Acne is a common condition caused by inflammation of a specialized type of hair follicle typically located on the face, back and chest. It is not considered a disease when it is severe enough to cause pain, physical scars or emotional scars.
Acne is not contagious but is affected by several environmental factors. It is suggested that sunlight makes acne better and stress makes it worse. Diet has not been shown to have any significant effect on acne. Nevertheless, if a patient notices that a particular food seems to worsen acne, that food should be avoided. In some women, hormonal changes may cause acne to worsen a few days prior to the menstrual period. Exercise appears to have no effect on acne, but sweating tends to worsen acne in about 15% of patients.
In order to fully understand the way that acne treatments work, it is first necessary to understand how acne occurs. Acne is most common and severe during adolescence. It is the end result of the increased hormonal activity that begins to occur as children mature into adults. These hormones (testosterone in the male and progesterone in the female) are both metabolized to dihydrotestosterone. This hormone causes enlargement of oil glands and increases the flow of oil from the glands and production of scales along the ducts of oil glands. These oil glands are attached to small hair follicles. If oil is able to pass freely to the surface of the skin, acne does not occur. However, if oil flow is impeded due to oil duct blockages (so called "microcomedones"), acne may result.
Because oil causes no trouble once it reaches the skin surface, repetitive washing of oily acne-prone skin does not significantly improve acne. Soaps are not especially helpful in acne control. In fact, washing excessively or using harsh facial scrubs may actually irritate the skin and make acne worse. Picking and squeezing often causes local damage if not performed carefully and may result in scarring.
There are six classes of medications that predictably effective against acne.
1. Accutane® pills will often permanently cure or dramatically lessen acne after a six-to-seven-month course of treatment.
2. Antibiotic pills are often very effective for acne on the back and chest.
3. Benzoyl peroxide is a topical medication that fights acne by removing excessive scales from oil gland linings and also by reducing bacterial activity within the skin.
4. Retin-A® is one of the more effective acne medications for comedonal (whiteheads and blackheads) and small popular (little pink bumps) acne.
5. Topical antibiotics are often used in conjunction with benzoyl and Retin-A® and they work by decreasing bacterial counts within open pores so that oil and excessively scales are less likely to clog pores and cause acne.
6. Chemical peels with trichloro-acetic acid, glycolic acid and alpha-hydroxy acid can have a beneficial effect when administered to acne-prone skin by dermatologists.

It is estimated that more than one million Americans develop skin cancer every year.
Fair-skinned people who sunburn easily are at a particularly high risk for developing skin cancer. Other less important factors include repeated medical and industrial x-ray exposure, scarring from diseases or burns, occupational exposure to compounds such as coal tar and arsenic and family history.
Actinic Keratoses (AK)
Actinic keratoses or solar keratoses are considered the earliest stage in the development of skin cancer. They are small scaly spots more commonly found on the face, ears, neck, lower arms and back of the hands. It can be treated by cryotherapy (freezing), topical chemotherapy (applying a cream or lotion), chemical peeling, dermabrasion, laser surgery, curettage, photodynamic therapy (a chemical is applied to the skin prior to exposure to a light source) , or other dermatologic surgical procedures.
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)
This is the most common type of skin cancer and appears frequently on the head, neck and hands as a small, fleshy bump. Nodule, or red patch. Other parts of the body may be affected as well. Basal cell carcinomas, frequently found in fair-skinned people, can take many months or years to grow. Untreated, the cancer often will begin to bleed, crust over, heal and repeat the cycle. It can extend below the skin to the bone and nerves, causing considerable local damage.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)
Squamous cell carcinoma is typically located on the rim of the ear , face, lips and mouth. This cancer may appear as a bump, or as a red scaly patch, SCC can develop into large masses and become invasive. This form of cancer can metastasize, therefore, it is important to get early treatment.
When found early and treated properly, the cure rate for both basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas is over 95 percent.
Malignant Melanoma
Malignant melanoma is the most deadly of all skin cancers. Every year, an estimated 8,000 Americans will die from melanoma; it is projected that greater than 108,000 Americans will develop melanoma annually.
Melanoma begins in melanocytes, the skin cells that produce the dark protective pigment called melanin which makes the skin tan. Since the melanoma cells usually continue to produce melanin, the cancer appears in mixed shades of tan, brown, and black; although, it can also be red or white. Melanoma can metastasize making early detection and treatment essential.
Melanoma may appear suddenly or begin in or near a mole or another dark spot in the skin. Any changing mole must be examined by a dermatologist. Early melanoma can be removed while still in the curable stage.

