Georgia Dermatology Center

A New Solution for an Age-Old Problem

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Picture this: You’re lounging by the neighborhood pool on a hot summer day. You lie there in your semi-comfortable but effortless-looking lounge chair position designed to hide your backside, flatten your tummy, and make your legs longer and skinnier. You’re sipping an icy drink, and then it hits you. You’re efforts to stay hydrated are now haunting you by that ever-increasing pressure on your bladder. You wait as long as possible, until you can ward off the pain no longer.

Yep, you do it.

The dreaded walk of shame. The dreaded endless path from your chair to the bathroom across the pool. You must abandon that perfect pose for nature’s call, which means all of nature will take affect. Hello gravity. Hello muffin tops, saddle bags and three pregnancies. Hello to the 15 people you have to walk in front of to get to your destination.

While this may seem dramatic, chances are you’ve felt some angst during these skin-bearing seasons in the past, and no matter what you do, every year, the same insecurities creep up. Covering up with a towel gets old. We want our bodies to reflect our efforts in the gym and our careful diets; but sometimes our bodies just don’t respond the way we’d like.

Most of us would rather try some useless topical “smoothing” cream instead of undergoing an extensive surgical procedure or a dangerous diet. They can be expensive and risky, and some procedures require significant time for healing.

Why not consider doing something advanced and effective for this swimsuit season? For all of those who want results without extensive surgery and down time, Cool Lipo (laser-assisted lipolysis) is a new, minimally invasive technology that liquefies fat for easy removal. It is a laser-based procedure that breaks up and removes fat cells in areas such as under the chin, tummy, inner thighs and jowls or areas with loose skin such as the arms. In addition, the unique wavelength of the CoolLipo laser system directly contracts collagen and tightens the skin, an effect not seen with standard liposuction.

Cool Lipo’s Benefits• Gentle fat disruption and removal technique for small areas• Short procedure in your physician’s office• Minimal downtime post-procedure• Safe with minimal bruising and side effects• Treats areas that are difficult for conventional liposuction• Less invasive than a neck or face lift• May be performed under local anesthesia only.

So, to answer the question, yes, it’s definitely worth the consideration. Schedule a consultation with Georgia Dermatology to learn how Dr. Gross can perform a combination of cool lipo and tumescent lipo: http://www.gadermctr.com/body-contouring.php to reduce fat and sagging. So you have a busy life, and scheduling a consultation may slip your mind. You can rest assured. The dreaded walk of shame is there to remind you.

You’re no longer sixteen anymore, but the pores on your face seem to think otherwise. If you suffer from more than the occasional breakout, (and it’s been at least a decade since attending your high school prom) chances are you’re frustrated and wondering why you are still dealing with acne as an adult. Why not determine what is causing your acne, so you can prevent future breakouts?

Acne is influenced by several factors, many of which are out of your control. The one thing you can control is how you treat your face. Knowledge is power, which means that when your done reading this, you should feel more empowered in your fight to minimize or potentially eliminate occasional acne outbreaks on your face, back, shoulders, neck, chest, limbs, or elsewhere merely by changing a few small behaviors.

1. Lower Your Stress Levels

Your body produces hormones, like cortisol, when you’re stressed. These stress hormones not only can impede weight loss, they also stimulate an overproduction of oil from the sebaceous glands in the skin. Acne then develops when the excess oil mixes with skin cells and bacteria. If you regularly suffer from stress, try to take short breaks throughout the day, exercise regularly, and get more sleep.

2. Adopt a Hands-Off Policy

Have you ever tried to eliminate a zit using your fingers, only to wake up with three more new zits who decided to join the pimple party? Or at work, do you often rest your chin or cheeks in your hands or rub your nose and forehead? Touching your face only encourages the growth of bacteria and causes infection to the areas most inflamed by adult acne. The solution to this is simple: HANDS OFF! As hard as it may be to not tamper with the problem, picking or squeezing can drive acne bacteria deeper into the skin, leading to more inflammation and possibly to permanent scarring. So try to resist the temptation to touch. If you can’t resist, clean your hands thoroughly before touching your face, and disinfect the area.

