Skin Care and Beauty

The primary purpose of a moisturizer is to make your skin feel better by reducing dryness. Moisturizers do not prevent wrinkles or aging. If you do not have dry skin, you do not need a moisturizer. Using the wr... continue reading  about  What does serum used under a moisturizer do, and is it necessary? What is the best moisturizer?

Your primary care physician is correct about benign seborrheic keratoses. They are considered by Medicare to be cosmetic unless they are causing irritation such as itching, bleeding, pain or get caught on cloth... continue reading  about  I'm 75 and have keratosis on my face and upper torso. My PCP is sometimes reluctant to take care of them using LN2, since Medicare regards this as cosmetic. Does the wart remover "Freeze Away" work sufficiently or is there a better product?

The most common skin blotches that appear after many years of sun exposure are called solar lentigos. These brown spots are smooth and do not have a rough texture. They are caused by years of unprotected sun ex... continue reading  about  I'm 50 and don't spend a lot of time in the sun. I use sunscreen but I've noticed that I'm getting darker skin blotches, not like moles but damaged skin cells. My MD isn't worried, but I don't like the look. How do I get rid of them and protect my skin?

Non-surgical nose reshaping is a popular alternative to traditional nose reshaping surgery for patients who seek to correct mild to moderate nasal imperfections without having to undergo surgery. In non-surgica... continue reading  about  I've contemplated having a nose job because of a bump on my nose. I read about a non-surgical procedure that uses fillers, like Restylane, to reshape the nose. Can you tell me more about this? Are there risks involved? How often would I need to do this?

Facial fillers, such as Restylane and Juvederm, are injected using very small needles. Recently, an alternative technique for injecting fillers using blunt-tipped microcannulas has been developed. Yes, the tech... continue reading  about  I've had my lips augmented with dermal fillers and like the results, but don't like the bruising. I read about a new technique using a "blunt-tip cannula" that replaces needles. Is it available in Northern California and is it better?

Dark brown coloring of the knees is often also associated with some thickening of the skin. In most patients, it would be due to a condition called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation due to friction from cloth... continue reading  about  What causes dark hyperpigmentation in the skin on the knees? And what can be done for this?

It is not unusual for women to develop skin color changes around menopause. The skin is sensitive to hormone changes of the body at this time of life, in a similar way that the skin changes during pregnancy or ... continue reading  about  I'm a 54-year-old African-American woman (menopausal) who is experiencing facial discoloration, especially around my mouth and chin. My complexion is normally brown/caramel. Since menopause I have light patches of skin in this area. What can I do?

It is not unusual for an adult or a teenager to develop acne on the chest and back. However, it is important to be sure that hormonal problems are not the cause of acne in these locations. Although internal hor... continue reading  about  I'm a woman in my 20s who gets acne on her back and chest. What is causing this (as I rarely get acne on my face), and what can I do to treat and prevent it?

There are two basic types of cosmetic laser treatments that offer skin rejuvenation. There are classified as ablative and non-ablative. The most effective for wrinkle removal and collagen regeneration is the CO... continue reading  about  I've heard about laser skin treatments for collagen rejuvenation. Can you tell me how it works and how many treatments I'll need? Also, does the treatment hurt and what can I expect afterwards?