Steven Daveluy, MD, FAAD

During the 2025 New Wave Dermatology Conference, the 

 team spoke in an interview with Steven Daveluy, MD, associate professor and program director at Wayne State University, about treating conditions such as 

Daveluy was asked several questions that had been touched on in several of his sessions during the conference. This interview segment features his responses related to the aforementioned dermatologic conditions. 

 first asked him about in-office procedures related to treating HS.

Treatment Strategies for Hidradenitis Suppurativa and Atopic Dermatitis, with Steven Daveluy, MD

“I am always excited for dermatologists to do in-office procedures for HS, because there are so many things that we can do that can have a huge benefit,” Daveluy explained. “Intralesional steroid injections can help, and I usually do it at a concentration of 40 milligrams per cc, because at that dose, it's been shown to resolve lesions. We can also do de-roofing, which is basically taking the roof off and letting it heal by secondary intention. Then there's a technique called cryoinsufflation, where you can use your liquid nitrogen and spray it into tunnels to get them to go away.”

Daveluy was also asked by the editorial team about ways to perform the procedure known as deroofing for patients living with HS.

“Deroofing for hidradenitis suppurativa is a really simple technique, and all dermatologists already have the skills,” Daveluy said. “You just numb [the area] around the lesion, and then if you can feel where the tunnel is, you can probe into it. Then you just take the top of it off. Sometimes there's this sort of gooey lining on the inside, so you scrape that out with your scalpel or with gauze or a curette. Then, you just stop any bleeding and let it heal.”

Later, Daveluy was asked about different examples of integrative treatments for patients living with atopic dermatitis.

“There are some great integrative treatments for atopic dermatitis,” he explained. “So, for rice paper, you can create a mask. It's the same rice paper you would buy to make spring rolls, and you just cut it into pieces, a piece for the forehead, for the cheeks, for the chin, dip it into some warm water for a few seconds, and put it on your face. The starch that is in the rice has been shown to be beneficial for as a moisturizer and sort of soothing.”

When patients are dealing with eczema on their face, Daveluy noted, such individuals can wear this mask to bed and it may help them to fall asleep.

“There are a few oils that have been shown in studies to be beneficial for eczema such as coconut oil, virgin olive oil, and sunflower seed oil,” Daveluy said. “So if patients are looking for a more natural moisturizer, that's an option that they can turn to. I like to combine it with a massage, because there was a study in children that showed if parents did 20 minutes of massage a day, it helped their eczema improve and then they felt less itchy. So you can combine the two and massage in your moisturizer or your oil, and it's a good bonding time for parents and kids, and it'll help their eczema.”

To find out more about subjects such as these, view the full interview segment posted above.

The quotes used in this summary were edited for the purposes of clarity.

Videos

Dr. Steven Daveluy, at the 2025 New Wave Dermatology Conference, discussed in-office procedures for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and integrative treatments for atopic dermatitis. For HS, he highlighted intralesional steroid injections, deroofing, and cryoinsufflation as effective techniques. Deroofing involves numbing the area, probing the tunnel, and removing the top layer. For atopic dermatitis, Daveluy recommended rice paper masks and natural oils like coconut, olive, and sunflower seed oil, combined with massage, to soothe and moisturize the skin, enhancing patient comfort and bonding.

This video includes a discussion of different procedures designed to help treat patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and atopic dermatitis.

 team at the 2025 New Wave Dermatology Conference, Steven Daveluy, MD, associate professor and program director at Wayne State University, spoke about the biggest takeaways from his talks on treating several 

 and addressing concerns of patients with diverse skin types.

 editorial team asked about Daveluy’s talk ‘Color-Centric Care: Enhancing Dermatologic Treatments for All Skin Types.’ Specifically, Daveluy was asked to give examples of racial disparities impacting dermatologic care and ways that dermatologists can address such disparities.

Options for Managing HS and Cutaneous Lymphoma, with Steven Daveluy, MD

“In the literature, we've found a few different racial disparities in dermatology,” Daveluy explained. “There are disparities in psoriasis where patients aren't always offered the same therapeutics, including biologics, where we see that Black patients are offered biologics less frequently than White patients…In eczema, where you live and your parents' income, their education level, and housing situation, can impact the severity of your eczema for children.”

These examples, Daveluy noted, highlight a disparity that children have no control over but can, nevertheless, impact their lives and disease state. Later, Daveluy was asked to discuss the challenges when diagnosing cutaneous lymphoma.

“Cutaneous lymphoma can be very tricky to diagnose,” Daveluy said. “It can look a lot like eczema or psoriasis, and it actually may require multiple biopsies because it doesn't even show up on the first biopsy a lot of the time. Some of the clues are if it looks a little bit atrophic or has a kind of wrinkly texture. Also, if it's distributed in the bathing trunk distribution, or the areas like the buttocks, the groin areas, which are really sun-protected because you're wearing pants and underwear.”

Daveluy noted that cutaneous lymphoma also can appear at an older age, typically around the ages of 50 - 60. He noted the value of not making a misdiagnosis, given that some of the available medications for other conditions—such as TNF alpha inhibitors—can make it flare. Later, Daveluy was asked about addressing HS and about some of the drugs in the treatment pipeline for the condition.

