If your skin is excessively dry, it may be due to a diminished production of sebum, reduced sweat activity, and environmental factors.
Xerosis, or dry skin, can affect anyone, but it tends to be more severe in certain folks, especially those with a hereditary predisposition. Modern lifestyles are also a contributing factor. In Western societies, we tend to over-bathe; use of harsh soaps and hot water also contribute. Xerosis is a (more…)
If you may permit me to brag, we dermatologists have the important skills that come with focused, repetitive, visual scrutiny and education regarding your skin. The ability to make diagnoses and to (more…)
Acne medications, many of which are irritating in the first place, can wreak havoc with sensitive skin. Applying bland moisturizers such as Oil of Olay and Cetaphil Lotion over acne medications and using soap-free, gentle cleansers designed for sensitive skin is particularly important for people who have an underlying skin condition such as eczema (atopic dermatitis).
Women who have sensitive skin or eczema should discard cosmetics that have been on the shelf for a long period. That’s because they can become contaminated if some of their preservatives break down or oxidize over time.
The sun is an immense nuclear reactor. As well as producing heat and light, it also sends out other types of radiation that can some-times damage your skin. The Earth’s atmosphere filters out much of the more dangerous solar radiation, but some of it (more…)
Sunless tanners sometimes referred to as self-tanners or tanning extenders, are promoted as a way to get a tan without the sun. You can try:
Also known as periorificial dermatitis, this condition is a rosacea-like skin eruption seen almost exclusively in women. Like rosacea, nobody knows its cause. Fluoridated toothpastes and bacteria have (more…)
Also called steroid rosacea, this type of “rosacea” isn’t really rosacea, and I can tell you the cause of this condition — the inappropriate use of topical steroids (cortisone) on the face. The steroid creams are (more…)
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t true.
You may hear about alternative medications from friends, relatives, or the news media. Ads may suggest that alternative treatments can produce positive results in (more…)
You may have heard that vitamin A helps to cure acne. What you may not know is that if you take too much of it, vitamin A can accumulate in your liver to dangerous levels and cause serious health problems. Get your vitamin A from veggies. Good sources include leafy greens (like spinach and watercress) and orange veggies (like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and carrots).
There are safer derivatives of vitamin A to treat your acne — topical Retinoids and oral Accutane — that your healthcare provider can prescribe.
If you have acne, shaving bumps, or sensitive skin, those razors that guarantee the closest shaves aren’t for you. Ignore the ongoing battle between razor companies to see who can stick the most blades on a single disposable razor head. Besides costing an arm and a leg, two, three, or four incredibly sharp blades will wind up shaving you two, three, or four more times closer than is necessary and really irritate your skin!