Melasma
Melasma is a dark skin discoloration that appears on sun-exposed areas of the face. Melasma is a very common skin disorder. Though it can affect anyone, young women with brownish skin tones are at greatest risk. Melasma is often associated with the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. It is especially common in pregnant women, women who are taking birth control pills (oral contraceptives) and women taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) during menopause. Sun exposure is also a strong risk factor for melasma.
Melasma can be treated with topical ointments, like Tri Luma and Intensed Pulse Light Laser (IPL).
Molluscum
Molluscum contagiosum is a relatively common viral infection of the skin that most often affects children. It results in firm bumps (papules) that are painless and usually disappear within a year without treatment. If the papules are scratched or injured, the infection can spread to surrounding skin.
Though common in children, molluscum may affect adults as well. In adults, molluscum contagiosum involving the genitals is considered a sexually transmitted disease (STD). The disorder may also be seen in adults with an altered immune system.
Molluscum contagiosum spreads through direct person-to-person contact and through contact with contaminated objects. Because it spreads easily, doctors often recommend medical treatment.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a chronic disease of the immune system that appears on the skin, usually in the form of thick, red, scaly patches. Up to 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis. Psoriasis is associated with other serious conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity. According to the National Institutes of Health, as many as 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis. For more information: http://www.psoriasis.org/home/
Our practice has several treatments for Psoriasis including the XTRAC Laser and Lightbox. Treatment information: http://www.photomedex.com/product.php?pid=64
Rosacea
Rosacea (pronounced “roh-ZAY-sha”) is a chronic and potentially life-disruptive disorder primarily of the facial skin, often characterized by flare-ups and remissions. Many have observed that it typically begins any time after age 30 as a redness on the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead that may come and go. In some cases, rosacea may also occur on the neck, chest, scalp or ears. Over time, the redness tends to become ruddier and more persistent, and visible blood vessels may appear. Left untreated, bumps and pimples often develop, and in severe cases the nose may grow swollen and bumpy from excess tissue. This is the condition, called rhinophyma (pronounced “rhi-no-FY-muh”), that gave the late comedian W.C. Fields his trademark bulbous nose. In many rosacea patients, the eyes are also affected, feeling irritated and appearing watery or bloodshot.
Although rosacea can affect all segments of the population, individuals with fair skin who tend to flush or blush easily are believed to be at greatest risk. The disease is more frequently diagnosed in women, but more severe symptoms tend to be seen in men — perhaps because they often delay seeking medical help until the disorder reaches advanced stages.
While there is no cure for rosacea and the cause is unknown, medical therapy is available to control or reverse its signs and symptoms. Individuals who suspect they may have rosacea are urged to see a dermatologist or other knowledgeable physician for diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
For more information: http://www.rosacea.org/index.php
Sun Damage
The sun’s rays, which are called ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays (UVA and UVB rays) damage your skin. This leads to early wrinkles, skin cancer and other skin problems. Being in the sun often over time, even if you don’t burn, can lead to skin cancer. A tan is the body’s desperate attempt to protect itself from the sun’s harmful rays.
For more information: http://www.skincancer.org/Sunscreen/
Vitiligo
If you suffer from vitiligo, you know the frustrations – white spots that cause uneven skin color and, until now, no effect treatment. Finally you may be able to enjoy effective relief from the unsightly symptoms of vitiligo. With the revolutionary XTRAC® excimer laser system, you can feel good about yourself again. With treatment sessions, which can last just a few minutes, the XTRAC can change your life. The XTRAC is the first excimer laser system FDA-market cleared to treat vitiligo. The XTRAC laser utilizes UVB light to potentially stimulate melanocytes that may be present deep in the skin. UVB light is known to stimulate melanocytes.
For more information: http://www.psoriasis.org/home/
Before and After Photos: http://www.photomedex.com/images/VitiligoFace2.jpg
Warts
Warts are non-cancerous skin growths caused by a viral infection in the top layer of the skin. Viruses that cause warts are called human papillomavirus (HPV). Warts are usually skin-colored and feel rough to the touch, but they can be dark, flat and smooth. The appearance of a wart depends on where it is growing. There are several types of warts that can be treated in your physician’s office.
