Skin care routines are increasingly popular online searches among young women (and men!), with TikTok and Instagram serving as hotspots for viral trends that come and go in the blink of an eye! In this blog, Dr. Travers weighs in on the social media’s influence on our youth’s skin care regimen and offers tips to navigate online beauty advice. Given the popularity of skin care searches on social media, it is not surprising that we commonly see in our clinic at Skincare Physicians, young individuals who have embraced elaborate multistep skin care routines that they have discovered and purchased themselves. … Continue reading »
It’s that time of year again, when students head back to school. Unfortunately, this season often brings with it acne flares for high school and college students, pimples and blackheads that accompany books and laptops! Acne is a chronic skin condition that involves the face, neck, chest and back. The sebaceous glands in these areas become overactive, often stimulated by the hormonal changes of puberty. Acne cannot be cured, but there are many treatments available. It can be discouraging for students who might have had their acne under excellent control during the summer months to suddenly find that their acne … Continue reading »
As we get older, we all accumulate skin growths. Although many people may call these growths, “moles”, they can be altogether different. As SkinCare Physicians dermatologists, we perform full skin examinations frequently to screen for new or changing skin growths that might be skin cancers or precursors to skin cancers. While performing these so-called “mole patrols”, we commonly see many normal skin lumps and bumps that are not moles at all! Remaining vigilant by monitoring your own skin and scheduling an appointment with your dermatologist when you notice changing moles, is important. Understanding when a mole is not a mole, … Continue reading »
Itching on the back can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you can’t reach the area to give it a good scratch! It always seems that the back is itchiest where it is just out of reach. Of course, it is always best to treat the source of itching, in order to avoid scratching. The source may not just be simple dry skin, but irritant contact dermatitis or even a sensory neuropathy. Here is what you need to know about these forms of itching, and how to treat them. Simple dry skin The most common cause of itching on the back … Continue reading »
Many of the SkinCare Physicians staff are working from home during this COVID-19 crisis. But Taylor Broderson, RN, has taken a short-term position at the Boston Hope Medical Center, and she took the opportunity to give us some insight about her experience on the frontlines of this pandemic. Taylor had her first shift at Boston Hope Medical Center as a registered nurse this past week. Boston Hope Medical center is a 1,000-bed field hospital that was built in the Seaport’s Convention Center to prepare for an anticipated increase in COVID-19 cases across the city. 500 beds are for post-acute COVID-19 … Continue reading »
Several weeks ago, SkinCare Physicians published a blog that focused on the role of proper handwashing technique in slowing the coronavirus pandemic. Today, our dermatologists will deal with the follow-up problem that should not be left untreated: hand dermatitis. This is the dry, cracked, irritated and inflamed skin condition on the hands and wrists which many of our patients are experiencing with all of the increased handwashing and hand sanitizing. In fact, one of the indicators that you’ve been following the handwashing recommendations well is if you are now struggling with hand dermatitis! Even in normal years, the dermatologists at … Continue reading »
Frequent handwashing, done properly, offers an effective prevention tool against viruses, especially when vaccines or medical treatments are not available. Flu season is in full swing across America. The CDC’s weekly map of cases in the US shows widespread influenza in almost all states. To make this virus season worse, the outbreak of respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) has reached the United States. CDC is closely monitoring the outbreak. At this time, there is no vaccine to protect against it and no medications approved to treat it. So, how can you protect yourself? What are the very … Continue reading »
Extended, unprotected exposure to the sun can harm the skin for a myriad of reasons such as skin cancer and aging, but photodermatoses, or “sun poisoning”, is a slightly less common but still dangerous effect of sun exposure. Many patients use the term “sun poisoning”, but what does it really mean? We asked dermatologist Dr. Robin Travers to explain the skin condition and its symptoms. Sun Poisoning Variations Sun poisoning is similar to severe sunburn, which can lead to patient confusion if symptoms go beyond those they may usually get from a day in the sun. Here are five different … Continue reading »
In winter time and early spring everyone’s skin is dry, cracked and flaky. Because of this “xerosis”, fine lines and wrinkles look more noticeable. The skin is your body’s largest organ and it represents the first line of defense against bacteria, viruses, and irritants. If that skin barrier function is disrupted, even by simple dry skin, that puts our patients at risk for infection and dermatitis. Knowing how your skin become dry and how moisturizers work to retain water will help you to keep your skin well hydrated yearlong. How does our skin become dry? We all lose up to … Continue reading »
Have you ever heard a story about someone with head lice and then felt itchy for the rest of the day? There is a reason for this “contagious itching”! Researchers at Temple University* used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to get some answers. fMRI offers a way to measure brain activity by detecting changes associated with cerebral blood flow. In patients who were chronically itchy (such as those with atopic dermatitis, or eczema) who were shown a video of people scratching, their brains lit up in the supplemental motor areas, an area that can prompt people to action, such as … Continue reading »
