Walter J. Liszewski, MD, is an associate professor of dermatology and cancer epidemiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Walter J. Liszewski, MD

What’s Next in Dermatology? Dermatologists Weigh In On 2026

 are looking ahead to a year defined by expanding oral therapeutics, immunologic insights, next-generation biologics, and the increasing artificial intelligence (AI) integration into clinical settings. At the 

 team spoke on-site with several leaders in the field of skin health about new data and therapeutic advances they anticipate shaping the field in the year ahead.

Featured leaders included Linda Stein Gold, MD, director of dermatology clinical research at Henry Ford Health System; Lawrence Eichenfield, MD, chief of pediatric and adolescent dermatology at Rady Children’s Hospital and professor of dermatology and pediatrics at the University of California (UC), San Diego School of Medicine; Neal Bhatia, MD, director of clinical dermatology at Therapeutics Clinical Research in San Diego; Dawn Eichenfield, MD, PhD, associate professor of dermatology and pediatrics at UC San Diego School of Medicine and Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego; Philip J. Mease, MD, director of rheumatology research at Providence Swedish Medical Center and clinical professor at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine; Paul Nghiem, MD, PhD, George F. Odland Endowed Chair in Dermatology at the UW School of Medicine; and Walter J. Liszewski, MD, dermatologist and clinical educator specializing in complex medical dermatology.

Stein Gold noted 2026 may mark “the year of the oral psoriasis therapy,” highlighting anticipation surrounding the potential approval of the oral interleukin (IL)-23 inhibitor icotrokinra and continued development of next-generation TYK2 inhibitors. She pointed to the expansion of oral options as potentially providing patients with efficacy comparable to biologics without compromising safety or tolerability, broadening flexibility in systemic psoriasis.

Lawrence Eichenfield focused on atopic dermatitis, noting several unanswered questions surrounding long-term immunologic modulation. He pointed to differences among biologics targeting IL-4/IL-13 pathways, IL-13 alone, IL-31, and upstream mediators such as OX40 and OX40 ligand. Although clinical endpoints such as Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) scores remain central, Eichenfield indicated understanding immunologic “rebooting” after prolonged therapy may shape treatment paradigms in the future, especially among pediatric and adult patients.

Bhatia pointed to excitement around a novel systemic acne therapy, denifanstat, a fatty acid synthase inhibitor targeting de novo lipogenesis to reduce sebum production. Unlike isotretinoin or antibiotics, Bhatia describes this mechanism as addressing a key driver of the pathogenesis of acne without retinoid-associated adverse effects, representing a potential paradigm shift in moderate-to-severe acne management. It is pending additional US-based research.

Dawn Eichenfield highlighted advances in the pediatric dermatology space, particularly highlighting genetic diagnostics and evolving biologic platforms. She suggested oral biologics and medications with extended dosing intervals could improve patient adherence as well as the quality of life of children and adolescents who prefer not to experience injections at an increased frequency.

In Mease’s segment of this interview, he described continued innovation across dermatology and rheumatology, noting small-molecule and biologic therapies aimed at IL-17A/F, IL-23, and TL1A pathways. Mease additionally referenced emerging long-acting biologic options potentially requiring administration only once or twice per year. This development of emerging options reflects efforts to refine molecular configurations for sustained treatment efficacy.

Nghiem spoke in his interview about AI’s growing role in dermatology, particularly in complex malignancies such as Merkel cell carcinoma. While he acknowledged potential overhype, Nghiem emphasized AI’s potential value in expanding patient access to multidisciplinary insights and surfacing considerations clinicians may not initially identify.

In his segment, Liszewski highlighted increasing awareness of chronic hand eczema (CHE) and renewed dermatology engagement in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) management, especially with the emergence of newer agents such as remibrutinib and dupilumab. These drugs, Liszewski highlighted, are reshaping treatment algorithms.

Collectively, these leading experts at Maui Derm Hawaii 2026 signaled a year defined not only by new research and emerging treatment options, but by deeper immunologic understanding, improved personalization of medications, and expanded tools to enhance patient-centered care in the field of dermatology.

