Many of Dr. Robin Travers’ patients at SkinCare Physicians ask her if there are any vitamins or supplements they can take to improve the health of their skin. She has answered, honestly, that there aren’t many carefully controlled scientific studies that prove that vitamins have any benefit for the skin. That may be changing! In the ONTRAC (Oral Nicotinamide to Reduce Actinic Cancer) study, Australian researchers showed that nicotinamide, an inexpensive and easily available form of vitamin B3, significantly reduces the incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancers among people who have already had a basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma. … Continue reading »
January is typically the time when many people embark on a set of New Year’s resolutions. Are yours involving a skin exam, or better a couple skin exam? Here is why two is better than one when it comes to skin exams. Two is better than one when it comes to skin exams There are good medical research studies to show us that teaching partners how to assist each other in partner-assisted skin self-examinations helps improve skin cancer detection. And may help save a life! Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the US. This year, almost … Continue reading »
Melanoma is a very serious form of skin cancer, but the good news is that survival rates are high if it is detected and treated early. To help her patients to detect melanoma, Boston dermatologist Dr. Tania Phillips gives them a simple list of questions to answer and asks them to remember their ABCDEs. Are you at risk for melanoma? If you answer YES to one or more of the following questions, you might be more likely to develop melanoma and we recommend that you get your skin examined regularly by a dermatologist. However, it does not mean that you will get melanoma. … Continue reading »
There can be many misconceptions about skin and skin care. As dermatologists at SkinCare Physicians, we often hear the same beliefs from our patients in the Boston area, so shedding some light on these may be helpful to you, your families, and your friends. Skin Myth #1: My makeup/moisturizer contains spf, so my skin is protected all day Many people wear a daily moisturizer or makeup that contains sunscreen, which is a healthy habit to protect the skin from UV rays on a routine basis. However, don’t be fooled into thinking you are protected all day. The sunscreen in moisturizers … Continue reading »
As a mother of three young children and a dermatologist in the Boston area at Skincare Physicians, I know first-hand the difficulties in helping our children understand skin issues and treatments. To help facilitate our conversations about diagnoses and treatments with our kids, I found several tools to consider and explore. #1 The Eczema App This app allows parents and older children to record and track eczema flare-ups, take notes about flares and treatments, and take and store pictures of flared areas. It’s an effective tool that allows children to better communicate with their parents and doctor about their eczema … Continue reading »
We often hear that the difference between major surgery and minor surgery is if it is happening to you or to someone else. In the case of Mohs surgery for skin cancer, that say should not apply. Here is why… More than three million people in the United States are diagnosed with skin cancer each year. That is more than all other cancers combined. In fact, one out of every five Americans will develop skin cancer within their lifetime. Fortunately, more than 90% of skin cancers are easily curable. The most common forms of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma … Continue reading »
When seeing patients, lots of questions arise about sun safety. Given our long winters and lack of year-round warmth, patients often have a lot of questions about indoor tanning. They wonder about things such as: Is there such thing as a healthy tan? Isn’t indoor tanning safer because you can control the time you are exposed to the lights? Isn’t it better to get a “base” tan rather than to burn in the sun? How much can really happen if I am just going tanning once in a while? Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a healthy tan. “Base” … Continue reading »
As spring blooms, so does our joy and love of participating in outdoor sports and activities. However, ultraviolet radiation emitted from the sun is the cause of the majority of skin cancers. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States and accounts for half of all cancer cases. Therefore, proper sun protection is imperative in the prevention of skin cancer. Easy tips to follow for practicing sun safety are: Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the rays are the strongest. Try to get out and enjoy outdoor activities before or after … Continue reading »
A recent report from the American Cancer Society shows that the death rate from cancer in the U.S. is declining for Americans. This is exciting news! Despite this overall decrease in cancer-related death rates, the number of melanomas continues to rise. And, sadly, the number of melanoma deaths is increasing faster than any other cancer. There are some proven, effective ways of preventing melanoma! Early detection techniques and early removal of melanomas are the most effective ways of decreasing this risk. Patients themselves report finding many melanomas on their own skin, by doing a careful skin self-exam (SSE). Melanomas that … Continue reading »