“I'm really excited about some of the novel treatments coming for HS,” Daveluy explained. “We're seeing biologics that are targeting different pathways in the immune system, and it's actually making me learn new pathways in the immune system that I didn't even know about. And we're seeing a new class of drugs called nanobodies that work a lot like a biologic, because they block cytokines, but they're smaller, so they can get into tissue better.”

Daveluy highlighted that this, hopefully, will mean that nanobodies will be more beneficial in HS.

“I'm also excited that we're doing more studies on surgery, because most patients with HS need a combination of medications and surgery to treat the tunnels and the persistent lesions,” he said. “We haven't had a lot of research on surgery before. So there are some innovative things going on in that realm that should help guide us.”

For any additional information about these subjects, view Daveluy’s full interview video posted above this summary.

The quotes used in this interview summary were edited for clarity.

Steven Daveluy, MD, discussed racial disparities in dermatologic care, highlighting that Black patients are less frequently offered biologics for psoriasis compared to White patients. He emphasized the challenges in diagnosing cutaneous lymphoma, which can mimic eczema or psoriasis and may require multiple biopsies. Daveluy expressed excitement about novel treatments for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), including biologics targeting new immune pathways and nanobodies. He also noted the importance of combining medications with surgical interventions for HS and the need for more research in surgical treatments.

This interview with Steven Daveluy, MD, features a discussion of hidradenitis suppurativa, cutaneous lymphoma, and addressing racial disparities.

Skin of Color Savvy: The Art and Science of Treating Patients of Color

Skin of Color Savvy: HS Management in Skin of Color, with Tiffany Mayo, MD, Steven Daveluy, MD, Jasmine Ivanna Espy

02:15 Diagnostic challenges with HS in skin of color

07:01 Hesitancy in using laser hair removal

11:13 Physician blindspots with HS management

12:33 Patient experiences and stigmatization

, host Tiffany Mayo, MD, leads a dynamic conversation on hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) in patients with diverse skin types, joined by dermatologist Steven Daveluy, MD, and patient advocate Jasmine Ivanna Espy.

Together, they offer a unique triangulation of perspectives—clinician, researcher, and lived experience—that frames HS not only as a medical challenge but also a public health, quality-of-life, and equity issue.

The conversation begins with Daveluy highlighting key diagnostic challenges of HS in patients with skin of color. Notably, studies show a prolonged diagnostic delay—seven to ten years on average—that is even longer in patients with skin of color. Contributing factors include clinical misrecognition due to erythema presenting differently in richly pigmented skin, leading to underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis. Daveluy also discusses disparities in disease severity and access to dermatologic care, underscoring that while HS itself is not more severe in patients of color biologically, delayed diagnosis and limited access to early interventions result in more advanced disease at presentation.

The discussion transitions to treatment considerations, particularly the use of laser hair removal in HS management. Daveluy explains that laser treatments are safe and effective for patients with darker skin types when used appropriately. He emphasizes that clinicians should not be deterred from using lasers for HS in skin of color, as patients often prioritize relief from pain and inflammation over potential dyspigmentation. Mayo reinforces this by noting that many providers already have the necessary tools—they simply need confidence and patient-centered guidance on how to apply them effectively.

Turning to the patient journey, Jasmine Ivanna Espy shares her powerful personal experience with HS, which began at age 13 but had not been accurately diagnosed until high school. She describes years of being misdiagnosed, experiencing physical pain and emotional isolation, and having to navigate a system that failed to validate her symptoms. Espy details the intense psychosocial toll of the disease, from clothing restrictions and social stigma to clinical depression and suicidal ideation.

Despite this, her story is one of transformation: through surgery, lifestyle changes, and community support, she ultimately achieved remission and founded a nonprofit—the Association of Hidradenitis Suppurativa and Inflammatory Diseases (AHSID)—to support others with similar experiences.

As the episode progresses, Daveluy and Espy discuss recent advances in treatment, including the growing arsenal of FDA-approved biologics and evolving surgical strategies like wide excision. Daveluy notes a shift in dermatologists’ willingness to treat HS now that more tools exist, while Espy underscores how having treatment options has empowered patients to make informed decisions rather than act out of desperation. Both stress the importance of combination therapy and in-office procedures like deroofing to manage chronic tunnels and flare-ups.

The episode closes with a call to action on building trust and centering the patient voice. Espy urges clinicians to approach patients with humility, curiosity, and respect—asking what matters most to them, acknowledging cultural and emotional factors, and fostering shared decision-making. Daveluy echoes this, encouraging dermatologists to either become that steadfast provider who does not give up on patients or develop trusted referral pathways to those who can.

Ultimately, the conversation affirms that HS care is about more than controlling lesions—it is about restoring dignity, reducing disparities, and empowering patients with both clinical and emotional support.

To learn more about SOCS’s mentorship programs and initiatives, visit 

Editor’s note: This episode summary was edited through the use of artificial intelligence tools.

This episode of the SOCS podcast features an in-depth discussion between Tiffany Mayo, MD, Steven Daveluy, MD, and patient advocate Jasmine Ivanna Espy.


Steven Daveluy, MD, FAAD

Articles