Google searches in patient self-care increase during the COVID-19 lockdown.

To the Editor: The recently published article by Guzman and Barbieri provides useful insight into the dermatologic concerns of the public before and after entering periods of lockdown during COVID-19, recapitulating our own findings in the United Kingdom. However, a facet we believe the authors' analysis has overlooked is an increased interest in conditions patients can self-treat. In our UK population, we noticed an increase in searches for warts, acne, and laser hair removal after lockdown, terms that were also searched more frequently in the United States after lockdown (increases of 2%, 6%, and 12%, respectively). Although routine clinics have been closed, there appears to have been interest in skin conditions that are perceived to be amenable to self-treatment. Additional attention of dermatologists and manufacturers should be focused on augmenting educational resources and validating the safety and efficacy of over-the-counter treatments and home-use devices, which patients may turn to during these times.