 Acne is actually a wide variety of complex disease states, from small bumps to red inflammatory nodules and pustules, all influenced by genetic and hormonal makeup. To help understand it, we start with the fact that the human body is covered with millions of hairs, the vast majority so small they can’t be seen. But you can see the pores where the hairs protrude. And that’s where the trouble begins.
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 Q: Are there alternatives to Botox for effectively treating my frown lines?
A: Well that’s a great question, but the answer may be “yes and no” – let me give a little background. After thousands of repetitive motions, muscle contractions, like frowning, wear deep grooves in the skin. One practical anti-aging strategy is to find ways to lessen the impact of facial expression on our faces. That’s where Botox® Cosmetic often comes in.
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 Q: I’ve heard that baths with diluted bleach can successfully treat kids with eczema. Is this true?
A: Common household bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is best known as the product that “makes whites whiter,” but diluted bleach has also been used as a dental antiseptic and, in certain forms, as a wound disinfectant. Given the common perception of bleach as an irritant, one would think that bathing in it would be harmful, but clinical trials have actually proven this treatment to be very effective.
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 Which state has the highest per capita prevalence of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer? A good guess may be Florida or the sun-drenched states of the Southwest, but it’s actually Oregon. Even in a state with months of overcast skies and drizzle, skin cancer is a pervasive and potentially deadly disease.
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 I recently treated a patient for perlèche, a sometimes painful and persistent rash that occurs at the corners of the mouth. This often fungal condition is typically caused by an overgrowth of Candida, and my patient asked if it could be aggravated by stress. It was the right question to ask. If you are stressed, not sleeping well, and getting rashes and breakouts, it may well be the case that these symptoms are all related.
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 Warm summer months can provoke some unusual but recognizable rashes due to a combination of sun exposure and leisure activities. Imagine the following: You’ve recently had a weekend barbecue where the signature drink was the mojito – a concoction of rum, lime juice, mint leaves, and some other basic ingredients on ice. You’ve enjoyed this drink before without any problems – so why have you developed a painful rash on your hands after serving them to your friends at your backyard party?
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 The variations in skin color and tone we see across the human race is limitless. This amazing diversity is determined by the amount of pigment known as melanin, which is produced by specialized pigment-forming skin cells called melanocytes.
Vitiligo is a skin condition caused by the destruction of melanocytes. It can affect any location on the body, and it manifests as a conspicuous white patch or patches. Although vitiligo affects all ethnicities equally, it is most noticeable in patients with darker skin. Entertainer Michael Jackson was perhaps the most famous sufferer of vitiligo.
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 Physicians have long understood the role of vitamin D in bone growth (1). Recently, though, new attention has focused on the role of vitamin D in many other body processes, including the functioning of immune and neural cells. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an increased susceptibility to influenza and tuberculosis infections; cardiovascular, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative diseases; and multiple cancers, including colon, breast, ovary, and prostate.
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 Summer days and nights invite us to relax, so what could be better than a nice soak in the hot tub after an afternoon of gardening, golfing, or hiking? No harm, right? Not necessarily. Occasionally, you may find an unexpected surprise in the days that follow – an itchy rash.
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 Greetings!
Long summer days call us outdoors, and that means skin is more vulnerable than ever. From mosquito bites and bee stings to sunburn and scraped knees, our skin is subject to much more potential harm during the summer.
We all know that we must wear sunscreen to help protect us from the sun’s radiation. Is sunlight itself a bad thing? Of course not. The issue, many believe, is the shrinking of the ozone layer, earth’s natural sunscreen, which filters the most harmful radiation. When the ozone layer is healthy, we’re better protected from and in balance with the sun. We need its healing rays to not only nourish plants and animals but to activate vitamin D in our bodies. When we protect ourselves from the sun, we’re also potentially robbing ourselves of vital vitamin D. So what are we to do?
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