Good morning, and welcome to the Women in Dermatology newsletter from Chronicle Companies. We’re pleased to have you join us. Let’s get you updated on new findings regarding dermatologic issues that affect women — and the female dermatologists who care for them. We welcome your feedback and suggestions. Please let us know if you have any comments or observations. You can email them to us at health@chronicle.org. This biweekly bulletin is presented with the support of our friends at Galderma Canada.
A study in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety (May 2026; 316:120104) evaluated the association between prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter components and the risk of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children. The researchers determined that exposure to fine particulate matter components during early pregnancy, particularly the first trimester, was associated with a higher risk of AD in children. They also found that increased maternal inflammation was associated with increased AD risk in offspring.
The authors analyzed data from two prospective birth cohorts in Chongqing, China, and included 4,048 mother-child pairs in the final study. They estimated maternal exposure to particulate matter components during each trimester of pregnancy using residential address data and air pollution modelling. The investigators focused on exposure to fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometres, including sulphate, nitrate, ammonium, organic matter, and black carbon. They also assessed maternal systemic inflammation during pregnancy and identified offspring AD diagnoses through parental questionnaires and medical records.
The results revealed that 38.39% of the children included in the study developed AD. The strongest associations between particulate matter exposure and AD risk occurred during the first trimester. Exposure to black carbon was associated with increased AD risk during the second trimester, while exposure to sulphate showed the strongest association overall. No significant associations were identified during the third trimester.
The researchers also found that higher maternal neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and systemic immune-inflammation levels during the first trimester were associated with increased AD risk in children. Furthermore, exposure to particulate matter components during early pregnancy was associated with higher maternal inflammatory marker levels. Ammonium exposure showed the strongest association with increased inflammation markers, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and systemic immune-inflammation. These associations were mostly observed during the first trimester. Second and third-trimester exposures were not associated with systemic inflammation.
The study also found that mothers with higher particulate matter exposure and higher inflammation marker levels had a greater risk of having children with AD. The authors suggested that maternal low-grade inflammation partially explained the relationship between particulate matter exposure and childhood AD. The authors suggested that reducing exposure to specific particulate matter components and monitoring maternal inflammatory status could help lower the risk of AD in children.
The Takeaway: The study found that higher first-trimester particulate matter exposure and higher maternal inflammation levels were associated with increased AD risk in children. Among all particulates, sulfate exposure had the strongest overall association with increased AD risk in children, while ammonium exposure showed the strongest association with increased maternal inflammatory markers. Reducing particulate exposure and monitoring maternal inflammation may help reduce the risk of AD in children.
A study published in the Annals of Medicine evaluated the anti-aging effects of topical 3% tranexamic acid in women with facial melasma. The researchers found that topical tranexamic acid improved early periorbital wrinkles in women with facial melasma and reduced markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and skin cell aging.
In this randomized clinical trial, 50 women with facial melasma received either a tranexamic acid serum plus a moisturizer or a moisturizer alone for eight weeks. The follow-up period lasted 12 weeks. The results showed greater improvement in periorbital wrinkle scores in the tranexamic acid group. Laboratory analyses further revealed that tranexamic acid reduced oxidative stress, inflammatory signalling, and matrix-degrading factors, while also lowering cellular aging markers and improving antioxidant activity.
A study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology examined whether maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), fetal growth, and newborn measurements were associated with atopic dermatitis (AD) development by age three. The researchers found high maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and longer birth length were associated with a higher risk of AD, while shorter birth length was associated with a lower risk.
The study included 2,383 mother-child pairs from the Preventing Atopic Dermatitis and Allergy in Children birth cohort study in Oslo, Norway. The authors evaluated maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, fetal growth, and newborn measurements, including birth weight, birth length, and thoracic and abdominal circumference. The results revealed that increases in maternal pre-pregnancy BMI were associated with a slightly higher risk of AD by age three. Birth weight, fetal growth, and thoracic and abdominal circumference measurements were not significantly associated with AD.
A study published in the InternationalJournal of Dermatology evaluated ovarian, adrenal, and 3α-androstanediol glucuronide levels in Indian women with female pattern hair loss. The researchers found these women had significantly higher 3α-androstanediol glucuronide levels than healthy controls, and that higher levels were associated with more severe disease.
The authors conducted a cross-sectional observational study involving 44 women with female pattern hair loss and 30 age-matched controls. They assessed clinical severity and measured multiple hormonal markers, including testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, and 3α-androstanediol glucuronide. The results found that 3α-androstanediol glucuronide levels were significantly higher in patients with female pattern hair loss, while other androgen levels did not differ significantly between groups.
A meta-analysis in Melanoma Research evaluated whether fertility treatments were associated with increased melanoma risk in infertile women. The researchers found a modest but statistically significant increase in melanoma risk among women who received fertility treatments compared with untreated infertile women.
The authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus. The final review included eight cohort studies reporting 11,061 melanoma cases, with follow-up periods ranging from eight to 21 years. The results showed that fertility treatments overall were associated with a modest increase in melanoma risk. However, the study did not find a significant association between increased melanoma risk and specific fertility treatments, including clomiphene, assisted reproductive technology, and gonadotropins.
Vancouver-based dermatologist Dr. Monica Li gives a presentation on cosmetic injectables in diverse populations and the importance of considering cultural differences at the Skin Spectrum Summit’s Focus on Women conference in Toronto in October 2025.
A case report in Case Reports in Obstetrics and Gynecology described a 45-year-old woman who presented with a three-year history of a progressively enlarging, painless vulvar mass on the left side. The patient did not present with bleeding, discharge, urinary dysfunction, or any systemic symptoms. The lesion was soft, mobile, well-defined, and initially appeared clinically consistent with a vulvar lipoma. Routine laboratory exams were normal. Her care team decided to perform surgery to remove the mass, and during the procedure, they found that it was non-encapsulated, with gelatinous infiltration into the surrounding paravaginal tissue, and they worried it might be deeper than initially thought. The procedure was then converted from an extraction to an exploratory laparotomy under general anesthesia, but the team found no intra-abdominal involvement. Due to the mass’s infiltrative nature and the risk of damage to surrounding tissue, the surgical team performed a maximal safe excision instead of a radical excision. Histopathology findings confirmed a diagnosis of aggressive angiomyxoma. The postoperative course was positive, and the patient did not experience recurrence at the 12-month follow-up. Due to high recurrence rates, the physicians structured a long-term follow-up plan.
“When experiencing and treating hair loss, it is important to remember that hair growth is slow and can take several months to show changes. Hair loss is often multifactorial, requiring a combination of oral and topical medications and in-office treatments to reduce shedding and thinning and promote growth and retention.”
— Dr. Michelle Green, a New York-based dermatologist in an interview with the New York Post.
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