The treatment of acne is often complex and is customized for the individual. The dermatologists at the Dermatology & Laser Center use many of the following options to treat acne:

Mild Acne

Treatment:

• Topical antibiotics

• Topical benzoyl peroxides

• Topical retinoids

• Mild chemical peels

• Pulsed Dye Laser

Moderate Acne

Treatment:

• Topicals as above

• Oral antiobiotics

• Pulsed Dye Laser

Severe Acne

Treatment

• Oral Antibiotics

• Accutane

Rosacea is a condition with varied clinical presentaions.

These include red blood vessels on the face:

acne papules and pustules:

and thickening of the skin, especially the nose:

The treatment of rosacea (adult acne) is challenging and varied. We use a variety of treatment modalities to treat this condition.

These include:

• Topical metronidazole

• Topical corticosteroids

• Other topical treatments

• Oral antibiotics

• Pulsed Dye Laser

• Carbon Dioxide Laser

One of the most common problems in dermatology is that of rashes. The common rashes we treat include:

Atopic Dermatitis in adults and children:

Hives:

Allergic reactions:

• Contact dermatitis to tape

• Contact dermatitis to leather

• Contact dermatitis to bezocaine

• Drug eruptions:

• Poison Ivy-like reactions:

• Sun allergies:

Seborrheic dermatitis:

Psoriasis:

Other various rashes:

• Perioral dermatitis:

• Lichen Planus:

Common birthmarks may be red, brown or skin colored.

The red birthmarks are usually present at birth or shortly thereafter.

These include Port-wine Stains (flat and purple):

Capillary Hemangiomas (raised and red):

and Cavernous Hemangiomas (raised and Purple:

These are usually treated with one of our three different vascular lasers. The pulsed dye, the long-pulsed Alexandrite or the long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser.

Brown birthmarks are related to pigment cells.

These may be very large (giant congenital nevi)

to very small (moles).

Most of these that do not change are harmless and may be watched.

There are flesh colored birthmarks on the body (linear epidermal nevi):

or in the scalp (nevus of sebaceous):

These may or may not need removal.

The common infections of the skin include viral, fungal, and bacterial.

Common viral infections that we treat include warts, herpes simplex (fever blisters), chicken pox, shingles and other childhood viral rashes.

Common fungal infections we treat include:

tinea corporis (ringworm):

tinea pedis (athletes foot):

tinea versicolor (light colored patches on the trunk):

Nail fungus:

and candida (yeast infections).

Common bacterial infections we treat include:

impetigo:

cellulitis:

and lymphangitis.

Common viral infections we treat include:

Warts:

Molluscum Contagiosum:

Herpes Simplex:

Chickenpox:

Shingles:

Childhood viral disorders such as measles:

and Fifth's disease:

Moles (nevi) come in many sizes and shapes. Harmless nevi are usually smooth, regular in color and regular in shape. These may appear at any age and may grow slowly.

Red moles (Cherry angiomas) usually appear later in life. These may be very tiny or up to 1/4 of an inch. These may bleed but seldom grow quickly.

Soft flesh colored moles are usually harmless growths called neurofibromas. These are ofter single lesions but are occasionally found in syndromes where there are many.

Seborrheic keratoses are a very common growth that increase in number with age. These are often dark but may be a light brown. These have a rough, almost waxy surface. These are harmless growths.

There are three common skin cancers. These are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma. There are also spots that we call pre-cancerous such as actinic keratoses and atypical nevi.

Pre-cancerous growths

Actinic keratoses are rough, slightly red spots usually found on the head, neck, arms, chest and legs. They may develop into squamous cell carcinoma. They are treated with liquid nitrogen or topical therapies.

Atypical nevi are moles that are changing. These are slightly irregular in color and shape. We will remove these to avoid them turning into a cancerous mole.

Skin Cancers

Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer. This usually appears as a pink patch when on the trunk or a slightly clear (pearl colored) bump when on the face.

There is a less common worrisome sub-type of basal cell carcinoma, called morpheaform. This often is more indistinct and may even look like a scar. It may demonstrate extensive growth without bleeding or changing the appearance of the skin significantly.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinomas are usually rough spots that are thickened. These are also found mostly on the hands, arms, legs and face. This type of cancer may also be found on the lower lip where it appears as a thick spot that does not heal.

Malignant Melanoma

Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. This often starts as a flat, irregularly colored and shaped mole.

When thinking of a melanoma, it is best to think of the A,B,C,D's of moles.

• "A" Asymmetry - one half does not match the other

• "B" Border - iregular or ragged edge

• "C" Color - different colors within the mole with brown, black, red, and white

• "D" Diameter - the mole is larger than a pencil eraser

Any changing mole should be evaluated by a dermatologist.

We provide general pediatric dermatology care in addition to consultations for primary care doctors and other dermatologists. Common treated conditions include: warts, acne, molluscum, atopic dermatitis, eczema, rashes, birthmarks of all types, moles, scars, nail abnormalities, hair abnormalities, skin fungal and bacterial infections.

Two of our dermatologists have been board certified in pediatrics and have additional experience and training in the skin diseases of childhood.

We provide comprehensive services for the treatment and management of all forms of skin cancer with emphasis on the three most common forms - Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Melanoma.

We employ a broad spectrum of treatments to include topical or intralesional therapy, destructive therapies with burning or freezing and specialized office excisional surgical procedures including Mohs surgery, depending on the type and location of the tumor.

Mohs Micrographic Surgery

This is a technique developed to treat difficult, extensive, aggressive, and recurrent skin cancers. By combining in-office surgery with in-office pathology evaluation, we are able to remove tumors in an organized and practical fashion.

The technique allows us to offer a much higher cure rate with minimal normal skin removed around the tumor. This allows us to perform reconstructive and cosmetic repair of the wound in the same appointment.

The surgery is accomplished with just a local anesthetic and our in-office laboratory eliminates any additional pathology or hospital costs.