For more information: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/warts.html
Acne
Acne is a skin condition which includes plugged pores (blackheads and whiteheads), inflamed pimples (pustules), and deeper lumps (nodules). Acne occurs on the face, as well as the neck, chest, back, shoulders, and upper arms. Although most teenagers get some form of acne, adults in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, or even older, can develop acne. Often, acne clears up after several years, even without treatment. Acne can be disfiguring and upsetting to the patient. Untreated acne can leave permanent scars; your dermatologist may treat these in the future. To avoid acne scarring, treating acne is important.
For more information: http://www.skincarephysicians.com/acnenet/
Actinic Keratosis
Actinic keratoses (AKs) are dry, scaly, rough-textured patches or lesions that form on the outermost layer of the skin after years of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, such as sunlight. These lesions typically range in color from skin-toned to reddish brown and in size from that of a pinhead to larger than a quarter. Occasionally, a lesion grows to resemble an animal horn and is called a “cutaneous horn.”
It is important that anyone with AKs be under a dermatologist’s care. AKs are considered the earliest stage in the development of skin cancer and have the potential to progress to squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer that can be fatal. Anyone who develops AKs has extensive sun-damaged skin. This makes one more susceptible to other forms of skin cancer, including melanoma. Melanoma is considered the most lethal form of skin cancer because it can rapidly spread to the lymph system and internal organs.
For more information: http://www.skincarephysicians.com/ActinicKeratosesnet/whatare.htm
Dermatitis
Dermatitis is a general term that describes an inflammation of the skin. There are different types of dermatitis, including seborrheic dermatitis, contact dermatitis and atopic dermatitis (eczema). Though the disorder can have many causes and occur in many forms, it usually involves swollen, reddened and itchy skin. Dermatitis is a common condition that isn’t life threatening or contagious. But, it can make you feel uncomfortable and self-conscious. A combination of self-care steps and medications can help you treat dermatitis.
For more information: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dermatitis-eczema/DS00339
Eczema
Eczema is a general term encompassing various inflamed skin conditions. One of the most common forms of eczema is atopic dermatitis (or “atopic eczema”). Approximately 10 percent to 20 percent of the world population is affected by this chronic, relapsing, and very itchy rash at some point during childhood. Fortunately, many children with eczema find that the disease clears and often disappears with age. Although its cause is unknown, the condition appears to be an abnormal response of the body’s immune system. In people with eczema, the inflammatory response to irritating substances overacts, causing itching and scratching. Eczema is not contagious and, like many diseases, currently cannot be cured. However, for most patients the condition may be managed well with treatment and avoidance of triggers.
For more information: http://www.skincarephysicians.com/eczemanet/index.html
Fungal Infections
FUNGAL INFECTIONS (ONYCHOMYCOSIS)
When a nail infection develops, the most common cause is a fungus. More frequent on the toenails than on the fingernails, fungal nail infections affect about 12% of all Americans. Onychomycosis tends to run in families because of an inherited tendency, but not everyone is susceptible. It is rare in children unless one or both parents are infected.
The two most common types of fungi affecting the skin are dermatophytes and yeast (Candida). While both types infect nails, dermatophytes tend to be more common in toenails. Yeast infections are seen more frequently in fingernails and other areas of the skin. While some fungal nail infections may respond to topical antifungal creams, lotions, gels, and lacquers, most infections of the nail plate require oral medicines such as itraconazole, terbinafine, and fluconazole.
Hyperhydrosis – Excessive Sweating
In some people, the body’s mechanism for cooling itself is overactive — so overactive that they may sweat four or five times more than is necessary, or normal. When sweating is this extreme it can be embarrassing, uncomfortable, anxiety-inducing, and disabling. It can disrupt all aspects of a person’s life, from career choices and recreational activities to relationships, emotional well-being, and self-image. This kind of excessive sweating is a serious medical condition. It’s called hyperhidrosis and it afflicts millions of people around the world (approximately 3% of the population) but because of lack of awareness, more than half of these people are never diagnosed or treated for their symptoms. There are several treatments for Hyperhidrosis, including Botox.
Skin Cancer
Basal Cell Carcinoma
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer, affecting approximately one million Americans each year. In fact, it is the most common of all cancers. More than one out of every three new cancers are skin cancers, and the vast majority are basal cell carcinomas. These cancers arise in the basal cells, which line the deepest layer of the epidermis (top skin layer).
