While poison ivy is most dangerous in spring and summer, you may still get a rash this fall. Poison ivy leaves are among the first one to turn red in the fall and their beautiful colors can fool you. We asked our dermatologist Dr. Tania Phillips to give us a quick refresher on poison ivy rash, treatments and prevention. What could happen if your skin is exposed to poison ivy? After being exposed to poison oak, poison ivy or sumac, many people get a very itchy blistering rash. The rash is caused by uroshiol, an oil found in these plants. … Continue reading »
Many of our patients at SkinCare Physicians ask if they should change their diet to help improve their acne. Fortunately, there have been many studies looking at possible links between diet and acne. SkinCare Physicians’ Dr. Tania Phillips sheds some light on which foods to avoid and which foods can help. Foods to avoid High glycemic foods – sugar, white bread, white pasta, and other simple carbohydrates: A study published in July 2018 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that diets containing a lot of foods with a high glycemic foods were strongly linked to acne. … Continue reading »
A lot of our patients at SkinCare Physicians are experiencing dry itchy skin at this time of year. This infographic shows in 6 easy steps what you can do to minimize your symptoms and moisturize your skin more effectively. Step 1: Take short warm showers. It’s always tempting to take a long hot shower in winter, but this will make your skin’s dryness and itching worse. Step 2: Use a mild unscented soap or soap free cleanser, such as Dove or Cetaphil. Harsh soaps can dry out your skin. Harsh soaps can dry out your skin. Step 3: Only use … Continue reading »
Pregnancy comes with a lot of changes including in the medications you can take. Here is what you should know about acne treatments while pregnant. The forbidden acne medications during pregnancy Some medications should not be taken during pregnancy. These include: Isotretinoin Spironolactone Tazarotene Antibiotics such as doxycycline, minocycline, and tetracycline Not recommended acne treatments during pregnancy Most experts recommend stopping the following treatments: Topical retinoids including adapalene and tretinoin creams. Topical dapsone, brand-name aczone. While dapsone has not caused birth defects in animal studies, physicians would not recommend it during pregnancy as research data is limited (researchers tend not … Continue reading »
Not only is winter cold and flu season, but it is also one of the most active seasons for head lice breakouts in numerous schools. These tiny critters love to travel from hats to hoods to ear muffs hung and stored next to each other at school. That’s why head lice are very common, particularly in school children during the winter. Dr. Phillips, dermatologist at SkinCare Physicians, shares a few tips on how to detect and treat head lice. It is estimated that up to 12 million children, between the ages of three and twelve, get head lice every year. … Continue reading »
Chronic venous insufficiency is a condition where there is a poor venous return from the legs to the heart. This is usually related to incompetent or leaking veins in the legs. The condition is often associated with leg swelling and varicose veins. Varicose veins are more common in women than in men and may be associated with previous pregnancies, trauma to the legs (such as a fracture), previous surgery or previous clots in the legs. There is often a family tendency to varicose veins and there might also be inherited tendencies for the blood to clot more easily. Signs and … Continue reading »
Molluscum Contagiosum is a common skin disease caused by a pox virus. This virus is easily spread from person to person by skin contact or by sharing towels or clothing. Skincare Physicians’ Dr. Tania Phillips shares the basics about this common skin disease. What does Molluscum Contagiosum look like? Molluscum Contagiosum usually appears as tiny skin colored tiny bumps which can range in number from 1 – 2 to 10 – 20 bumps. Molluscum is usually painless; occasionally it can be itchy. Molluscum can appear anywhere on the body. It is commonly seen on the arms, legs and trunk. Is Molluscum … Continue reading »
Chances are that your child or a kid you know suffer from eczema – also called atopic dermatitis. Learning more about eczema will help you treat your child’s symptoms and flares more effectively. Dr. Tania Phillips, a dermatologist at SkinCare Physicians near Boston, explains the basics about this common skin condition, and offers helpful treatment instructions. What is eczema or atopic dermatitis? Dermatitis means inflammation of the skin. Atopic dermatitis or Eczema is a common skin disorder that affects 10 – 20% of children. It results in a rash and skin that is dry, itchy, inflamed and infected. What causes eczema or … Continue reading »
You may be one of these people who got his/her first painful cold sore last summer. Don’t be surprised, the sun exposure can trigger cold sores, also called fever blisters, and 90% of us will get at least one in our lifetime. The good news is that the first occurrence of a cold sore is often the worst and only 40% of American adults will develop fever blisters frequently. Our Boston dermatologists encourage you to learn the basics about cold sores in case you get another one. What are cold sores sores are caused by a virus called herpes simplex type … Continue reading »
Melanoma is a very serious form of skin cancer, but the good news is that survival rates are high if it is detected and treated early. To help her patients to detect melanoma, Boston dermatologist Dr. Tania Phillips gives them a simple list of questions to answer and asks them to remember their ABCDEs. Are you at risk for melanoma? If you answer YES to one or more of the following questions, you might be more likely to develop melanoma and we recommend that you get your skin examined regularly by a dermatologist. However, it does not mean that you will get melanoma. … Continue reading »
