Look Your Best this Holiday Season

Stubborn Acne: FAQs

A lot of our patients, mostly teenagers, are bothered by acne. It is a known fact that acne flares up during our teenage years but even adults can still have it. Other than the physically disturbing appearance of acne, the more pressing concern is the psychological effect it has

especially on teenagers. Some refuse to go to school and have low self esteem. The good news is, acne can be treated. It just takes some effort but results are rewarding.

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about acne:

What really causes acne?

Acne is a disease of the oil glands in our skin. It is caused by a combination of these 4 factors:

1. Hormones that cause secretion of oil from our oil glands

2. Accumulation of oil that blocks the pore (appears as blackheads and whiteheads)

3. Bacteria that goes into the blocked pore

4. Inflammation caused by the bacteria (redness and development of pus)

Can eating oily food, chocolates and peanuts cause increase in acne?

As mentioned earlier none of the causes of acne really relate to food. At present, there is no strong evidence that these foods directly cause the flaring of acne.

I heard that acne eventually goes away after our teenage years, can I just wait it out and not treat it?

It is true that acne improves with age, teenagers experience flares due to the surge of hormones that come with puberty. Eventually, hormonal levels stabilize and acne eventually lessens. However, the most important thing we have to watch out for is the complication of severe scarring. Scarring is permanent and occurs most with acne that is untreated. As Dermatologists, we strongly suggest to treat acne as early as possible to prevent these scars that are difficult and costly to treat.

What is the best way to make my skin smooth and get rid of acne?

The answer is, it varies from person to person. Acne can be classified as mild, moderate and severe and treatment differs depending on the type you have. There are a lot of options, some consist of topical treatments and manual removal of blackheads and whiteheads. Some may need to take oral medications. It is best to visit a Dermatologist so he/she can assess and discuss the best treatment suited for you.

I have a special event to attend tomorrow and suddenly a big red pimple appeared on my face! Is there a quick fix to get rid of it before my event?

Yes there is. The best way is to go to your Dermatologist to have an intralesional injection or "IL" as it is commonly called. A medication is directly injected to the pimple and the next day, the redness and pain goes away.

If you can't visit your Dermatologist, dab the area with an acne preparation that contains 5% benzoyl peroxide or 2% salicylic acid 2x a day until the pimple disappears. Although it is not as quick as an intralesional injection, it can do for the meantime.

Is it advisable for me to just pop my own pimple?

No it isn't. Most of the time, this will cause your pimple to become worse. Also, there is such a thing as the danger triangle of the face.

When a pimple occurs in this area, never try to prick/ manipulate it as this may lead to infection and a complication called Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis, a brain infection that can lead to hospitalization and even coma.

Look Younger without Surgery: Our Anti- Aging Treatments

There have been numerous inquiries about what treatments we offer to look younger without the need for surgery. A lot of people get scared of the artificial, overdone look that some celebrities have today. Most patients we encounter just want that natural youthful look and want to get rid of the tired- looking face that comes with aging.

Here are some of our anti- aging treatments that won't break your budget.. (Click on the image for a larger view)

** all treatments are performed by our Board Certified Dermatologists

DARK UNDERARMS: Let's do something about it

Dark underarms is one of the most common questions we encounter during our practice. Most patients have tried everything to make their underarms whiter but they end up disappointed. Here are some tips we can share to improve the texture and appearance of underarms:

1. Never scrub! Treat your underarms like you would treat a baby's skin. The thing is, the more friction you apply, the darker it becomes! You can't scrub the darkness away.. so say goodbye to those loofahs, beaded scrubs and whatnot.

2. Apply deodorant only if you absolutely have to. If you don't sweat excessively then there's really no need to put deodorant. Especially for people who work in an airconditioned office all day. Save it for those active and warm days.

3. Invest in permanent hair reduction. Constant shaving causes friction while waxing and plucking is painful and induces trauma to the skin. All of these can contribute to the darkness. A variety of lasers are available to permanently reduce the hair but make sure you go to a reputable laser center since low quality lasers do add to darkening of underarms.

Now for some frequently asked questions:

I did all these three suggestions and despite that, my underarms are still dark, what should I do?

Consult a Dermatologist. There are procedures in the clinic such as peels that can be performed. There are also effective whitening creams that are mild enough to apply on underarm skin. These creams can be prescribed by Dermatologists.

I'm getting married and want to whiten my underarms, how long before the wedding should I start?

Depending on the severity, but 6 months before the wedding should be good enough. For laser hair removal start 1 year before.

I sweat profusely and cannot afford to skip deodorant, what do I do?

There are whitening anti-perspirants with good whitening ingredients. For people who excessively sweat there are preparations that significantly reduce sweating, more than commercially available anti-perspirants, but these should be prescribed. Botulinum toxin A injection is also an option.

The truth about STRETCH MARKS

What are they exactly?

Stretch marks are a very common skin condition that chooses nobody. Even celebrities have them too!

It's caused by thinning of the upper layer of the skin called the epidermis and decrease in collagen and breakage of elastic fibers in the deeper layer of the skin called the dermis. They occur due to stretching of the skin usually after pregnancy, growth spurts during adolescence and rapid weight gain.

Will all those creams advertised in magazines actually work?

The truth is.. they won't! At present there are no proven topical treatments to remove or prevent stretch marks. So don't waste your money.. Although, keeping your skin moisturized may improve skin texture for it to appear smoother.

Will they eventually go away?

With time, stretch marks fade but don't completely go away.

What can I do to get rid of them then?

At present, there are no treatments that will completely remove stretch marks to make it look like normal skin.

But there are treatments that improve the texture of the epidermis and stimulate collagen production in the dermis and these may help in reducing their appearance. A word of caution though: expectations should be tempered since results are modest.

Treatments like retinoids, microdermabrasion, radiofrequency and fractional lasers may help in stimulating collagen production. However, it is important to note that these treatments only improve the appearance of stretch marks and do not completely eliminate it.

Welcome to our weekly blog!

Every week, our board certified Dermatologists will be sharing their expertise by featuring common skin problems, frequently asked questions and treatment updates.

If you have a question you'd like us to feature just send us a message through our facebook account.

Here's the link:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Skin-MD-Medical-and-Cosmetic-Dermatology/193580737337365