Medical Dermatology

Many people will experience acne in their lifetime, sometimes into adulthood. We will create a customized regimen that includes specially formulated cleansing products, and topical treatments. We also offer a specialized, acne peel that is suitable for teenagers and adults.

Acne is a skin condition that occurs when your hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. It often causes whiteheads, blackheads or pimples, and usually appears on the face, forehead, chest, upper back and shoulders. Acne is most common among teenagers, though it affects people of all ages. Effective treatments are available, but acne can be persistent. The pimples and bumps heal slowly, and when one begins to go away, others seem to crop up. Depending on its severity, acne can cause emotional distress and scar the skin. The earlier you start treatment, the lower your risk of such problems.

We can help you control your acne, avoid scarring or other damage to your skin, and make scars less noticeable. Acne medications work by reducing oil production, speeding up skin cell turnover, fighting bacterial infection or reducing inflammation — which helps prevent scarring. The treatment regimen your doctor recommends depends on your age, the type and severity of your acne, and what you are willing to commit to. Possible treatments could include topical medication, oral medication, laser therapy, chemical peels, and steroids.

Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is a condition that makes your skin red and itchy. It’s common in children but can occur at any age. Atopic dermatitis is long lasting (chronic) and tends to flare periodically. It may be accompanied by asthma or hay fever. Atopic dermatitis most often begins before age 5 and may persist into adolescence and adulthood. For some people, it flares periodically and then clears up for a time, even for several years.

If regular moisturizing and other self-care steps don’t help, your doctor may suggest another treatment like corticosteroid cream or ointment, antibiotics, or other options.

With a full body skin exam, your doctor will do a head-to-toe skin exam, making note of any posts that need monitoring or closer examination.

A fungal infection is an inflammatory condition that is caused by fungus. Fungal infections can appear in many parts of the body and include athlete’s foot, yeast infections, skin and nail infections and more.

The most common approach to fungal infection treatment is antifungal drugs. These may be applied directly to a fungal infection or, to treat more serious infections, antifungal drugs may be taken by mouth or as an injection.

Hyperpigmentation is a common, usually harmless condition in which patches of skin become darker in color than the normal surrounding skin. This darkening occurs when an excess of melanin, the brown pigment that produces normal skin color, forms deposits in the skin. Hyperpigmentation can affect the skin color of people of any race. Age or “liver” spots are a common form of hyperpigmentation. They occur due to sun damage, and are referred to by doctors as solar lentigines. These small, darkened patches are usually found on the hands and face or other areas frequently exposed to the sun.

Most prescription creams used to lighten the skin contain hydroquinone. Bleaches lighten and fade darkened skin patches by slowing the production of melanin so those dark spots gradually fade to match normal skin coloration. There are now several highly effective laser treatments. The q-switched ruby and other pigmented lesion lasers often remove pigment without scarring.

Moles are common. Almost every adult has a few of them. Most moles appear on the skin during childhood and adolescence. Moles will grow as the child (or teen) grows. Some moles will darken, and others will lighten. For adults, new moles and changes to existing moles can be a sign of melanoma. Caught early, melanoma is highly treatable.

Most moles do not require treatment. A dermatologist will remove a mole that is bothersome, unattractive to the patient, or suspicious. A dermatologist can safely and easily remove a mole. A dermatologist will use either a surgical excision, surgical shave, or laser to lighten.

During allergy skin tests, your skin is exposed to suspected allergy-causing substances (allergens) and is then observed for signs of an allergic reaction. Along with your medical history, allergy tests may be able to confirm whether or not a particular substance you touch, breathe or eat is causing symptoms. Patch tests don’t use needles. Instead, allergens are applied to patches, which are then placed on your skin. During a patch test, your skin may be exposed to 20 to 30 extracts of substances that can cause contact dermatitis. These can include latex, medications, fragrances, preservatives, hair dyes, metals and resins. You wear the patches on your arm or back for 48 hours. During this time, you should avoid bathing and activities that cause heavy sweating. The patches are removed when you return to your doctor’s office. Irritated skin at the patch site may indicate an allergy.