Dysplastic Nevi are unusual benign moles that resemble melanoma and indicate an increased risk.
Medical reports indicate that at least 20 million Caucasians in the U.S. have dysplastic nevi and half of their close relatives may also be affected. Those who have dysplastic nevi and a family history of such nevi and melanoma have more than a 50% risk of developing melanoma by the age of sixty. Others who have dysplastic nevi, but not such a strong family history of melanoma, are also at significantly greater risk of developing risk is 6% - certainly great enough to warrant self-examination, medical checkups, and sun-protection.
A bright light held close to the skin will aid in identification. If any of your moles have some of the following characteristics of dysplastic nevi, you should consult your physician.
SHAPE: often asymmetrical; one half looks obviously unlike the other.
BORDER: irregular or hazy; the mole seems to gradually fade into the surrounding skin.
COLOR: variation and irregularity with haphazard speckles of tan, brown, dark brown, or black (sometimes with a pinkish hue).
DIAMETER: larger than normal - 1/4 inch to 1/3 inch or more.
LOCATION: most commonly on the back, chest, abdomen, and extremities; may also occur on normally unexposed areas (such as buttocks, groin, or female breasts).

Melasma is a natural darkening of the skin caused by excessive production of melanin - melanin is the pigment that causes your skin to tan. That's why the sun, which increases melanin production, usually makes your melasma worse. Melasma only occurs on the areas of your skin that are exposed to the sun. It can be mild, moderate or severe.
Melasma is a common skin condition that occurs predominantly in women. It seems to be more common in people with light brown skin, especially Hispanics and Asians. Sometimes it will just fade away but if it doesn't, the dark patches can take a long time to lighten.
Fortunately, you don't have to live with melasma. There are different prescription and over-the-counter products that can be used alone or in combination to treat melasma. Tri-Luma Cream is a triple-combination product that your dermatologist can prescribe to lighten your moderate-to-severe melasma quickly.

The word eczema is used to describe all kinds of red, blistering, oozing, scaly, brownish, thickened, and itching skin conditions. Examples of eczema include dermatitis, allergic contact eczema; seborrheic eczema; and nummular eczema.
Atopic Eczema
The word "atopic" describes a group of allergic or associated diseases that often affect several members of a family. These families may have allergies such as hay fever and asthma but also have skin eruptions called atopic dermatitis.
The disease can occur at any age but is most common in infants to young adults. The skin rash is very itchy and sometimes disfiguring. The condition usually improves in childhood or sometime before the age of 25. About sixty percent of patients have some degree of dermatitis and some suffer throughout life. These cases can cause frustration to both the patient and the physician.
Your dermatologist will provide advice on how to relieve this condition such as avoiding rough, scratchy or tight clothing, rapid changes of temperature and any activity that provokes sweating. Seek advice from your dermatologist about proper bathing and moisturizing, and dealing with emotional upsets which make the condition worse.
Your dermatologist can prescribe external medications such as corticosteroids creams or ointments or tar creams, and internal medications such as antihistamines to control the itching. Oral antibiotics will be prescribed if there is also a secondary infection. For severe cases, you dermatologist may recommend ultraviolet light therapy.

Microscopic mites that burrow within the skin cause scabies. With several weeks, the patient develops an allergic reaction, which results in severe itching; often intense enough to keep sufferers awake all night.
The earliest and most common symptom of scabies is itching, especially at night. Early on, little red bumps, like hives, tiny bites or pimples appear. In more advanced cases, the skin may be crusty or scaly.
Scabies prefers warmer sites on the skin such as skin folds where clothing is tight. These areas include between the fingers, on the elbows or wrists, buttocks or belt line, around the nipples and on the penis. Mites also tend to hide in, or on, the skin under rings, bracelets and watchbands, or under the nails.
Many cases of scabies can be diagnosed by dermatologists without special tests. To confirm scabies your dermatologist can perform a painless test that involves applying a drop of oil to the suspected lesion. The site is then scraped and transferred to a glass slide, which is then examined using a microscope. A diagnosis is made by finding scabies mites or their eggs.
Scabies is easy and quick to treat with prescription drugs: 5 percent permethrin cream is applied to the skin from head-to-toe at bedtime and washed off the next morning. Dermatologists recommend that the cream be applied to cool, dry skin, over the entire body and left on for 8 to 14 hours. A second treatment one week later may be recommended for infants with scabies of the palms and soles or if new lesions appear after the treatment. All lesions should be healed within four weeks after the treatment.