Skinmatters Blog (All Posts)

Fleas are bloodsucking parasitic insects that live on pets, livestock, and humans. Human fleas (Pulex irritans) are relatively uncommon, and the species most likely to bite humans is the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) or the rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis).

What bit me? 

Bedbugs. Scabies. Fleas. Spiders. Ticks. Lice… All can cause rashes, itching, and a lot of worry. The recent surge in bedbugs in eastern cities has everyone talking about how to find and kill bed bugs. But if you have a new rash or itchy red bumps, how do you know if bed bugs are the cause?  Maybe your skin problem is not even related to insects or bugs and is caused by something different altogether. Many skin disorders like eczema (atopic dermatitis) and/or infections of your pores (known as folliculitis) can have  an itchy rash, and these conditions have nothing to do with biting bugs, although people often wrongly assume that these common skin conditions are “bug” related.

It’s hard to believe how quickly the summer has come and gone. It seems no sooner than we were gearing up once again to inform and educate about the sun and skin, it is time to shift gears and begin getting ready for school.

This month the Skinsight team will be focusing on “back to school” topics both for teens and young adults as well as for younger children. Additionally we’ll be taking some time to talk about how you can help your skin recover from summer.

Dr. Lisa Ginn will be blogging about common skin care product ingredients and regimens such as emollients and exfoliants.

We will check in with Dr. Bernhard and Dr. Goldsmith about some common skin conditions to be aware of as children return to school.

An experimental drug called PLX4032 shrunk advanced melanoma tumors in 81% of patients, according to an early phase study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. For two patients, the tumors disappeared completely, while in 24 others the tumor shrank by more than 30%. In most cases the shrinkage was temporary, so the goal is for the drug to be combined with other treatments to produce a long-lasting effect. PLX4032 is designed to target tumor cells with a mutation in a gene called BRAF.

Psoriasis is a chronic scaly skin condition that affects primarily the top layer of the skin, or epidermis. The cause of psoriasis, while not entirely understood, is due in part to an individual's inherited genetic background and its interactions with the immune system and skin cells. Within psoriatic skin, there is an exaggerated immune response, which leads to overproduction, or hyperproliferation, of skin cells in the epidermis. Overactivation of the immune system in psoriasis also leads to inflammation, and together these phenomena are manifested by the thick, red, scaly skin that characterizes psoriasis.

Testimonial by Gina M

I’m forty years old and was diagnosed with psoriasis five months ago. Despite my late diagnosis, psoriasis has always been a part of my life and has taught me valuable lessons in empathy and self-confidence.

What will my doctor prescribe for psoriasis?

How can I get rid of the scaly skin and rash from psoriasis?

I love meeting a new patient who has come to the dermatologist's office for the first time for acne. Although it has been over a decade, I still remember clearly being a teenager who was extremely self-conscious about my appearance, and frustrated with acne. I tried many over-the-counter products with no sustained results. It wasn't until several years later when I saw a dermatologist and started a regimen of prescription medications that I really felt comfortable about taking control of my acne and feeling great in my skin. I enjoy treating patients with acne because I relate to their frustrations, and also feel confident that we will be able to work together to make their skin better.

How can I tell if my rash is psoriasis?