Daily Cosmetic Research Analysis
Three studies advance cosmetic and aesthetic medicine from safety to diagnostics and surgical outcomes. A biomonitoring study introduces a robust UHPLC–Q-Orbitrap HRMS workflow to reveal human exposure and metabolism of emerging cosmetic preservatives, an imaging study shows high-frequency ultrasound can localize and characterize periorbital dermal fillers and complications, and an oncoplastic surgery study suggests rotation flaps yield superior cosmetic results versus suture scaffolds in lower-
Summary
Three studies advance cosmetic and aesthetic medicine from safety to diagnostics and surgical outcomes. A biomonitoring study introduces a robust UHPLC–Q-Orbitrap HRMS workflow to reveal human exposure and metabolism of emerging cosmetic preservatives, an imaging study shows high-frequency ultrasound can localize and characterize periorbital dermal fillers and complications, and an oncoplastic surgery study suggests rotation flaps yield superior cosmetic results versus suture scaffolds in lower-quadrant breast-conserving therapy.
Research Themes
- Cosmetic chemical exposure and metabolism
- Imaging-based diagnostics in aesthetic medicine
- Oncoplastic surgical techniques and cosmetic outcomes
Selected Articles
1. Nontarget screening and identification of emerging preservatives and their metabolites in human urine.
Using UHPLC–Q-Orbitrap HRMS, the authors established a non-target/suspect workflow that tentatively identified 117 preservative-related features in human urine, including 30 level 2–3 metabolites. Only p-hydroxyacetophenone was detected as a parent compound, and sulfation and amino acid conjugation emerged as dominant metabolic pathways.
Impact: Provides a scalable analytical framework for human biomonitoring of emerging cosmetic preservatives, informing exposure assessment and regulatory science. The metabolite-centric approach advances understanding beyond parent compound detection.
Clinical Implications: Supports risk assessment and safety evaluation of cosmetic preservatives by revealing human metabolic pathways and exposure markers, guiding targeted monitoring and potential restriction of higher-risk compounds.
Key Findings
- Developed a UHPLC–Q-Orbitrap HRMS non-target/suspect screening workflow linking parent m/z with metabolic reactions.
- Identified 117 preservative-related features in human urine, with 30 metabolites at confidence levels 2–3.
- p-Hydroxyacetophenone was the only parent preservative detected; dominant metabolism included sulfation and amino acid conjugation.
- Tentatively identified metabolites also included products of dehydroacetic acid, caprylhydroxamic acid, and methylisothiazolinone.
Methodological Strengths
- High-resolution UHPLC–Q-Orbitrap HRMS enabling sensitive non-target and suspect screening.
- Structured metabolite identification workflow integrating parent m/z with plausible biotransformations and assignment of confidence levels.
Limitations
- Predominantly tentative identifications without confirmatory standards for all metabolites.
- Single-region sampling (Guangzhou) with unspecified sample size limits generalizability and statistical inference.
- No linkage to health outcomes or quantified exposure levels.
Future Directions: Validate metabolite identities with reference standards and quantify concentrations; expand to multi-regional cohorts with defined N; integrate exposure sources and link biomarkers to clinical outcomes and risk assessment.
2. Application of High-frequency Ultrasound for Detection and Characterization of Dermal Fillers in the Periorbital Region.
In a 191-patient retrospective series, high-frequency ultrasound distinguished periorbital filler types by characteristic sonographic patterns and flagged complications. Blood flow signals within echogenic regions suggested infection, and punctate hyperechoic foci with acoustic shadowing indicated calcification.
Impact: Provides practical, imaging-based criteria to localize and identify periorbital fillers and to detect complications, supporting safer aesthetic interventions.
Clinical Implications: High-frequency ultrasound can guide management of filler-related issues (e.g., targeted hyaluronidase, drainage, or surgical removal) by accurately identifying filler type, depth, and complications in the periorbital region.
Key Findings
- Analyzed 191 periorbital cases: 99 hyaluronic acid, 42 silicone oil, 34 fat, 6 threads, 5 growth factors, 5 polyacrylamide hydrogel.
- Distinct high-frequency ultrasound signatures differentiated filler types across cases.
- Blood flow signals within echogenic regions suggested infection; punctate strong echoes with acoustic shadowing suggested calcification.
Methodological Strengths
- Large single-center series over nine years with standardized imaging acquisition.
- Comprehensive cataloging of sonographic features across multiple filler materials and complications.
Limitations
- Retrospective, single-center design with potential selection and information bias.
- Lack of interobserver reliability metrics and diagnostic accuracy measures versus gold standards.
- Limited linkage between ultrasound findings and subsequent clinical outcomes.
Future Directions: Prospective multicenter validation with interobserver agreement, standardized reporting, and evaluation of management impact; development of training datasets and AI-assisted classification.
3. Cosmetic outcomes of rotation flap and suture scaffold for breast-conserving therapy in the lower quadrants.
In a single-center retrospective cohort of 25 lower-quadrant BCT patients, rotation flap reconstruction yielded 81% excellent/good cosmetic ratings with no poor results, whereas suture scaffold achieved 56% excellent/good with 22% poor. Inter-rater agreement was high for both techniques.
Impact: Addresses a challenging anatomic site for oncoplastic surgery and provides comparative cosmetic outcomes that can guide technique selection.
Clinical Implications: Rotation flap may be preferred over suture scaffold for lower-quadrant defects in breast-conserving therapy when cosmetic outcome is prioritized, with low complication rates observed.
Key Findings
- Rotation flap achieved 81% excellent/good and 0% poor cosmetic outcomes; suture scaffold achieved 56% excellent/good and 22% poor.
- High inter-rater reliability for cosmetic ratings: RF κw=0.897 (p=0.000331); SS κw=0.838 (p=0.0109).
- No significant heterogeneity between kappa coefficients (p=0.886); complications were infrequent (RF 6%, SS 0%).
Methodological Strengths
- Use of a standardized cosmetic assessment (Harvard Breast Cosmesis Scale) by two independent reviewers.
- Assessment of inter-rater reliability with quadratically weighted Cohen’s kappa.
Limitations
- Small sample size, especially in the suture scaffold group (n=9), limiting statistical power.
- Single-center, retrospective design without randomization; potential selection bias.
- Short follow-up (6–12 months) and lack of patient-reported outcome measures.
Future Directions: Conduct prospective, multicenter comparative studies with larger samples, longer follow-up, and inclusion of patient-reported outcomes and volumetric/3D imaging-based cosmesis.