Category: Our Blog

What are the best ways to look great this holiday season? When it comes to your skin, Toronto Dermatology Centre has the answer for you.

Not only do we want to look extra special for all of the holiday parties, we also want to look great for relatives we haven’t seen in a long time, friends, and maybe that someone special we want to impress. While dealing with cold weather, stress, not enough sleep, and the results of too many sweets or alcoholic beverages, somehow we still want that glowing, silky smooth skin that we are forever striving to achieve.

While there may not be enough time now to deal with bigger issues such as acne scars, there are some things that help to give instant brightening and a fresher look for the holidays. 

The Laser Genesis treats so many skin conditions, but what I like is the fact that even by the next day, the skin appears smoother, tighter and pores appear so much smaller. I find the skin tightening effect can last up to a month, and the collagen it produces is an added bonus for down the road.

The Bela MD+ microdermabrasion treamtent infuses ingredients such as Vitamin C or hydrating ingredients directly into the skin during the microdermabrasion. Another treatment that gives instant freshness to the skin with no downtime and is quite pleasant to have done.

Our physicians can plump up the volume in the lips, cheeks and other areas that may be depleted from aging or weight loss with fillers. Again, the results are quick and make you feel like you had a mini facelift…. without surgery or downtime. Our doctors give natural results so that the patient looks renewed, not fake, and their credentials and experience makes them amongst the best in the business.

Finally, home care is very important. Although some of our products help the skin in the long run, there are several that will help give the skin a “pick me up” within a day or two. Be sure to ask our medical estheticians which ones are best for your skin.

If you are unsure of what the best option for you skin might be, don’t hesitate to come in and see us. Consults are always complimentary and only take about 15 minutes. You could be walking out with refreshed, happy skin….. just in time for the season’s celebrations. And why not look your best? You deserve it!

Our dermatologists recently hosted renowned local Rheumatologist Dr. Shikha Mittoo who educated us on the overlap of many rheumatologic conditions with dermatology, in particular psoriatic arthritis. We are constantly learning and bringing in experts, and traveling to conferences far and wide, to be able to provide the most expert medical and cosmetic care of the skin to our patients.

George Herbert Walker Bush, our 41st President, passed away last night. This commentary is a personal reflection on a “pen pal” experience in 1986 that still makes me smile.

“When you see something, say something” has an alternative meaning to a dermatologist.

Skin lesions are observed on photographs, television, and in the movies. Whether it is Bill Clinton’s rosacea, Richard Gere’s Becker’s nevus, or Mikhail Gorbachev’s port wine stain, I have to consciously ignore these conditions to concentrate on why I am watching them in the first place.

On February 13th, 1986, the cover of the Sunday New York Times Magazine section displayed a full-face photograph of then Vice President George H.W. Bush. His sun damage was striking – undoubtedly a consequence of summers at Walker’s Point in Kennebunkport, his service in the Pacific Theater near Chichi-Jima, and in the Texas oilfield sun. I was most concerned that a freckle (solar lentigo) on his right temple could have been an early melanoma (lentigo maligna). I was less worried about a red lesion on his nose, thinking that was more likely due to pressure from his glasses rather than a pre-cancerous lesion (actinic keratosis).

It is one thing to express concern to a stranger when noticing a suspicious lesion in person – but from a photograph? Initially, I was not going to mention anything because I assumed the Vice President had superlative medical care. But then I felt guilty – what if I subsequently learned that he had melanoma and I was reticent? I decided to write to Mr. Bush, recommending that he have a complete skin examination, with no expectation that my letter would even be read – at least my guilt would be alleviated.

Mr. Bush was found to have a basal cell carcinoma on his left cheek, which was excised on May 15th, as detailed in Lawrence K. Altman’s column, “The Doctor’s World” (Basal Cell Carcinoma: Most Benign Malignancy, New York Times, May 20, 1986).

Check out the rest of the story here.

Credit: drwarrenrheymann.com

The skin that covers your lips is unique. It doesn’t have sweat or oil glands and it’s the thinnest skin on your body. That makes it especially vulnerable to day-to-day aggressors, like sun, wind, heat, salty foods and dryness. Add aging into the mix and you’ve got a recipe for extra dry and uncomfortable lips.

“Lips are delicate and undergo a lot of abuse from foods (rough, acidic, etc), the elements (windy weather, long dry winters), and aren’t protected by clothing,” explains Dr. Benjamin Barankin, a dermatologist and medical director of the Toronto Dermatology Centre. “And sometimes we cause our own troubles by picking or licking them.”

Winter often takes a toll. Heating our homes, frigid winds and a lack of humidity makes dryness worse. Lips can become cracked and painful quickly since they have the highest density of nerve endings of any spot on your body. That’s when we tend to lick our lips the most. Though it might make them feel a bit better in the moment, it’s a practice that will only exacerbate the problem, so try to resist the temptation.

Click here to see full article.

Credit: youareunltd.com

Our very own Dr. Benjamin Barankin was once again interviewed by Global News about skin issues, this time, chapped lips.

Cold weather and more specifically cold air, actually changes the surface of the lips.

“On top of that, we heat [our skin] which dries out the air further, so ultimately there is less ambient humidity and moisture for the lips,” said Dr. Benjamin Barankin, dermatologist and medical director of Toronto Dermatology Centre.

“There is also the aspect of wind burn which is hard on the lips.”

Does lip balm work?

Some say using lip balm leads to drier lips down the road and for people who have gone through a number of products, it can seem like nothing works. For chapped lip sufferers, the options of lip treatments from oils to balms to serums can seem endless.

Dermatologist Dr. Julia Carroll of Compass Dermatology in Toronto, told Global News simplicity is the best method for treating dry, chapped lips.

“[A product like] Vaseline or Aquaphor is probably healing the lips. The problem is a lot of these products have added ingredients that are plant-derived or scented that are irritating to the lips.”

Companies also tend to focus on mint or “holiday” flavoured lip balms this time of the year, but Carroll said people with chapped lips should avoid it. “You may not notice it right away, but it is a culminating effect over time, she explained, adding that these products penetrate your cracked lips and create further irritation.

Mint also has a tingly sensation, which some people believe is working or medicating — this isn’t always the case.

He recommended sticking to balms that are greasy, scent-free and with very few ingredients. Carroll also doesn’t mind using coconut oil.

Stop licking your lips

But if there’s a public service announcement that experts in the skincare community want to stress, it’s that dry lips become drier when we add saliva to the mix.

“Licking your lips will dry them out due to the evaporation that occurs,” Barankin explained. “What you can do, is lick or moisten your lips with a lukewarm water damp cloth soak for 10 to 20 seconds, and then immediately after, apply a thick greasy ChapStick/lip balm to lock in the water.”

You know it’s a bad idea to pop your pimples. Dermatologists say so. “If the inflamed or infected material”—i.e., the pimple pus—“is not easily extruded with a little pressure, you could force it deep and spread the extent of the inflammation, and even cause permanent scarring and pitting of the skin,” says Dr. Michael Olding, a dermatologist and chief of plastic surgery at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

But despite these warnings, many find it hard to resist evicting the unsightly little squatters that set up shop in their skin. One dermatologist, Dr. Sandra Lee, has even made a social media career out of the obsession. As “Dr. Pimple Popper,” she extracts blackheads, whiteheads and cysts in YouTube clips that have garnered tens of millions of views. (This year, she even got her own TV show on TLC.)

Continue to read more.

Credit: Times.com

Certified Dermatologist Kerri Purdy, MD, FRCPC, describes causes, effects, and treatments of eczema.