For more information on research covered at the 2026 Maui Derm conference, view the full video above or check out the 

Disclosures: Stein Gold has reported serving as an investigator, advisor, or speaker for Johnson & Johnson. Lawrence Eichenfield previously reported receiving personal fees from Pfizer; grant support from AbbVie, Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Castle Biosciences, Dermavant Sciences, Galderma, Pfizer, Regeneron, and Sanofi; consulting fees from multiple pharmaceutical companies; and serving on the board of directors of Forté Pharma. Bhatia has reported serving as an advisor, consultant, and investigator for AbbVie, Almirall, Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Beiersdorf, Biofrontera, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cara Therapeutics, Dermavant Sciences, EPI Health, Ferndale, Galderma, Incyte, ISDIN, Johnson & Johnson, La Roche-Posay, LEO Pharma, Lilly, Ortho Dermatologics, Pfizer, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi, Sun Pharma, and Verrica Pharmaceuticals. Dawn Eichenfield had no relevant disclosures of note for this interview. Mease has previously reported receiving research grants from AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharma and UCB; and serving as a consultant and/or receiving speaker fees from AbbVie, Acelyrin, Aclaris, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Galápagos, Gilead, GSK, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharma, UCB, Ventyx Biosciences, and XinThera. Liszewski has no disclosures of note.

Stein Gold L, Hawkes J. Best of the Best at Maui Derm. Presented at the 2026 Maui Derm Hawaii Conference, January 25-29.

Eichenfield L, Silverberg J, Chovatiya R. Atopic Dermatitis and Pruritus: Current Concepts and Therapeutics for 2026. Presented at: Maui Derm Hawaii 2026; January 25-29, 2026; Maui, Hawaii.

Rosen T, Bhatia N. New Drugs and Therapies in 2026. Presented at the 2026 Maui Derm Hawaii Conference, January 25-29.

Eichenfield D, Fallon Friedlander S, Treat J, et al. Pediatric Dermatology 2026. Presented at the 2026 Maui Derm Hawaii Conference, January 25-29.

Stein Gold L, Song E, Gordon K, et al. Psoriasis Update 2026. Presented at: Maui Derm Hawaii 2026; January 25-29, 2026; Maui, Hawaii.

Liszewski W. Contact Dermatitis Update 2026. Presented at: Maui Derm Hawaii 2026; January 25-29, 2026; Maui, Hawaii.

Videos

Dermatology leaders preview 2026 breakthroughs including oral psoriasis drugs, new biologics, novel acne drugs, and AI tools transforming patient care.

 at the Grand Wailea Hotel, a session titled ‘Contact Dermatitis Update 2026’ highlighted the evolving challenges of diagnosing and managing contact dermatitis.

 Presented by Walter Liszewski, MD, associate professor of dermatology and cancer epidemiology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, this session emphasized several key points, including noting the limitations of existing patch-testing Core Series panels.

’s editorial team, Liszewski spoke about these key takeaways from the session, addressing common diagnostic pitfalls and stressing the importance of distinguishing allergic contact dermatitis from atopic dermatitis, given that targeted biologic therapies for atopic disease may not improve allergic etiologies. These points and others are highlighted in this Q&A transcript of his interview:

Dr. Liszewski, thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us today. Firstly, what are the most important changes or updates from the past year that you feel are important for clinicians to recognize?

 It's a couple of different things. First is that in patch testing, we have different ‘Core Series.’ These are allergens that we set nationally for the US and Canada that will catch the most common allergens. But they're not updated annually. What we start to see is that, in between the periodic updates, which occur every three to five years, there may be new allergens that are all of a sudden becoming very relevant. A couple of these that I emphasize, the big one is benzisothiazolinone.

It is not in the American contact dermatitis series, nor is it in the T.R.U.E. TEST. It's structurally similar to methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone. Benzisothiazolinone is used predominantly in hand soaps, dish soaps, and laundry detergents. But it's less problematic. So many dermatologists may not have heard of benzisothiazolinone, let alone know how to counsel their patients about it. So, if you have a patient with recalcitrant hand dermatitis or weird rashes on their hands and arms, be sure to look at their hand soap, look at their dish soap, and make sure it does not contain benzisothiazolinone.

We know you discussed a range of dermatitis dilemmas. What were some of the most challenging or commonly mismanaged scenarios that you highlight?

There are two major ones. The first is chronic hand eczema. Chronic hand eczema is not atopic dermatitis. It can be in some circumstances, but for many patients with chronic hand eczema, they have a multifactorial cause of their dermatitis. There's allergic contact dermatitis, there's irritant contact dermatitis, and there can also be atopic dermatitis, but more often than not, it's multifactorial. The pearls I give [include one suggesting] that if you have a patient with chronic hand eczema, start with a prescription topical, but if that's still not working, then you should consider doing patch testing to make sure that there's not an allergenic cause.

