Medical Dermatology Services

Myth #1:

Acne is caused by poor hygiene. If you believe this myth and wash your skin hard and frequently, you can actually make your acne worse. Acne is not caused by dirt or surface skin oils. Although excess oils, dead skin, and a day’s accumulation of dust on the skin are unsightly, they should not be removed by hand scrubbing. Vigorous washing and scrubbing will irritate the skin and make acne worse. The best approach to hygiene and acne: Gently wash your face twice a day with a mild soap, pat dry--and use an appropriate acne treatment.

Myth #2:

Acne is caused by diet. Extensive scientific studies have not found a connection between diet and acne. In other words, food does not cause acne. Not chocolate. Not french fries. Not pizza.

Nonetheless, some people insist that certain foods affect their acne. In that case, avoid those foods. Besides, eating a balanced diet always makes sense. However, according to scientific evidence, if acne is treated properly, there’s no need to worry about food affecting it.

Myth #3:

Acne is just a cosmetic disease. Yes, acne affects how people look and is not otherwise a serious threat to a person’s physical health. However, acne can result in permanent physical scars--plus, acne itself and its scars can affect how people feel about themselves to the point of affecting their lives.

Myth #4:

You have to let acne run its course. The truth is acne can be cleared up. If the acne products you have tried haven’t worked, consider seeing a dermatologist. With the products available today, there is no reason why someone has to endure acne or get acne scars.

We have many ways to eliminate acne and help restore your skin.

Warts

Warts are common and are caused by a viral infection, specifically by the human papillomavirus (HPV), and are contagious when in contact with the skin of an infected person. We have several simple and highly effective ways to make them quickly disappear.

A wart (also known as verruca) is generally a small, rough tumor, typically on the hands and feet. Still, often in other locations, that can resemble a cauliflower or a solid blister. Warts are common and are caused by a viral infection, specifically by the human papillomavirus (HPV), and are contagious when in contact with the skin of an infected person. It is also possible to get warts from using towels or other objects an infected person uses. They typically disappear after a few months but can last for years and can recur.

A range of warts has been identified, varying in shape and site affected, as well as the type of human papillomavirus involved. These include:

• Common wart (Verruca Vulgaris), a raised wart with roughened surface, most common on hands and knees;
• Flat wart (Verruca plana), a small, smooth, flattened wart, tan or flesh colored, which can occur in large numbers; most common on the face, neck, hands, wrists, and knees;
• Filiform or digitate wart, a thread- or finger-like wart, most common on the face, especially near the eyelids and lips;
• Plantar wart (verruca, Verruca pedis), a hard, sometimes painful lump, often with multiple black specks in the center; usually only found on pressure points on the soles of the feet;
• Mosaic wart, a group of tightly clustered plantar-type warts, commonly on the hands or soles of the feet;
• Genital wart (venereal wart, Condyloma acuminatum, Verruca acuminata), a wart that occurs on the genitalia.
  

Treatments:

Keratolysis - removal of dead surface skin cells using salicylic acid and blistering agents, often with the mechanical paring of the wart with a pumice stone, blade, etc.

Cryosurgery - freezing the wart (generally with liquid nitrogen), creating a blister between the wart and epidermal layer, after which the wart and surrounding dead skin fall off.

Over-the-Counter Treatments:

There are several over-the-counter options. The most common ones involve salicylic acid. These products are readily available at drugstores and supermarkets. Another product is silver nitrate, a caustic pencil, also available at drug stores.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis can cause irritating, embarrassing skin symptoms, but effective treatments are available. HUMIRA, by Abott Laboratories, is a very effective treatment that clears up even moderate to severe cases.

There are several types of psoriasis, but the most common type is plaque psoriasis. Plaque psoriasis causes red, raised lesions (patches) that produce dead, flaky skin cells (scale).

While the exact cause of psoriasis is unknown, researchers believe the protein TNF (tumor necrosis factor), or TNF, is involved. We all have TNF in our bodies, but in people with psoriasis, too much TNF is produced. This contributes to the inflammation and overproduction of skin cells leading to the formation of skin lesions.

Instead of maturing and falling off the body within about a month, like normal skin cells, psoriatic skin cells take only 3-4 days to mature and surface. Instead of falling off, the skin cells accumulate and form red, itchy, flaking skin patches (lesions).

Up to 30% of people with psoriasis also get joint pain and stiffness. If you’re experiencing stiffness and joint pain—as well as the skin symptoms of psoriasis—it could mean you have a condition known as psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

PsA can cause progressive joint damage in addition to the red, itchy skin lesions of psoriasis. But HUMIRA can treat joint pain and stiffness as well as the skin symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. HUMIRA is used to reduce the signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis in adults, prevent further damage to your bones and joints, and help your ability to perform daily activities. It can be used alone or with certain other medicines.