Medical Dermatology Archives | Page 5 of 6

Freckle or Skin Cancer? When You Should Be Worried About Your Skin Spots

Do you have brown spots on your skin? If you’re like most people, your answer is “yes.” You either have freckles, moles, birthmarks, or a combination of all three. We don’t think much about them. They’re just a part of the state of our skin. We assume if it was cancer, it would look like it. But do you know what skin cancer really looks like? Could you tell the difference between a freckle or skin cancer — and are you willing to...

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Red, Scaly Rash? Here’s Why You Need A Dermatologist to Diagnose You

Seemingly out of nowhere you’ve developed a red, scaly rash. How many possible diagnoses could there be? Literally hundreds. The cause of red, scaly rashes are one of the trickiest issues to diagnose. In fact, the red scaly rashes in the photos below look fairly similar, but are dramatically different diagnoses ranging from fungal infections to skin cancer. In our dermatology textbooks, it’s called papulosquamous disorder — and it’s a 20...

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The Best Acne Treatment Plan to Fight Serious Breakouts

Acne is no joke. While we might find humor in naming the giant zit on our forehead or a pimple that’s sure to accompany an upcoming deadline, serious acne is no laughing matter. Achieving clear skin isn’t as simple as just washing your face more thoroughly. With serious acne, you’re dealing with different types of breakouts in different areas that need different treatments. If you’re facing not-so-clear skin, here’s what you need to kn...

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The Top 5 Misconceptions About Skin Care

It seems like everyone is a skin care expert. We have so much information at our fingertips, so many options, and so many opinions to consider as we think about our skin care. Unfortunately, much of that advice is fueled by someone’s efforts to sell you a specific line or brand. How should you deal with it all? Simple…don’t. When it comes to skin care, trust your dermatologist. They’re the real experts. It’...

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What to Do If You Develop a Skin Sensitivity to A Skincare Product

Skin sensitivity can be downright misleading. Skin allergies don’t always happen the first time you use a product, they don’t happen right away, and they don’t disappear as soon as you quit. If you think your skin could be reacting to a product, it will take some investigating. Signs of a Skin Product Allergy Has your skin recently become itchy, red, or bumpy? Maybe you’ve applied a product to treat the symptoms, it seems to impro...

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What You Need to Know About Melanoma: A Comprehensive Guide

What do you think of when you hear about melanoma?For most people, assumptions about melanoma are bleak, to say the least. As the third most common skin cancer, melanoma can be scary for the layperson because of the grim prognosis it often carries. Melanoma accounts for about 1% of all skin cancers but causes the majority of skin cancer deaths. And the rates of melanoma are rising. Depending on ethnicity, the lifetime risk of getting melanoma is as hi...

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Pyoderma Gangrenosum Causes, Treatments, & Misdiagnosis: What You Should Know About This Rare Skin Disease

A non-healing wound can be devastating.

The pain is intense, and the wound is gaping, not to mention, it’s interfering with your life. You can’t work and interact like normal. The pain, appearance, and care of the ulcer is just too much.

Maybe you’ve sought treatment — but it’s just not working.

And when an ulcer isn’t responding to therapy, it may be time to explore the possibility of a less common cause of your non-healing ulcera...

Whiteheads vs. Blackheads: What’s the Difference?

We’ve all had our share of whiteheads and blackheads.

They seem to pop up out of nowhere, leaving us struggling to make them disappear as quickly as they arrived – but it’s usually not quite that easy. No one wants them, but until you understand what causes whiteheads and blackheads, it’s hard to know how to treat them.

What are whiteheads and what makes them different than blackheads or other types of acne?

More importantly, how do we...

The Most Common Questions About Athlete’s Foot, Answered

We’ve all heard the term “athlete’s foot,” but do you actually know what it is?

Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection on the feet. Think of mold growing on your foot (that’s the basic concept!) and just as mold continues to spread unless you treat it correctly, athlete’s foot continues to grow on your skin.

As the fungus grows, it causes a scaly dermatitis that can itch, sting, and burn. If left untreated, this fungal skin infection ...

The Simple Guide to Actinic Keratoses

Have you noticed a pink, scaly spot on your skin that never seems to go away?

If so, it’s time to visit your dermatologist, as you could be experiencing the first signs of actinic keratoses. Although it’s not dangerous on its own, it’s a warning sign of the potential for skin cancer in the future.

Actinic keratoses are one of the most common issues we see in the dermatology clinics. It’s evidence that the skin has had too much sun expos...