Almost all basal cell carcinomas occur on parts of the body excessively exposed to the sun — especially the face, ears, neck, scalp, shoulders, and back. On rare occasions, however, tumors develop on unexposed areas. In a few cases, contact with arsenic, exposure to radiation, open sores that resist healing, chronic inflammatory skin conditions, and complications of burns, scars, infections, vaccinations, or even tattoos are contributing factors. For more information: http://www.skincancer.org/
MOHS Skin Cancer Surgery
What is Mohs Surgery?
Mohs surgery is a microscopically guided procedure for skin cancer removal. It was developed more than 60 years ago by Fredrick Mohs (pronounced “moze”), a medical student at the University of Wisconsin. Since that time, the technique has been advanced and refined. Today, it is considered the standard of care for treating skin cancers in cosmetically sensitive areas and for certain other hard to treat skin cancers.
Mohs Micrographic Surgery is an advanced treatment process for skin cancer that offers the highest possible cure rate for many skin cancers and simultaneously minimizes the sacrifice of normal tissue. This cutting-edge treatment requires highly specialized physicians that serve as surgeon, pathologist and reconstructive surgeon. The microscopic analysis of resected tissue allows the surgeon to track the removal of the cancer and ensure the complete elimination of all tumor roots. As tumors often extend below intact normal skin (like the roots of a tree) this procedure allows the surgeon to see beyond the visible tumor to ensure its complete removal.The technique is most often used to remove the two most common forms of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The cure rates for Mohs Micrographic Surgery approach 99% for most primary (untreated) cancers with a slightly lower cure rate for secondary or recurrent (previously treated) cancers. While limiting the sacrifice of uninvolved tissue, this specialized procedure preserves the greatest amount of normal tissue. This benefit of the procedure provides the foundation for the best reconstructions and limits scarring or permanent disfigurement. Mohs Micrographic Surgery remains the most effective method of removing non-melanotic skin cancer (basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, sebaceous carcinoma, Extramammary Paget’s disease, Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, etc.) available anywhere in the world today.
Who performs Mohs Surgery?
Dr. Halpern is a fellowship trained Mohs Surgeon. He attended Harvard Medical School and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital. He was chief resident of Dermatology at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital-Columbia University and completed a 2-year fellowship in Mohs Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology at New York Presbyterian Hospital- Columbia University. Dr. Halpern is Board Certified in Dermatology.
A specialized team of several surgical assistants, a technician who prepares the tissue for microscopic examination, and our office staff, assist Dr. Halpern.
Melanoma
Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. In its advanced state, it can cause serious illness and even death. Fortunately, melanoma rarely strikes without warning. Learn how to identify melanoma, how it spreads and what treatments are available.
Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. However, if it is recognized and treated early, it is nearly 100 percent curable. But if it is not, the cancer can advance and spread to other parts of the body, where it becomes hard to treat and can be fatal. While it is not the most common of the skin cancers, it causes the most deaths. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2008, there will be 8,420 fatalities in the U.S., 5,400 in men and 3,020 in women. The number of new cases of invasive melanoma is estimated at 62,480; of these, 34,950 will be in men and 27,350 in women. For more information: www.skincancer.org
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
This form of skin cancer arises in the squamous cells that make up most of the skin’s upper layers (epidermis). Squamous cell carcinomas may occur on all areas of the body including the mucous membranes and genitals, but are most common in areas frequently exposed to the sun, such as the rim of the ear, lower lip, face, bald scalp, neck, hands, arms and legs. Often the skin in these areas reveals telltale signs of sun damage, such as wrinkling, changes in pigmentation, and loss of elasticity.
Who Gets It: People who have fair skin, light hair, and blue, green, or gray eyes are at highest risk of developing the disease. But anyone with a history of substantial sun exposure is at increased risk. Those whose occupations require long hours outdoors or who spend extensive leisure time in the sun are in particular jeopardy. Anyone who has had a basal cell carcinoma is also more likely to develop an squamous cell carcinoma, as is anyone with an inherited, highly UV-sensitive condition such as xeroderma pigmentosum.
For more information: http://www.skincancer.org/Squamous-Cell-Carcinoma/