Health Information
Mild Acne
Mild acne appears with scattered blackheads, or whiteheads ("comedones"), and only a few pustules. There is little inflammation and no scarring.
Moderate Acne
Moderate acne appears with a denser collection of whiteheads and blackheads and inflamed areas of the skin with red, fluid-filled pustules. Treatment usually requires one or more prescription-strength medications, such as a topical retinoid. Brands of topical acne medications that contain a retinoid include Differin™, Epiduo™, Tazorac™, Retin-A Micro™ and Ziana™.
Severe Acne
Severe acne appears with deep, red and inflamed acne lesions widespread over the body. Severe acne may be painful and is likely to lead to permanent acne scars if left untreated. Isotretinoin, the active ingredient of Accutane™, Amnesteem™, and Sotret™, is the mainstay of treatment for many cases of severe acne.
Non-Prescription Acne Medications
Some will initially treat their acne with an over-the-counter acne medication. Benzoyl peroxide is the most common active ingredient of non-prescriptions acne medicines and is found in Clearasil™, PanOxyl™, and ProActiv™. At-home treatment of acne should be attempted only for mild acne. It is important to see a dermatologist for the treatment of moderate or severe acne, or if mild acne does not clear up after 4 to 8 weeks of at-home treatment. Read more about acne.
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Acne from Hilary Baldwin, M.D.
Actinic Keratoses from William Paronish, M.D.
Rheumatoid Arthritis from Akther Kotha, M.D.
Aging Skin from Jeff Dover, M.D., FRCPC
Alzheimer's Disease from Michael Morse, M.D.
Asthma from Mahmoud Effat, M.D.
Atopic Dermatitis from Walt Larsen, M.D.
Biologics for Psoriasis from Steve Feldman, M.D.
Botox from Helen Torok, M.D.
Diabetes from James Amberg, M.D.
Electromyography (EMG) from Richard Seroussi, M.D.
Epilepsy from Andrew Wilner, M.D.
Hay Fever from James Baker, M.D.
Rebound Headache from James Bobenhouse, M.D.
High Cholesterol from Purushotham Kotha, M.D., FACC
Latisse from Gerald Goldberg, M.D.
Mohs Surgery from Daniel Siegel, M.D., FAAD
Multiple Sclerosis from Randall Schapiro, M.D.
Parkinson's Disease from Lloyd Davis, M.D.
Psoriasis from Eliot Mostow, M.D., FAAD
Rosacea from Todd Minars, M.D.
Skin Cancer from Edward Yob, D.O.
Sunscreens from Diane Baker, M.D.
Tremor from Lewiston Birkmann, M.D.
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View a complete list of expert opinions from leading doctors who are specialists in their field.
Non-Prescription Acne Medications: Expert Opinion
A December 7th Los Angeles Times article, "Come on, it's just acne" by Dr. Valerie Ulene, concluded that in order to combat acne, her daughter needed a dermatologist. Her acne had progressed beyond what OTC products (even good ones) could manage, and that a combination of prescription medications was required to clear up her skin.
Dermatologist Christine Brown, M.D. of Dallas Texas responded "in my view <over-the counter acne medicines> may work for mild acne, however, many of these formulations are harsh. Under the expert of care of a dermatologist skincare regimens may be customized according to skin type."
Dermatologist Marta Rendon, M.D. of Boca Raton, Florida wrote, "OTC acne products are only useful for people with very mild comedonal acne."
Dermatologist Nelson Lee Novick, M.D. of New York City, New York responded that "Over the counter (OTC) anti-acne therapies do have their place in acne control. On the other hand, for persons plagued by persistent and widespread flares or deep, cystic, painful, and potentially scarring outbreaks, there can be no substitute for a consultation with a dermatologist..."
Read more about non-prescription acne medications.
Latisse™ for Eyelash Growth: Expert Opinion
A December 7th Los Angeles Times article, "Latisse lash lengthener has its fans and detractors" looked at patient's satisfaction with Latisse™ (bimatropost) for eyelash growth, and recent news regarding possible side effects. One satisfied Latisse™ patient was quoted saying, "It does what it says it's going to do and my lashes look nice and healthy. It gives me a more youthful appearance." Nonetheless, concern persists about possible side effects.
Dermatologist Amy McMichael, M.D. of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center stated that "The data for the safety of Latisse is well studied since this medication has been around in eyedrop form for more than 8 years. Other factors that are protective is that patients do not apply Latisse™ into the eye, but to the top eyelid only. This allows for little penetration into the eye itself and significantly less medication exposure overall."
Dermatologist Jeffrey Ellis M.D. of Belaray Dermatology in Plainview, New Jersey responded, "We have seen very good success in hair growth from the use of prostaglandin analogues, like Latisse™."
Dermatologist Nelson Lee Novick, M.D., of New York City wrote, "In my experience, Latisse™ has proven to be an effective and relatively easy-to-use product for promoting true eyelash growth and lengthening."
Read more about Latisse™ for eyelash lengthening.
Stelara™ for Psoriasis: Expert Opinion
Stelara (ustekinumab), was approved in September by the FDA for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis. It is the latest biologic medication to become available for the treatment of psoriasis. Results of a Stelara clinical trial published in Lancet showed that Stelara reduced the severity of plaque psoriasis by 75 percent in as many as 76 percent of patients treated.
Dermatologist Steven Feldman, M.D., PhD, of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina wrote, "Stelara appears to be an excellent new option for moderate-to-severe psoriasis, offering patients who have failed other treatments new hope, and offering the most convenient option yet for treating severe disease. The primary benefits are high efficacy and, so far, good safety (measured over about 2 years of use). In addition, the drug is injected at baseline, a month later, then only once every 3 months, so it doesn't require many injections. Being the newest of our options, we don't yet have as much safety data as we do for other drugs, so we don't have quite the same confidence in what the long term safety will be."
Read more about Stelara for psoriasis.
Patient Education News
American Academy of Dermatology Launches Skin Care Website for Kids
November 15, 2009
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) has developed a new KidsSkinHealth Website with kid friendly language, games and entertaining characters, such as "Sammy the Skin Cell", help teach children how their skin works and ways to take care of their skin, hair and nails. There is a section for adults to help them teach good skin care habits to their children.
From Your Doctor Health Information
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