Stria distensae: Response by authors

Gurcharan Singh, Lekshmi P Kumar

 Department of Dermatology and STD, Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Tamaka, Kolar, Karnataka, India

Correspondence Address:
Gurcharan Singh
108 A, Jal Vayu Vihar, Kammanahalli, Bangalore 560043, Karnataka
India

Sir,

We thank Dr. Tehrani for his interest and valuable comments in response to our article on "Striae distensae."[1]

We have the following observations to make on the current status of microdermabrasion in evidence-based dermatology.

Microdermabrasion devices have been classified as cosmetic rather than medical ones and are therefore not subjected to the rigors of the US FDA. Despite the claims and marketing hype, little evidence of efficacy has been provided by double-blinded, clinical trials.[2] No phase-III clinical trials of microdermabrasion devices have ever been conducted to establish their safety and efficacy as required for FDA approval.[3] There remains a major disparity between the popularity and cohesive and comprehensive scientific data documenting the efficacy of the procedure.[4] Moreover, a review article on microdermabrasion does not include striae among an exhaustive list of dermatological indications.[5]

1.	Singh G, Kumar LP. Striae distensae. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2005;71:370-2. [Google Scholar]
2.	Lazarus M, Baumann L. Miscellaneous cosmetic products and procedures. In: Baumann L, editor. Cosmetic Dermatology. 1st ed. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill; 2003. pp.120-213. [Google Scholar]
3.	Spencer JM. Microdermabrasion. Am J Clin Dermatol 2005;6:89-92. [Google Scholar]
4.	Grimes PE. Microdermabrasion. Dermatol Surg 2005;31:1160-5. [Google Scholar]
5.	Gold MH. Dermabrasion in dermatology. Am J Clin Dermatol 2003;4:467-71. [Google Scholar]