PDT is used for the treatment of very early, thin skin cancers, actinic keratosis of the face and scalp, acne, rosacea, sun damage, enlarged sabaceous glands, wrinkles, wards, psoriasis and many other skin conditions.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment that uses a drug, called a photosensitizer or photosensitizing agent, and a particular type of light. When photosensitizers are exposed to a specific wavelength of light, they produce a form of oxygen that kills nearby cells. In this therapy, the photosensitizer liquid or cream is applied topically to the whole area being treated, you will wait 30-60 minutes for the incubation time, and then you are exposed to the light source.

Psoriasis is a common skin condition that speeds up the life cycle of skin cells. It causes cells to build up rapidly on the surface of the skin. The extra skin cells form scales and red patches that are itchy and sometimes painful.

Psoriasis treatments reduce inflammation and clear the skin. Used alone, creams and ointments (like corticosteroids) that you apply to your skin can effectively treat mild to moderate psoriasis. When the disease is more severe, creams are likely to be combined with oral medications or light therapy.

Rashes can appear as blotches, welts or blisters; they can be red, itchy, scaly, or dry; and they can occur in one area of skin or all over the body. In addition, some rashes may come and go, while others never seem to go away. Although most rashes are not life-threatening, some rashes can signal something more serious.

Rashes come in many forms, and depending on the cause, take different times and treatments to heal. Schedule an appointment to get a proper diagnosis and treatment.

Rosacea is a common skin condition that causes redness and visible blood vessels in your face. It may also produce small, red, pus-filled bumps. These signs and symptoms may flare up for a period of weeks to months and then diminish for a while. Rosacea can be mistaken for acne, an allergic reaction or other skin problems. Rosacea can occur in anyone. But it most commonly affects middle-aged women who have fair skin.

While there’s no cure for rosacea, treatments can control and reduce the signs and symptoms. Most often this requires a combination of skin care, prescription treatments, and sometimes lasers.

Skin cancer — the abnormal growth of skin cells — most often develops on skin exposed to the sun. But this common form of cancer can also occur on areas of your skin not ordinarily exposed to sunlight. There are three major types of skin cancer — basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Make an appointment with your doctor if you notice any changes to your skin that worry you. Not all skin changes are caused by skin cancer. Your doctor will investigate your skin changes to determine a cause.

After diagnosing skin cancer, we will determine which treatment option will be most effective for you. Treatments range from freezing, excisional surgery, or Mohs surgery to radiation and chemotherapy.

Acrochordons, also called skin tags, are very common benign skin growths. It is estimated that almost half of adults have at least one of these harmless growths. They tend to grow in areas where there are skin folds, such as the underarms, neck, eyelids, and groin. They are skin colored or brown ovoid growths attached to a fleshy stalk.

Skin tags are harmless and do not require removal, however they may be removed for comfort or cosmetic purposes. Usually removal is done by scissor excision, burning, or freezing.

Vitiligo is a disease that causes the loss of skin color in blotches. The extent and rate of color loss from vitiligo is unpredictable and occurs when the cells that produce melanin die or stop functioning. It can affect the skin on any part of your body. It may also affect hair and the inside of the mouth. The condition is not life-threatening or contagious.

No drug can stop the process of vitiligo — the loss of pigment cells (melanocytes). But some drugs, used alone or with light therapy, can help restore some skin tone.

Warts are benign (not cancerous) skin growths that appear when a virus infects the top layer of the skin. Viruses that cause warts are called human papillomavirus (HPV). You are more likely to get one of these viruses if you cut or damage your skin in some way. Wart viruses are contagious. Warts can spread by contact with the wart or something that touched the wart. Warts are often skin-colored and feel rough, but they can be dark (brown or gray-black), flat, and smooth.

Warts often go away without treatment, and although they are usually harmless we can treat them with freezing, burning, excision, or even laser.