3. Check Your Hair and Skin Products

Your daily efforts to look better could actually be making your skin look worse. Hair conditioners, gels, pomades, shaving products, cosmetics, moisturizers, sunscreens, and other products that contain oil can clog your pores and cause a breakout. Try switching to noncomedogenic hair and skin products. The labels should indicate whether or not they are. In addition to switching to noncomedogenic products, consider minimizing how many products you use. Too many chemicals can irritate the natural balance of your skin. Reducing the number of products you use can further reduce outbreaks. Keep in mind that even if you use noncomedogenic makeup, you should never wear it while working out, as it can still clog pores when mixed with heavy sweat. Try going natural during intense sweating sessions.

4. Don’t Let Sweat Stick Around

Be sure to shower as soon as you can after your workout. For example, when you run, your sweat and skin oils mix, trapping substances in your pores. If a quick rinse isn’t possible, dry off with a towel and put on dry clothes immediately. Sitting around in sweaty, tight, synthetic workout clothes can lead to acne on your chest, back, and other parts of the body.

5. Start with Simplicity

When it comes to skin care, simplicity is often the best solution. Most mild breakouts can be controlled with proper skin and body care. If, after a few months of proper skincare, you still don’t see changes, your dermatologist could determine another culprit. For example:

• Medication side effects
• Genetics
• Allergic reactions to foods or cosmetics
• Hormonal changes (e.g., menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or starting or stopping birth control pills)

6. Avoid Overwashing and Harsh Scrubs

Acne is not caused by dirt. Naturally, washing too often and too aggressively won’t do anything to eliminate the acne situation. In fact, it may make the situation worse by prompting excess oil production and more blemishes. Be cautious when it comes to cleansing products that claim to be formulated for acne prone skin, as these can leave healthy skin dry and irritated. Gently wash your face and pat it dry with a towel. Follow your dermatologist’s recommendations on what products to use and when.

Too often we wait too long to see a doctor for our skin problems. Some over-the-counter treatments with salicylic acid to unclog pores and benzoyl peroxide to reduce bacteria on skin could be effective. If your acne seems more serious, the experts Georgia Dermatology specialize in products that clear up your skin.

Retinoids, antibiotics, azelaic acid and birth control pills are all options usually covered by insurance. You might consider laser treatments. Severe cases are best cleared up by Accutane, which is a 5-month course that is considered the most effective treatment available. However Accutane is controversial and can lead to a host of side effects including birth defects if taken during pregnancy.

A mole is a small lesion in the skin, and is a collection of melanin-producing cells. Melanin is the pigment that gives skin its color. Although most moles are usually a brownish color, they can be skin-colored or much darker. Moles can be raised, flat, or rough, and are generally oval or round with a smooth edge. Moles can vary drastically in size, from as tiny as a pinhead to covering an entire arm. Generally, a mole is less than 6mm long.

Moles can change over time in number and appearance. This can happen as a response to a change in hormone levels, such as during adolescence, pregnancy, or older age. Most moles appear during the first 20 to 30 years of our lives, though some may be present from birth. People with fair skin tend to have more moles than those with dark skin. Although they may look similar, sunspots and freckles are not moles.

The average person has about 10 to 14 moles, which can be anywhere on the body, including under the nails and on the scalp. Moles that appear after age 20 should be shown to Dr. Gross, although moles may continue to appear through middle age. You should also see Dr. Gross if there is change in a mole’s appearance and/or texture, if it’s painful or oozes, or it has a burning sensation.

The majority of moles are harmless. In rare cases moles can develop into a form of skin cancer known as malignant melanoma, which is why moles should be checked regularly for changes in their appearance and/or texture.

If Dr. Gross feels the changes to the mole are mild, he may take some photographs to clinically document it and measure the dimensions of the mole to record the changes over time. The patient may be asked to come back in a few months to have the mole checked again to see if any of the dimensions have changed.

If Dr. Gross suspects the mole may be a melanoma, a form of skin cancer, or if the mole is bothersome to the patient, he will cut the mole out during an excision biopsy, attempting to surgically remove the entire mole at one time. After removing the mole, it will be sent to a lab to be reviewed for signs of cancerous cells. If the results come back with a suspected melanoma, Dr. Gross may order additional tests to determine whether the cells have spread.

If a mole is going to form, there is nothing you can do to prevent it. However, the best thing you can do to protect yourself from skin cancer, no matter how many or few moles you have or what your complexion is, is to wear sunscreen every day and limit your sun exposure.

If you have questions about moles or skin care, or would like to learn more about dermatology, please contact The Georgia Dermatology Center at (770) 781-5077.