What's in your Medicine Cabinet?

How many of us have a tube of Neosporin in our medicine cabinet?  It’s always the go to antibiotic ointment for our cuts and scrapes?  What harm could it do right?  The next time you reach for your tube of Neosporin, you may want to think again. The American Contact Dermatitis Society has named the antibiotic neomycin, the main ingredient in Neosporin, as Allergen of the Year for 2010.

What would an allergy to neomycin look like? The skin around the area being applied will become red itchy and form a bumpy rash similar to eczema. The type of allergy reaction that occurs is called a type IV, cell-mediated, delayed reaction because it takes a few days to occur. What should you do if you suspect you might be having an allergic reaction?  First, you should stop using the ointment right away and then consult your medical provider. Neomycin is a member of the aminoglycoside family, which also includes gentamicin, kanamycin, and tobramycin.  If you have an allergy to neomycin, you should be careful using other medications that are in the same family.  Polysporin is a great alternative for patients sensitive to neomycin and can be found in the first aid section in most stores.

Links Between Skin Cancers and Breast Cancer

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the time it takes you to read this article, another woman will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast cancer affects the lives of millions of women every year. With this in mind, Florida Skin Center understands the importance of recognizing and supporting October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Did you know there are links between skin cancer and breast cancer? New studies have shown women with a history of basal cell and squamous cell cancers of the skin have an increased incidence of breast cancer and melanoma. A study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical school found women with a history of non-melanoma skin cancer (basal and squamous cell skin cancers) had a 20% higher risk of breast cancer, as well as a two-fold increased incidence of melanoma! Researchers have yet to pinpoint the exact cause of this correlation and are not yet changing the current recommendations for breast cancer screening. These new developments can help researchers determine if there is a genetic link between these types of cancer, which could drive the development of treatments. At FSC, we recommend all patients be checked at least yearly for skin cancer, and patients with a history of skin cancer should be screened at least every six months. Early detection of skin cancer is vital, and most skin cancers are easily treatable when caught early. The more knowledge we have of the links between the types of cancers, the greater understanding we will have when screening and treating these diseases. Help FSC recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month by continue your screenings for breast cancer as recommended by your provider and scheduling your skin check today!

Supplements Used in Dermatology

Supplements Used in Dermatology

With so many different supplements and vitamins on the market today promoting hair growth and beautiful skin, it can be hard to tell what works and what doesn’t.  We often get asked by our patients, what over the counter treatments are best to use in conjunction with in office treatments.  Below are a few supplements and vitamins we recommend for our patients.

Supplement for Hair Loss and Brittle Nails

HLCC Scripts Complete Vitamins: These vitamins work in several ways to effectively treat hair loss. First, they contain saw palmetto berry extract, which have been shown to inhibit DHT, a hormone which attacks hair and causes hair loss in men and women. DHT binds to hair follicles and shrinks the hair. The DHT inhibitors in the vitamins stop the DHT from binding to the hair follicles, resulting in a normal hair growth cycle. With less DHT binding to hair, hair has the chance to grow bigger and stronger. These vitamins contain more DHT blocking saw palmetto berry than any other product on the market. Second,  the vitamins contain a combination of other potent DHT fighters including green tea and pygeum bark. Third, this product contains marine concentrate which has been shown in eight European studies to stop loss and regrow hair. Due to the presence of the marine concentrate, people with shellfish allergies should not use this product. Fourth, the vitamins contain grape seed extract to increase blood flow. Last, the vitamins contain all the essential vitamins and minerals for hair health, including biotin, folate, panthothenic acid, sulfur, zinc, iodine, selenium, copper, and manganese.   For more information on these vitamins please feel free to contact our office.

Supplement for Warts

50 mg of Oral Zinc Sulfate:    Zinc sulfate has a profound effect on the immune system and recent studies have shown that it helps the body fight off the wart virus.  This effect is enhanced when done in combination with in office liquid nitrogen therapy, cantharidin therapy and laser therapy.  Zinc should be taken with food, as it may upset your stomach.  For smaller children, it is okay to break open the capsules and mix in with drinks or foods such as applesauce.

Supplement for Bruising

Arnica Montana: Arnica is a flowering plant from Europe that has been used in herbal medicine.  The chemicals in Arnica help reduce bruising and decrease swelling after procedures or surgery.  This supplement can be taken prior to a surgical or cosmetic procedure to minimize downtime and bruising.

Please keep in mind that before starting any supplement it is always best to consult your medical provider first.

Physician Assistant Week

 

October 6-12 is National Physician Assistant Week. Physician Assistants (PAs) are healthcare providers who are nationally certified to practice medicine as part of a team with physicians. They play an integral role in the healthcare team, from basic primary care to assisting in major surgery. Educated in the same medical model as physicians, PAs provide a broad range of services. PAs typically acquire extensive healthcare training and experience before entering an intensive three year graduate level program that requires the same prerequisite courses as medical school. First, PA students study the essential medical sciences such as microbiology, anatomy, and physiology. Following this, the remainder of their training is spent doing clinical rotations in the fields of family medicine, internal medicine, OB-GYN, pediatrics, surgery and emergency medicine, to name a few.

PAs must be licensed in their state to practice medicine. In order to maintain certification, PAs must complete a recertification exam every six years and obtain 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years. The “C” in the designation PA-C, refers to a PA’s current certification.

This week in October is chosen to celebrate the PA profession in honor of the birthday of Eugene A Stead, Jr, MD, the father of the PA profession. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of PAs in the US is expected to grow 20% by the year 2020. PAs will continue to play a vital role in the treatment of patients, especially in light of the changing face of healthcare today.

 Dr. Badia has two PAs, Shirisha and Brandie. Both ladies received Masters in Medical Sciences degrees from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale and were extensively trained by Dr. Badia. They are able to diagnose and treat skin conditions, write prescriptions, as well as perform biopsies, excisions, and laser procedures. We hope you get the chance to interact with Shirisha and Brandie, and join us as we recognize Physician Assistant Week.

Dermascopy for Skin Exams

Does your dermatology provider hold this funny looking light while doing your skin exam?  Ever wonder what that little device does?  This instrument is called a dermatoscope.  By using polarized light, it allows dermatology providers to magnify a skin lesion to better assess the pigmentation, texture and size of a suspicious lesion much better than the naked eye alone. If the lesion looks suspicious under the dermatoscope, a skin biopsy will be done on the lesion to check for any malignancy.  Why is dermoscopy so important?  When used correctly by trained providers, it can increase the chances of detecting an early melanoma, an invasive type of skin cancer, as well as reducing the number of unnecessary biopsies.  This is just one way that the providers at Florida Skin Center are making sure your dermatology needs are taken care of with the highest standards.