The second thing I talk about is chronic lip dermatitis or colitis; more often than not, it's not an allergy. You can do patch testing, but you're probably not going to find anything. Most cases of chronic lip dermatitis are due to irritants. They're due to chronic lip licking. They're due to using too many skin care products. What patients in this group really benefit from is establishing a new treatment regimen. Simplify their products down, switch to thick barrier creams like Vaseline or Aquaphor, and try to pivot to using more hypoallergenic toothpaste in skincare products.

 Were there any allergens, exposures, or patient behaviors that you emphasized as increasingly relevant in 2026?

I think the big thing is [regarding] gel nails and acrylic nails, but predominantly gel nails. Gel nails have been very popular in the past couple of years, but there have been numerous new at-home kits. They're excellent, so consumers are doing them more at home. The issue is that, historically, the major allergen in gel nails was something called 2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate or HEMA. It's part of a larger group of adhesives called methacrylates. The issue is that the industry is now starting to use all kinds of different methacrylates. If you have a patient who comes in with allergies, and you suspect that there's an allergy to their acrylic or gel nails, if you're only testing with a standard series, which would be the ACDS Core Allergen Series or the North American Core, you're only going to be testing for Hydroxyethyl methacrylate.

The T.R.U.E. TEST does not even test for Hydroxyethyl methacrylate. So, if you have a patient like this, and you have a very high suspicion for a gel nail allergy, and they didn't react to HEMA, there's a good chance they were reacting to a different methacrylate. As someone who does extended patch testing, I have an additional 20 methacrylates I can test. I routinely test on an extended tray to make sure I'm not missing any methacrylate allergies. But if you're someone who doesn't have that available, it's just important to remember that HEMA, although it catches many forms of gel nail allergies, given that there's so much heterogeneity currently in the market for the glues that companies are using, it may not catch all cases.

How did you recommend clinicians refine their diagnostic approach when contact dermatitis overlaps with atopic or other inflammatory diseases?

It's difficult. The challenging thing is that for atopic dermatitis, there is no diagnostic test, but for allergic contact dermatitis. So if you have a patient with moderate to severe eczema and it's not improving with topicals, those patients are candidates for patch testing. If you find an allergy and they get better, you know that there was either an exclusive allergic reaction or part of the dermatitis was due to allergies. However, if you do patch testing and there are no allergens, then you know that their allergen is either irritant dermatitis or exclusively atopic dermatitis in nature. The reason why that's important is that many of the drugs we use to treat atopic dermatitis, like lebrikizumab or dupilumab, will not be effective for most forms of allergic contact dermatitis. So identifying a precise cause is very important, because not all treatments will work for all forms of eczema.

If clinicians could take away only one or two practice-changing points from your session, what would you want them to remember?

The first thing is, we always need more people to do patch testing. And I'm someone who specializes in advanced patch testing. I have 500 allergens in my clinic. I routinely test patients for more than 100 allergens. Technically, yes, that is the ideal way it should be done. But that's not the only way that needs to be done. And if you're someone who can only do the American contact dermatitis 90 allergens, or even just the T.R.U.E. TEST, it can still be helpful. We need more dermatologists who are willing and capable of doing patch testing, because it can be transformative for many of our patients with chronic eczematous dermatitis.

The second thing that I would emphasize is that you need to read labels. One thing that I encourage all of you to do is next time you're at the grocery store, you're at a pharmacy, and you're looking at shampoos or lotions, look at a bunch of them. Look at the ingredients. Are there new chemicals you haven't seen before? Are there certain chemicals that you used to see all the time, like methylisothiazolinone, that just aren't there anymore, or methyldibromo glutaronitrile? Some chemicals become popular, and then they go away. I think it's very important for us to know what are the chemicals that our patients are coming in contact with, so that we can better identify potential causes and tailor our patch testing to their needs.

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

Liszewski did not have any relevant disclosures of note.

Schalock PC, Dunnick CA, American Contact Dermatitis Society Core Allergen Series Committee, et al. American Contact Dermatitis Society Core Allergen Series: 2020 Update. Dermatitis. 2020 Sep-Oct;31(5):279-282. doi: 10.1097/DER.0000000000000621. PMID: 32947457.

Articles

This Q&A summarizes a recent 2026 Maui Derm Hawaii interview with Walter J. Liszewski, MD, regarding contact dermatitis updates.

Summarizing Key Updates in Contact Dermatitis Management 2026, With Walter Liszewski, MD

Diagnostic Approaches to Contact Dermatitis Overlap with Atopic Disease, With Walter Liszewski, MD

 session was presented titled ‘Contact Dermatitis Update 2026,’ with challenges related to the management of a range of contact dermatitis issues being highlighted.

