermatology

2024 AAD Annual Meeting

I have covered most of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) meetings since starting this site in 2013. I had to delay writing about this latest 2024 edition by several days due to other more exciting developments in the world of hair.

Update: March 22 — William Shatner discussed his stage 4 melanoma diagnosis at AAD2024. Also, a happy 93rd birthday today to the hair regrowth and Star Trek legend.

AAD Annual Meeting in San Diego from March 8-12, 2024

American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) 2024 Meeting.
American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) 2024 Meeting.

When I looked through the various speaker sessions at #AAD2024, the first thing to strike me was that 92-year old legendary actor William Shatner is the keynote speaker. He will talk on March 10. How extraordinary, especially since the nonagenarian has had a lot of work done on his hair for decades. In 2022, he was even pictured outside his favorite hair transplant clinic in Los Angeles. I added his picture in the above plenary session screenshot.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) was founded in 1938 and currently counts virtually all practicing dermatologists in the United States as members. The vast field of dermatology encompasses diseases and conditions of the hair (body and scalp), nails, scalp and skin.

This year’s 2024 AAD annual meeting will be hosted in San Diego and runs from March 8-12. I will try top update this post when I see new updates of interest.

AAD Twitter page.

AAD Instagram page.

  • Earlier today, Pelage Pharmaceuticals gave a positive update on its novel small molecule PP405. Summary here. In Phase 1 clinical trials, PP405 reactivated dormant hair follicle stem cells and triggered hair growth. The company’s presentation was made by Dr. Christina Weng and titled: “Inhibition of pyruvate oxidation activates human hair follicle stem cells ex vivo”. Pelage will begin its multi-center Phase 2a trial of PP405 in mid-2024, when it will recruit both men and women with androgenetic alopecia.
  • Dr. Ken Washenik will present on the emerging potential of topical androgen modulators in androgenetic alopecia. I presume this will be about at least several of the ones that I mentioned in this Tweet from November 2022.

2022 AAD Annual Meeting

— Yet another interesting conference will take place in Monaco from March 31-April 2 (h/t “Ben” yet again). It is the 20th edition of the Aesthetic & Anti-Aging Medicine World Congress.

Among the highlights (see full abstract here) will include:

  • An update from HairClone’s Dr. Paul Kemp.
  • Several presentations on exosomes for hair growth.
  • Several new reports of PRP reducing hair loss.
  • An interesting report form Dr. Pietro Gentile where he analyzes the benefits of hair follicle mesenchymal stem cell (HF-MSC) injections.
  • An update on ARTAS robotic hair transplants.

AAD 2022: Key Hair Loss Related Updates

Update from AAD2022.

— Baricitinib JAK inhibitor leads to significant hair regrowth in Alopecia Areata patients. Dr. Brett King video. Amazing before and after photos, but we have seen similar results from other JAK inhibitors in the past.

Baricitinib Hair Growth
Baricitinib Hair Growth in Alopecia Areata Patients. Before and After. Source: Dr. Brett King et al in the New England Journal of Medicine.

— At AAD2022, Alma launched an ultrasound based laser system called Alma TED™. It benefits hair growth via improving blood flow. Also see my recent post on sound therapy for hair growth. Some before and after photos here.

Update from the 2022 Oscars, where a hair loss issue leads to violence.


Introduction

American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Logo

The 2022 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting will run from March 25, 2022-March 29, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. After being cancelled in 2020, this time it is an in-person event.

The AAD was founded in 1938 and currently counts most practicing dermatologists in the United States as members. In the past, I wrote about the 2016 AAD annual meeting and the 2018 AAD annual meeting. I also covered the lesser known Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID) conferences several times.

Make sure to follow on Twitter the AADmember account and the AADskin account for more information. #AAD2022.

2022 AAD Meeting Hair Loss Sessions

Unlike conferences focused solely on hair loss (e.g., WCHR, ISHRS, EHRS and AHRS), the AAD meetings include a wide range of dermatological conditions. Skin issues are of foremost importance.

Nevertheless, hair related sessions and posters (18 pages) are still numerous. The AAD hair loss sessions tend to focus more on existing treatments and recent developments and improvements in technology. You do not see much on long-term future developments.

Among the interesting presentations this time around include:

Disclosures and Corporate Affiliations

What I always find interesting in these conferences is the company affiliation disclosures. In some cases, hair loss product vendors provide fees to the presenters. In other cases, research funding and grants. And in other case, I assume just advisory support. Some of the “type of relationship” acronyms in the disclosure statements are not defined.

  • It is great to see Cassiopea so active. I still have hopes that Breezula will be at least as good as Minoxidil, while targeting an entirely different pathway.
  • Other hair loss companies that I have covered that are also mentioned as sponsors/funders/affiliates include AbbVie; Allergan; Almirall; Applied Biology; Follica and L’Oréal.
  • I find it interesting that low-level laser device manufacturers such as Capillus, HairMax LaserComb and Theradome are associated with so many of the researchers.
  • A number of smaller companies that I have discussed on this blog seem to be involved with a number of researchers. The most surprising of these is DS Laboratories.
  • The disclosure list of some of the scientists presenting is unbelievably lengthy. It is worth checking out Dr. Neil Saddick and Dr. Adelaide Hebert. Surprisingly, Dr. Ken Washenik only shows two companies (Cassiopea and Follica) in his disclosure list.