Vita Dermatology Blog

09 Oct

Posted at 00:00h in Authors, Dr. Derrick Adams, Medical Dermatology, Skin Allergies, Skin Care Information by

Allergic Skin Reactions

“Anybody can become allergic to anything at any time.” These were the wise words of man I trained under who specialized in allergic skin reactions. I find myself repeating this mantra daily. Usually when a mystery rash has crept into one’s life, human nature tends to blame anything new. Was it the new shampoo? New kitten? Spray the yard guy used? Or the (insert new event/product here)? After all why would your tried and true products suddenly turn on you? If eliminating the new exposure doesn’t cause the rash to disappear, you should consider an allergy to an old product. The product didn’t change. You did.

26 Sep

Posted at 00:00h in Authors, Dr. Derrick Adams, Skin Care Information by

Bruising In Older Patients

“I promise I don’t beat him” chuckled the ninety-one pound octogenarian about her husband’s black and blue forearms and hands.

I have been surprised with how much concern and worry there is around bruising of the forearms in my older patients. I personally have distinct memories of my grandparents’ arms being black and blue at times; sometimes with little tears. I think I just assumed everyone knew this was not unusual. Granted it does not happen to everyone. But it is so common that I was always a little perplexed when patients seem confounded by it. But one day I asked, “I understand you are concerned. But don’t you have friends your age that this is happening to also?” And the man’s answer put it all in perspective for me: “Yes, but I never figured it would happen to me!”

12 Sep

Posted at 00:00h in Authors, Dr. Derrick Adams, Medical Dermatology by

Basal Cell Carcinoma

Sometimes truth and everyday reality is stranger than fiction. Had someone told me that someday I would be discussing one-eyed cyclopean sheep and sonic hedgehogs with my skin cancer patients, I would have laughed. But alas! Dermatologists are now sharing the bizarre tale of these creatures with patients diagnosed with complicated forms of a common skin cancer called Basal Cell Carcinoma.

03 Jul

Posted at 17:19h in Acne Care, Authors, Dr. Derrick Adams, Medical Dermatology, Skin Care Information by

Forget The Teen Cleansers And Find Out How To Treat Adult Acne Effectively

“But I never had acne as a teenager!” says the distraught 30-year-old woman.

Oh, how often those exact words are uttered in my office. Acne is a normal part of adolescence and something you will eventually outgrow, right? Conventional wisdom says that adults have cancer and heart disease to worry about, not pimples. For many women, though, the breakouts do not start until adulthood.

30 Apr

Posted at 19:41h in Authors, Dr. Derrick Adams, Medical Dermatology, Skin Cancer, Skin Care Information by

Does Aspirin Decrease Melanoma Risk? Data Show It Might

Doctors have been prescribing it for decades for its protective cardiovascular properties. Millions of beating hearts are benefiting from it right now. Its ability to relieve pain and fever is so well known that “Take two aspirin and call me in the morning” is engrained in our psyche.

21 Mar

Posted at 22:11h in Authors, Dr. Derrick Adams, Medical Dermatology, Skin Cancer, Skin Care Information by

Skin Cancer Phone App

Would you trust a smartphone app to spot your melanoma? Apps do about everything fairly well, so why wouldn’t you?

The Journal of the American Medical Association Dermatology reports that 3 out of the 4 apps designed to detect melanoma fail miserably when put to the test. The three that failed were all based on automatic algorithms. The best score among of these types of apps misidentified a startling 30 percent of melanoma as benign lesions. One program found only 7 percent of confirmed images of melanoma to be rated as “suspicious.” The only app to score well sent the image to a board certified dermatologist who evaluated the image. (No, it was not me and I do not know this individual).

04 Mar

Posted at 23:16h in Authors, Dr. Derrick Adams, Medical Dermatology, Skin Care Information by

Avoid Causes And Shorten Cold Sore Outbreaks

You probably have heard by now that the cold sores on your lip are a form of herpes. This is true. While classically not associated with the same strain that causes genital herpes, there are ever increasing rates of crossover infections. In the interest of clarity, I am focusing on lip cold sores today; some people refer to them as fever blisters.