A recent study published in the March 2014 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that those patients diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer were significantly more likely to have an earlier stage of melanoma (better prognosis) than those who did not have a regular dermatologist.
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Continuing his ongoing dermatology teaching and education of family physicians and pediatricians, Dr. Benjamin Barankin just published two medical papers in Consultant for Pediatricians on: nevus depigmentosus and benign primary milia.
Our very own dermatologist Dr. Benjamin Barankin has published several medical scientific papers on sports dermatology, and has worked with many professional athletes and is currently team dermatologist to the professional TFC soccer team and University of Toronto Varsity athletes.
He was recently chosen to become the Consultant Dermatologist for the National Wheelchair Basketball Academy. As an avid basketball player himself, Dr. Barankin is very excited for this opportunity to work with top basketball athletes.
Once again yesterday I had a patient with self-inflicted burns and scars from trying to remove her own skin tags with an over the counter liquid nitrogen treatment. To be clear, we have seen repeated burns and scarring and skin discoloration, much of it permanent. In this case with white scars, there is no way to fix this, and so a highly visible area of her body is permanently disfigured….
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Interesting new research just presented at the American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting found that Botox, typically used for reducing frown lines, Crow’s feet and other facial wrinkles (among many other indications including Hyperhidrosis/excessive sweating, migraines and more), had a 6 month antidepressant effect (along with a 4 months cosmetic benefit) in the 30 participants that were studied after their treatment with Botox. Certainly more work needs to be done in this area, but this is very promising and hopefully can add to the treatment options for depression which can often be very difficult to treat.
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Laser: Understanding the discomfort of heat from treatments
It is always surprising to me when I am about to start a service such as laser or a chemical peel on someone and they ask me if there will be any discomfort. I can’t say how many times people are shocked to learn that something as intense as destroying a hair follicle root might include a certain amount of heat. For that matter, a chemical peel may carry a degree of heat or a prickly sensation that is often an unthought-of side effect. Well, we are taking off a few outer layers of the stratum corneum, aren’t we?
I guess I have to always remember that just because I understand the intricate workings of how skin functions and what is needed to achieve specific goals doesn’t mean that my patients do. So, let’s have a little insight on how the treatments work and why a little discomfort is a tiny price to pay for the betterment of the health and look of your skin.
When treating broken blood vessels in relation to rosacea or telangiectasia, the heat or energy from the BBL (broadband light) unit adds heat to the vessels coagulating or solidifying the blood flow in the vessel. The vessel dries up and is metabolized through your system. For pigment, the heat helps to pull the colour to the surface of the skin, leaving what we call coffee grounds (like a tiny scab) and flakes off over the course of a week or so. The side effect of this kind of heat also helps to stimulate collagen, which is a great reward to the quality of the skin. Any discomfort during this treatment is quick to recede immediately after each pulse.
When laser resurfacing is accomplished, we are destroying cells in the dermis to a fractionated portion of the skin. This in turn stimulates new collagen cells to be created, neutralizing the texture of the skin, adding volume and an overall quality of health to the appearance of the treated area. So, we are destroying cells! Of course there is going to be a degree of heat to make this happen. A numbing cream is applied and most people feel very little discomfort due mainly to the numbing cream. But of course when something as intense as laser resurfacing is performed there has to be energy reaching its goal in the dermis and thus, heat.
Whether it is destroying a hair root or a skin cell of some negative condition, the heat or discomfort is generally experienced and discarded within the blink of an eye. Most services require little to no downtime. The use of Tylenol, cold packs, sleeping with an extra pillow and the addition of numbing cream for a select number of services are helpful to negate any worries of discomfort for the patient. In the end, results are positive both texturally and visibly. Understanding the simple, yet complex line of action involved in remodeling the skin or getting rid of unwanted hair may include a little heat, but that little heat is the catalyst between the old and the new, and we couldn’t do it without it.
~ Sheri Roselle, Medical Esthetician at Toronto Dermatology Centre
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For so many women, stretch marks (medical term “striae”) are an unavoidable and unpleasant side effect of pregnancy. They can also affect bodybuilders, as well as anyone else who has gained or lost a significant amount of weight in a short period of time. Some people are even unlucky enough to acquire them during the growth spurts of puberty (commonly found on the lower back). Although maintaining a stable weight and taking good care of one’s skin are certainly steps in the right direction, the unfortunate truth is that heredity and hormonal changes play a considerable role in the formation of stretch marks.
There are many oils, creams, and lotions that are purported to improve or even prevent stretch marks. While Retin-A has been shown to be marginally effective at reducing the apparent depth of stretch marks, and there are those who swear by treatments with other lotions and potions, most medical experts agree that the claims are mostly hype.
With the advent of the use of lasers for cosmetic purposes, though, hope for the treatment of this cosmetic problem seems to have been renewed.
So, can lasers really erase stretch marks?
The answer is no, well not completely anyway. Since stretch marks represent a permanent change in the dermis (the deeper layer of skin beneath the surface layer known as the epidermis), there is no amount of resurfacing that can erase them. However, studies have shown that laser treatments can lessen the depth of stretch marks in some patients, with an improvement rate of between 20 and 50%. The improvement is believed to be largely due to the laser’s stimulation of increased production of collagen and elastin in the dermal (deeper) layer of the skin, where stretch marks are formed.
Lasers are most effective on immature stretch marks (those that are still red in colour), where a combination of BBL (broadband light) and Profractional lasers can reduce the colour and depth of the stretch marks. For mature or white stretch marks, improvement is less pronounced. The BBL is essentially ineffective, but the Profractional laser is capable of moderately smoothing out deeper set scars. For scars that are white or silver and feel mostly smooth to the touch, there is very little a laser can do to improve the appearance.
In short, there is no “cure” for stretch marks. Worse yet, prevention of stretch marks is not entirely in your power, especially during times of great hormonal fluctuations, such as pregnancy and puberty. If your mother has stretch marks, there’s a good chance that you will have them, too. Keeping the skin hydrated helps to maintain elasticity, and may help the skin to “bounce back”, but there is no guarantee.
Only you can decide if a 20-50% improvement in the appearance of your stretch marks will prove satisfying. With realistic expectations in mind, these improvements can make a big difference for some people. To neutralize the colour of stretch marks and to reduce the depth (and width) of the scars can visibly reduce what was once an angry red scar to a fine white line that is nothing more than a mere nuisance.
~ Sheri Roselle, Medical Esthetician at Toronto Dermatology Centre
A recent study published in the March 2014 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that those patients diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer were significantly more likely to have an earlier stage of melanoma (better prognosis) than those who did not have a regular dermatologist.
He was recently chosen to become the Consultant Dermatologist for the 
Interesting new research just presented at the American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting found that 
When treating broken blood vessels in relation to 
There are many oils, creams, and lotions that are purported to improve or even prevent stretch marks. While Retin-A has been shown to be marginally effective at reducing the apparent depth of stretch marks, and there are those who swear by treatments with other lotions and potions, most medical experts agree that the claims are mostly hype.
