Medical Dermatology

23 Aug

Posted at 17:52h in Authors, Dr. Derrick Adams, Medical Dermatology by

Lyme Disease In Northern California

No summer dermatology series would be complete without a few words on ticks and Lyme disease. While relatively uncommon in the north state, Lyme disease is here and likely gaining ground. Traditionally, we think of Lyme disease as being an East Coast problem, but it is now found across 48 states. To put it in perspective, there were 1,964 cases confirmed in Connecticut in 2010, compared to California's 126 cases confirmed. The disease is admittedly underreported, but we still pale in comparison to the East Coast.

14 Jul

Posted at 00:26h in Authors, Dr. Derrick Adams, Medical Dermatology, Skin Care Information by

There's Help For Excessive Sweating

Hands down, there is nothing a dermatologist can do more to help someone's quality of life than stop their excessive sweating.

If you find that statement ridiculous, you probably do not have a sweating problem. Excessive sweating can make you appear uncomfortable, nervous or even ill. It can be a socially disabling condition and lead to isolation and insecurity. An estimated 3 percent of Americans suffer through the day trying to hide and mask their sweating. The incidence is possibly higher, but the degree of embarrassment people experience likely limits self-reporting of this condition.

03 Jul

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

Sorting Out The New Rules On Sunscreen

Is an SPF of 100 better than 50? What do the terms waterproof, water resistant and broad spectrum really mean?

If you are confused, you are not alone. After a lot of arm wrestling back and forth, the FDA finalized its sweeping new sunscreen guidelines for consumers and they go into effect this year.

16 Mar

Posted at 16:13h in Authors, Dr. Derrick Adams, Medical Dermatology by

What Are Shingles?

If you are over 60, chances are that your doctor has immunized you with the shingles vaccine or counseled you to get it. At least that is what the folks at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta hope will happen. But even the best laid medical plans go awry in our world of managed care, cost shifting, and vaccine phobia.

27 Jan

Posted at 22:17h in Authors, Dr. Derrick Adams, Medical Dermatology by

Suffering From Rosacea?

Are you a flusher? A blusher? Tired of that chronic redness on your face or your adult acne? You may very well have a treatable condition called rosacea.

Rosacea, or the “Curse of the Celts” as it is historically known, tends to plague those of northern European heritage unequally higher than other backgrounds. It is a dirt-common disease that is just beginning to be understood by modern medicine.

13 Dec

Posted at 23:23h in Authors, Dr. Derrick Adams, Medical Dermatology, Skin Care Information by
It is said that "chronic itch is the skin equivalent to pain." Itching disrupts sleep, limits your activities, diminishes your concentration and generally is quite maddening. We will scratch, claw and tear up our skin to satisfy that annoying itch sensation. It is poorly understood by modern medicine but the burden on patients is very real and taxing to even the most stoic of individuals. A psychological component complicates its definition and study, as just thinking about itchy things can cause you to itch.

10 Nov

Posted at 20:26h in Authors, Dr. Derrick Adams, Medical Dermatology, Skin Cancer, Skin Care Information by

So You Think Your Moles Look Fine?

You have heard the message by now: Melanoma is deadly. You also probably know that it is the fastest growing cancer in the United States and that one American every hour dies from melanoma. Millimeter for millimeter, it is the deadliest cancer. Rather than bore you with statistics on this horrid disease, allow me to share with you some fascinating background on it you may not have heard before.

25 Oct

Posted at 19:25h in Authors, Dr. Derrick Adams, Medical Dermatology, Skin Cancer, Skin Care Information by
I see men in my office every day. Most come in under their own volition while many are dragged in by wives and girlfriends. We don’t like to admit it, but we have many of the same skin concerns as women: odd-shaped blemishes; hair in the all wrong places; skin ravaged by the passage of years brought on by a lifestyle that perhaps wasn’t very healthy. We don’t feel like the person looking back at us in the mirror.