L'Oreal's Third International Symposium on Ethnic Hair and Skin Spotlights New Treatments, Key Dermatological Issues

The third international symposium on ethnic hair and skin, a gathering of respected scientific thought leaders, will convene this September in Chicago, sponsored by the L'Oreal Institute for Ethnic Hair and Skin Research, in partnership with Howard University College of Medicine, Department of Dermatology.

The symposium, "Ethnic Hair & Skin: Advancing the Scientific Frontier," will bring together dermatologists, other physicians and scientists from academia, industry and private practice to discuss the latest ethnic-specific research.

The three day event will be held September 23 through 25, 2005, at The Fairmont Hotel, 200 N. Columbus Drive, Chicago, and will feature presentations by a number of leading researchers from around the world.

This year, the symposium breaks new ground by exploring not only new laboratory research, but also experimental clinical treatments, including use of lasers to treat hair and skin problems.

"This year's exciting research offers new hope that serious hair and skin problems can be controlled, either by using new treatments being presented or by building on the findings of researchers in the field," said Victoria Holloway Barbosa, MD, MPH, director of the L'Oreal Institute for Ethnic Hair and Skin Research.

"This symposium demonstrates how L'Oreal's commitment to science extends beyond the company, into the larger scientific community, providing a forum to discuss the very real concerns for women and men of different ethnicities.

"Disfiguring hair and skin disorders can dramatically affect how an individual copes with the world," Holloway Barbosa added. "Finding tangible solutions will do more than make people look better; it will contribute to their quality of life. The research shared during the Symposium represents a significant step toward treating these problems."

The research findings to be presented deal with a variety of dermatological issues confronting ethnic consumers, including:

-- New treatments for pseudofolliculits barbae or hair bumps.

-- New treatments for alopecia, or hair loss in women of color.

-- New research into maturational hyperpigmentation or age spots.

-- The use of new molecules in preventing melanogenesis or pigmentation
spots.

-- Strengthening African hair.

-- Use of lasers in the treatment of acne.

-- Use of lasers in the treatment of facial hair.

"This event continues to break new ground," said Dr. Rebat Halder, Chairman of the Howard University Department of Dermatology and co-chair of the symposium. "Approximately 80 percent of the world's population are people of color, deriving from places such as Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, however, most of the scientific community's understanding of the structure and function of hair and skin comes from research on Caucasian people. This symposium and the work of L'Oreal's Institute are significant in broadening the knowledge base."

The Symposium will also feature keynote addresses by two women who understand the issues facing ethnic consumers and the importance of this research: Mikki Taylor, cover and beauty editor of Essence magazine, and A'Lelia Bundles, author of the critically-acclaimed, best-selling biography about her great-great-grandmother On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker.

"The research being discussed here is critical to solving the problems affecting millions of consumers and patients worldwide," said Dr. Susan Taylor, Founding Director, Skin of Color Center at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York. "L'Oreal is helping to focus the rigorous science of skin and hair on the needs of ethnic people. This science improves our knowledge of skin and hair diseases, treatments and products. This exciting meeting lays critical groundwork for the future."