Reveal Camera: What is hiding beneath your skin?

At Florida Skin Center we strive to provide the best care for our patients. This includes hosting educational events to help patients understand more about skin health and their specific underlying skin conditions. 

This summer we will be hosting 2 special events 

• Evening of Education: Sun Damage- July 21st at our Cape Coral location from  6-8PM

 This is event it to help shed light on prevention and treatment of sun damage.

• Chemical Peel Event- August 13th at our Fort Myers Location from  8AM-12PM

During these 2 events, patients will also have the unique opportunity to have their photo taken with the Reveal Camera. This is a powerful visual tool to help recognize problem areas and/or underlying sun damage you may or may not know about under the skin. This camera is able to highlight brown and red pigment under the skin. 

Brown – Spots are lesions on and deeper within the skin such as hyperpigmentation, freckles, lentigines, and melasma. Brown Spots occur from an excess of melanin, often associated with sun damage. Melanin is produced by melanocytes in the bottom layer of the skin. Brown Spots produce an uneven appearance to the skin, and are visualized by the Reveal Camera.

Red - Areas can represent a variety of conditions, such as acne, inflammation, rosacea or spider veins. Blood vessels in the skin are visualized by the Reveal Camera. Acne spots and inflammation vary in size but are generally round in shape. Rosacea is usually larger and diffuse compared to acne, and spider veins typically are short, thin and can be interconnected in a dense network.

Each event will also have special discounts on certain products and procedures the day of. 

Please call 239-561-3376 to reserve your spot to one of these events today!

What are the white spots on my body?

While everyone will have fungus naturally on their skin, it’s not normally evident. During summer months when there is an increase in the temperature and amount of sweating, there can be an increased amount of yeast (fungus) on our skin. This manifests itself as tinea versicolor. Most commonly it appears as light or dark colored spots on the skin. These spots are scaly and can sometimes be itchy. The rash is treated by topical and/or oral medications, but it can and often does reoccur.  Prevention includes wearing cotton or other breathable clothing. Washing weekly with an anti-fungal shampoo can also be helpful in some cases. 

What is going on with my toenails?- It Could be Onychomycosis

    It’s the time of year for flip flops and bare feet. It’s also the time of year where we see many people who are concerned with the look of their toenails. Onychomycosis or a fungal infection of the toenails can result in yellow or white, thickened toenails. Certain people are more likely to have onychomycosis, and risk factors include: diabetes, psoriasis, decreased immune system, nail trauma, increasing age, peripheral vascular disease, and fungal infection of the feet.

     There are other conditions that can also make nails look poorly, so it is important to confirm the diagnosis of fungus (tinea). An easy and painless procedure called a nail clipping biopsy can be performed to confirm growth of fungus in the nail. There are different treatment options depending on the severity of the infection and the health of the person. Options include: topical creams or polishes, oral medications, and laser treatments. Duration depends on the treatment chosen, but in all cases it takes between 9-12 months to see full results of treatment. This is due to the slow growth of the toenails. 

Zika: What You Need to Know

The Zika Virus has been in the news for months, but it seems like there are still many questions about the implications.

   Zika is a virus that is transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Symptoms can include fever, rash,headache, joint pain, muscle pain, and/or red eyes (conjunctivitis).

    Most people have a mild illness and may not even realize they are sick. Symptoms usually last approximately 1 week, and treatment is symptomatic.    

 Currently there is no vaccine or curative treatment for the Zika virus. The biggest concern at this point is that when a pregnant woman contracts Zika it can be passed to her unborn child causing birth defects. Zika can also be spread through sexual contact and blood transfusions.

   Currently, there are no known long term effects on a persons health from contracting Zika, however there is a short term risk for women and men planning pregnancy. Once someone has been infected with Zika, it's  recommended by the CDC that women wait at least 8 weeks to become pregnant and men wait 6 months before planning pregnancy,

The Dreaded Head Lice

 Head Lice are small insects that lives on human hair and feed on blood from the scalp. Lice are a very common problem, especially in school aged kids. They're very contagious, and can sometimes tough to get rid of. Lice cannot fly and move by crawling. It is most commonly spread by person-to person contact, but can also be transmitted by clothing, brushes, towels, and bedding.

The most common symptom of head lice is itching.  Lice eggs hatch within 1 to 2 weeks after they're laid and mature to an adult in approximately 7 days. At this point an adult louse lays about 8 eggs a day. Head lice infest the hair of the head and neck and attach their eggs to the base of the hair shaft.

Dogs, cats, and other pets do not cause or spread lice. 

Seek treatment if you believe you have head lice, as the reproduction cycle occurs every 2-3 weeks. Most times a combination of topical therapy along with sanitation measures helps to cure these pesky parasites.