DERMATOLOGY EDUCATION

Beef tallow, topical steroid withdrawal, “toxic” sunscreen: a dermatology clinician’s guide to the skincare misinformation walking into your clinic, and how to respond without losing the patient. Every dermatology clinic in the country is now seeing it. A patient arrives having stopped their sunscreen because an influencer called it “toxic.” Another has swapped their emollient for beef tallow. A third has stopped their topical steroids entirely, convinced they are suffering “

Last reviewed: 27 Sept 2026 Acne is one of the most common skin conditions in the world. It affects around 9.4% of the global population and the large majority of teenagers, and for many people it continues well into adulthood. Because it is so common, acne is easy to underestimate. Yet it can leave permanent scars, affect confidence and mental health, and prove surprisingly difficult to treat well. This article gives an overview of the main acne treatment options and the cha

In conversation with Dr Hannah Wainman, consultant dermatologist and NIHR doctoral fellow Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is one of the most under-recognised inflammatory skin diseases in UK practice. It affects roughly one person in every 130 registered with a GP,[3] and the average patient still waits the better part of a decade for a correct diagnosis.[2][4] For the Bright Med interview series, we spoke to Dr Hannah Wainman, consultant dermatologist at Bristol Royal Infi

A practical guide to assessing atopic dermatitis For dermatology nurses, doctors and pharmacists EASI, POEM and DLQI capture different aspects of atopic dermatitis: clinical signs, patient-reported symptoms and the impact on daily life. Using them together can give a more complete account of eczema than any one score alone. This guide explains their roles in eczema severity assessment and how to interpret them during an adult review. [1–5] EASI vs POEM vs DLQI at a glance Mea

PASI is widely used to record the extent and severity of psoriasis, but it is easy to score inconsistently. Estimating the affected area, distinguishing slight from marked plaque signs and recognising erythema across different skin tones can all influence the final result. This practical guide explains how to calculate a PASI score, how to measure improvement from baseline and where the score can miss clinically important disease. The Bright Med PASI Calculator provides a gui

Better biologics haven't made eczema easy. Often it's not the treatment that's failing, it's the diagnosis. Five conditions that mimic atopic dermatitis, and how to tell them apart.