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Archive for June, 2010

Ultrasound Tightening with Ultherapy! Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Friday, June 25th, 2010

We all hate it when someone says that we look tired, because what they are really is saying is that we look old.  When you feel like you hear this comment more often than you would like or when you actually had 10 hours of sleep the night before, it may be time for a bit of rejuvenation.

Sagging skin around the brow, cheeks, jawline and neck all contribute to a “tired” appearance, which can easily be addressed with the latest in non-invasive skin tightening procedure called Ultherapy.  My staff and I truly love the Ulthera.  Ultherapy uses ultrasound heat to stimulate the skin’s natural collagen building process, resulting in more sculpted skin.  Our nurses are expert at using the Ulthera applicator to focus the ultrasound energy at just the right depth below the skin to give you the safest, yet most effective treatment possible.  Your skin’s response to the energy is to generate new collagen, resulting in a natural lift of the skin over time (approximately 2-4 months).

The procedure lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the areas being treated and is appropriate for all skin types.  Comfort levels do vary with Ultherapy, so we will generally counsel patients prior to treatment on their medication options.  While some patients have reported mild swelling and tenderness in the treated areas, the Ultherapy procedure allows you to return to your normal activities right away - no special measures need to be taken.

I always like to stay on the “non-cutting” edge of the latest in skin tightening and after much research, I have great confidence in the results of Ultherapy.  Since having had the Ultherapy done myself,  I can see that my cheeks are now higher and my jawline is tighter, which definitely makes me look and feel more “rested.”  No more comments about looking tired for me!

Contact our office for more details on Ultherapy!

 

Ugh…is that a Wart? Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

What’s the deal with warts?  How did I get them and how do I get rid of them?

Questions that I often hear as a dermatologist about one of the most common skin nuisances.

To help keep from catching them or spreading them to others or to other places on your own skin, its important to know the basics.

Common warts seen on the hands and fingers are caused by certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV).   These strains are different from the ones that cause potentially serious diseases like cancer of the cervix.  In fact, different strains of HPV even cause different kinds of warts like plantar warts on the feet or smaller, flat warts seen on the face and legs.  With common warts, the virus causes rapid growth of cells on the outer layer of the skin resulting in flesh colored bumps with small black dots in them, which are actually clotted blood vessels.  Warts can eventually go away on their own (sometimes over a 2 year period), but to keep them from spreading, most people try to remove them with over the counter measures or with their doctor.  Warts are harmless, but people find them embarrassing and cosmetically annoying.

Like most viruses, warts spread through person to person contact or by person to object contact (like if you touch something a person with a wart has touched).  A wart may not actually develop until 2 to 6 months after exposure.  Depending on your immune system, you may be exposed to the virus, yet never develop a wart or you may have them as a kid and never develop them again as an adult.  I often joke with my patients that having a wart as adult is a sign of youth, as they are seen most often in children and young adults.  If you already have warts, keep in mind that they can spread through breaks in your skin, so don’t bite your nails or pick around your cuticles, especially after touching the wart!

At home treatments usually include salicylic acid medications or patches, which help peel away the affected layers of skin.  These work best if you can file down the top layers, then apply the medication.  I will often give patients a scalpel to help pare down the skin before using the patches to treat the wart in between visits.  Another at home treatment some patients try is duct tape.  They cover the wart for six days then remove the tape and file down the skin, then repeat the process until the wart dies.  While there is no real scientific evidence that duct tape works, some people give it a whirl.

At a doctor or dermatologist’s office, they may try freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen, which can be uncomfortable.  It causes a blister and the dead cells slough off after it has healed.  Injections of an antigen to stimulate your body’s natural immune process or laser may also be used for more stubborn warts.

If you have a wart, do not pick at it, bite it or shave over it as it may generate new warts nearby.  Do not use any accessory, like a nail file, on the wart and then on other areas.  Make sure to always wash your hands in general and especially after touching any wart.  Keep your hands as dry as possible - warts like a moist environment.  Wear footwear in public places like showers and locker rooms.

And most importantly, don’t despair.  Warts can be stubborn and some may seem like they are not responding to treatment or are taking a long time to go away.  Be persistent and consistent with treatment to get results.

 

The Latest on Thermage! Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

Thermage is the only non-invasive procedure that helps tighten and contour your skin in a single treatment – with no surgery, no injections, and little downtime.  It is one of the few treatments that can be used to improve areas of the body like your arms, tummy and thighs.  It is also a great treatment for the eyes and face.  Here’s a great clip from NBC New York demonstrating Thermage on the arms.

For even more video clips on Thermage, check out this montage on YouTube.

Contact our office to learn more about Thermage and how it may work to keep your skin looking fitter and tighter in the years to come!

 

Tanning - A New Addiction: Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

There is no question that exposure to high levels of ultraviolet rays cause skin cancer, not to mention premature aging and pigmentation issues of the skin.  Despite this fact, however, tanning salons and outdoor sun tanning still remain popular, especially among young adults.  So what keeps people returning to those booths and baking on their beach towels when they know the indisputable risks?

Well, Mosher and Danoff-Burg propose that habitual indoor tanning may, in some cases, be best characterized as an addiction with behavioral and physiologic dependency.  Roughly one third of the college students who took screening tests (one that is commonly used to screen for alcoholism and a tanning-specific substance related disorder test) met criteria for addiction to ultraviolet tanning. This subgroup also showed a greater tendency for substance abuse and anxiety, suggesting that habitual tanning may be a predictor of other addictive behaviors, such as alcoholism and cigarette smoking.

Looking at tanning with this mindset and identifying patients who show signs of addiction toward tanning will hopefully give the medical community a new way to approach this topic with their patients and help them avoid this risky behavior before they encounter potentially life threatening conditions like melanoma.

If it is simply the “tan look” that people seek, tanning alternatives continue to improve and are a great way to get a glow without any risk.  Our staff and patients are currently loving the products by TanTowel.  The self-tanning towelettes are easy to use, with a simple swipe on action.  Streaks and discolorations are easily avoidable with the towelette.  They also have a great self-tanning soap that is used conveniently in the shower to supplement your towelettes or to achieve a more gradual glow.  The towelettes and soap along with their self-tanning lotion give the most natural looking color that I have found among sunless tanning products.  Check with our office today for more information on the Tan Towel products and to give yourself a summer glow without the harmful UV rays!

 

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