Dermatology

When you visit your dermatologist, he or she will thoroughly examine your skin and ask about your medical history. If you need laboratory tests, your dermatologist will explain why you need them and approximately how long it usually takes to get results.

You should see a dermatologist immediately if you have a dry skin problem or any other rash or nail problem on your skin and hair.

You should visit your dermatologist at least once each year for a thorough skin examination. If you have issues between your yearly visit, including acne, suspicious areas that do not heal, a rash, or an infected nail, you should see your dermatologist immediately. Many skin conditions can be treated easily with a dermatologist's diagnosis and treatment.

Risk factors for skin cancer include:

Become familiar with your skin and your own pattern of moles, freckles, and beauty marks. Make sure to look at your entire body every month or two. Watch for changes in the number, size, shape, and color of pigmented areas. Warning signs to look for include changes in the surface of a mole; scaliness, oozing, bleeding, or the appearance of a new bump; spread of a pigment from the border of a mole into the surrounding skin; and change in sensation (i.e., itchiness, tenderness, or pain). Consult a dermatologist promptly if any changes are observed.

If it's left untreated, melanoma can spread and be life-threatening; however, if it is found and treated in its early stages, melanoma is curable. Other skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma are curable or manageable. To protect your health and find skin cancer early, be sure to see your dermatologist each year or sooner if you have a suspicious spot on your skin. This is especially true if you have numerous sunburns as a child and someone with extensive sun exposure and sun-damaged skin.

At these, all are common in our country; if left untreated, it can spread to other organs. It can be fatal.

Skin cancer treatment depends on the type of cancer. If you have a basal cell tumor, the extent of your surgery will depend on your age and health as well as the type, size, location, and depth of your tumor. Melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma are typically removed (or excised) surgically. Mohs micrographic surgery is a precise technique for removing skin cancer that helps preserve healthy tissue. Other techniques for treating skin cancer include curettage and electrosurgery, cryosurgery, radiation, photodynamic therapy, laser surgery, and topical medications for the cancer.

The best way to avoid skin cancer is to limit your exposure to the sun. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun is the leading cause of skin cancer. This means developing good habits such as photoprotection with limitation of sun exposure, protective clothing, and use of sunscreen.

Excessive exposure to the sun can cause your skin to wrinkle, get blotchy, get leathery in texture, age early, and be prone to bruising and skin cancer.

The best sunscreen for you depends on your skin type; however, any sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or more is a good place to start. Use a sunblock with broad-spectrum protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. Reapply every two hours and after exposure to water through swimming or sweating. People who are sensitive to sunscreens should look for chemical-free sunscreens. These products typically contain titanium dioxide and zinc oxide that reflect rather than absorb the sun's rays. They are usually much less likely to cause a skin reaction. Ask your dermatologist if he or she recommends a special sunscreen for your skin type.

Petrolatum, an ingredient in many lotions, creams, and ointments, is an excellent moisturizer. Other ingredients such as urea, alpha hydroxy acids, lactic acid, and ammonium lactate help the skin hold water.

There are some promising treatments for aging skin. Retinoic acid, a cream that has been used successfully in treating acne, has been shown to improve the surface texture of the skin. Alpha hydroxy acids have shown promise in reversing some of the effects of the sun. Over-the-counter wrinkle creams and lotions may help dry skin and make it look and feel better; however, they do nothing to prevent or reverse wrinkles.

A Nevi is a mole. Moles are spots on the skin, most of which are present by age 20. They are usually round with a sharply defined border and uniform color. They may be flat or raised. They should always maintain their symmetrical character and even coloring. No treatment is necessary unless a mole appears to be abnormal. If a mole is or becomes abnormal, is asymmetrical, has an irregular border or color, or has a diameter bigger than a pencil eraser, a skilled medical evaluation is essential to check for skin cancer or melanoma.

Most birthmarks are harmless and require no treatment. They are discolorations on the face or other parts of the body. Among the most common are hemangiomas, red in color, soft and raised; port-wine stains– purple-red; and salmon patches, or nevus simplex (also known as “ stork bites”) –salmon-colored patches that appear on 50 to 70 percent of healthy newborns. Visible marks or discoloration of the skin that appear at birth or within several months of birth. Some birthmarks may grow and then fade. Many birthmarks are harmless and require no medical treatment. Laser treatment can be used to treat port-wine stains. New rashes should be evaluated.

Right away; the sooner the better. In general, it's good to avoid direct sun exposure for infants under 6 months of age. Seek shade and think about UV protective clothing and hats to physically protect from sun exposure. After 6 months old, sunscreens should be used over any area that would be potentially exposed to light while outdoors.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved sunscreens as safe for both children and adults. Dermatologists recommend a sunscreen with an SPF of 45 or higher. The most important thing about sunscreens is to remember to apply early, enough, and often. "Early" would refer to about 20 to 30 minutes before going outdoors. "Enough" would be making sure that you're using enough sunscreen— usually about an ounce, or two tablespoons, over the entire body. Remember to rub in well! "Often" means every two to three hours while outdoors, but more frequently if in water or sweating. Apply sunscreen every hour if you're swimming or more often if you're going to be toweling off, sweating, or potentially rubbing off the sunscreen; in those cases, you should reapply as soon as you do those activities.

Acne appears when a pore in our skin clogs. This clog begins with dead skin cells. Normally, dead skin cells rise to the surface of the pore, and the body sheds the cells. When the body starts to produce lots of sebum (see-bum), the oil that keeps our skin from drying out, dead skin cells can stick together inside the pore. Instead of rising to the surface, the cells become trapped inside the pore. Sometimes bacteria that live on our skin, p. acnes, also get inside the clogged pore. Inside the pore, the bacteria have a perfect environment for multiplying very quickly. With loads of bacteria inside, the pore becomes inflamed (red and swollen). If the inflammation goes deep into the skin, an acne cyst or nodule appears.