Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by follicular and perifollicular papules and pustules primarily affecting the beard and neck area. PFB is a condition that predominantly affects patients with skin of color. The objective of this paper is to review the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and presentation of PFB, and assess the most recent evidence-based treatment options and recommendations for PFB. This is important to increase the quality of care given to target patient populations and to address the prominent disparity in health care management of skin of color patients. A literature review was conducted utilizing PubMed and Cochrane Library. The key term “pseudofolliculitis barbae” was used. Search parameters were set to search from 1987 to the present. Results were further narrowed by limiting the literature review to published observational studies, case studies, case series, randomized control trials, and case-control studies. Effective treatment for PFB requires a multifaceted approach which targets various aspects of the pathogenesis. Current treatments include preventative measures, antibiotics, corticosteroids, keratolytics, chemical depilatories, and/or laser treatments. Topical therapies are currently the mainstay treatment. However, laser hair removal has become a potential long-term treatment option, and additional studies are warranted to understand its long-term efficacy and permanency.

Androgen receptor (AR) is expressed in numerous tissues and serves important biologic functions in skin, prostate, immune, cardiovascular, and neural systems, alongside sexual development. Several studies have associated AR expression and patient survival in various cancers, yet there are limited studies examining the relationship between AR expression and cutaneous melanoma. This study used genomics and proteomics data from The Cancer Proteome Atlas (TCPA) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), with 470 cutaneous melanoma patient data points. Cox regression analyses evaluated the association between AR protein level with overall survival and revealed that a higher level of AR protein was positively associated with a better overall survival (OS) (p = 0.003). When stratified by sex, the AR association with OS was only significant for both sexes. The multivariate Cox models with justifications of sex, age of diagnosis, stage of disease, and Breslow depth of the tumor confirmed the AR-OS association in all patients. However, the significance of AR was lost when ulceration was included in the model. When stratified by sex, the multivariate Cox models indicated significant role of AR in OS of female patients but not in males. AR-associated genes were identified and enrichment analysis revealed shared and distinct gene network in male and female patients. Furthermore, AR was found significantly associated with OS in RAS mutant subtypes of melanoma but not in BRAF, NF1, or triple-wild type subtypes of melanoma. Our study may provide insight into the well-known female survival advantage in melanoma patients.