Walter Liszewski, MD, associate professor of dermatology and cancer epidemiology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, presented this session on contact dermatitis updates. Liszewski spoke with 

 In this new segment, Liszewski was asked how he recommends clinicians refine their diagnostic approach when contact dermatitis overlaps with atopic or other inflammatory skin diseases.

“The thing that's challenging is that, for atopic dermatitis, there is no diagnostic test,” Liszewski explained. “But for allergic contact dermatitis, there is. So if you have a patient with moderate to severe eczema and it's not improving with topicals, those patients are candidates for patch testing.”

If clinicians do patch testing and there are no allergens, Liszewski explained, then one can be more certain of irritant dermatitis or exclusively atopic dermatitis. The reason this is important, Liszewski expressed, is many of the drugs used to treat atopic dermatitis, such as lebrikizumab or dupilumab, will not be effective for most forms of allergic contact dermatitis. In other words, Liszewski stressed the importance of a precise cause, for not all treatments will be effective for all forms of eczema.

Liszewski was asked if clinicians could only take away 1 or 2 practice-changing points from his session, what he would want them to remember.

“The first thing is, we always need more people to do patch testing, and I'm someone who specializes in advanced patch testing,” Liszewski said. “I have 500 allergens in my clinic. I routinely test patients for more than 100 allergens. And technically, yes, that is the ideal way it should be done. But that's not the only way that needs to be done.”

If a clinician can only do the American Contact Dermatitis Society (ACDS) Core Allergen Series, updated to 90 allergens.

 The series, he noted, is a comprehensive patch-testing panel used to identify substances causing allergic contact dermatitis. Even the T.R.U.E. TEST panel diagnostic approach, Liszewski said, can be helpful.

“We need more dermatologists who are willing and capable of doing patch testing, because it can be transformative for many of our patients with chronic eczematous dermatitis,” Liszewski said. “The second thing that I would emphasize is that you need to read labels. One thing that I encourage all of you to do is, the next time you're at the grocery store, you're at a pharmacy, and you're looking at shampoos or lotions, look at a bunch of them. Look at the ingredients. Are there new chemicals you haven't seen before?”

For more information about this topic and related topics, view Liszewski’s full interview posted above. For more from Maui Derm, view the 

The quotes implemented in this video summary were edited for clarity.

Liszewski W. Contact Dermatitis Updates for 2026, With Walter Liszewski, MD. HCPLive. February 4, 2026. Accessed February 5, 2026. 

https://www.hcplive.com/view/contact-dermatitis-updates-2026-walter-liszewski-md

This segment of Liszewski’s interview at Maui Derm Hawaii 2026 highlights additional takeaways for clinicians regarding the treatment of contact dermatitis.

Contact Dermatitis Updates for 2026, With Walter Liszewski, MD

, held at the Grand Wailea hotel, a session was presented titled ‘Contact Dermatitis Update 2026,’ during which the talk’s presenter highlighted the key challenges of managing a wide range of contact dermatitis issues.

This session was presented by Walter Liszewski, MD, associate professor of dermatology and cancer epidemiology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Liszewski spoke with the team at 

 about this session and what he feels are the most important elements of this talk.

“[In] patch testing, we have different Core Series,” Liszewski expressed. “These are [lists of] allergens that we set nationally for the US and Canada that will [include] the most common allergens, but they're not updated annually. What we start to see is that in between the periodic updates, which occur every 3 - 5 years, there may be new allergens that are all of a sudden becoming very relevant.”

Liszewski highlighted examples of these newly-relevant allergens, including benzisothiazolinone. He described this allergen as not included in the American Contact Dermatitis Series. Liszewski notes benzisothiazolinone’s structural similarity to methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone.

However, it is used predominantly in hand soaps, dish soaps, and laundry detergents, so he urged clinicians to ask patients if their soap contains this ingredient. Later, Liszewski was also asked about the range of dermatitis dilemmas and what some of the most challenging or commonly mismanaged scenarios were, in his view.

“There are 2 major ones: The first is chronic hand eczema,” Liszewski explained. “...The second thing I talk about is chronic lip dermatitis or cheilitis; more often than not, it's not an allergy.”

To learn more about this topic and related information, view Liszewski’s full video interview posted above.

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

Schalock PC, Dunnick CA, American Contact Dermatitis Society Core Allergen Series Committee, et al. American Contact Dermatitis Society Core Allergen Series: 2020 Update. Dermatitis. 2020 Sep-Oct;31(5):279-282. 

In this Maui Derm Hawaii 2026 interview, key takeaways on contact dermatitis treatment strategies are highlighted by Liszewski.