Dermatological Treatments
Skin problems are the most commonly seen complaints in medicine. There are a great variety of disorders that people may experience and these skin related disorders usually take a long term process to heal. Luckily, with the recent advances in technology and medicine, most of these disorders can be treated with correct planning and use of technology. In our clinic, Dermatologist Dr. Celen performs all types of skin treatments not only to cure a problem, but also to enhance and rejuvenate the skin. Below we have gathered the most common problems that we have experience with. If you would like to have more information about the treatments, do not hesitate to contact us.
Acne Scars
Acne scars are seen when acnes are treated too late, or in people with genetically severe acnes. It can be divided into two groups:
- Shallow Scars: These spots are red and some may confuse them with not healed acnes but they are actually marks on the skin.
- Deep Scars: These spots are divided into 3 groups within themselves:
- Ice Pick Scars: They are seen as little holes on the skin but they are actually deeper.
- Boxcar Scars: They are seen as large holes on the skin but they are actually not very deep.
- Rolling Scars: They are seen as flexions on the skin and they are quite deep. Treatment of acne scars is a long process. First step to take is to determine the types of the acnes. Once the types of the acnes are determined; chemical peeling, dermabrasion, PRP or laser treatment can be used to cure acnes.
Acne Rosacea
Rosacea is a skin disease which shows itself as rash based on an increase in vascularity and inflammation or red swellings in some people. It has certain stages;
- Early stage: It progresses as a rash only on the face. This rash may advance or decrease depending on cold or hot weather, consumed beverages, spicy food and sun light.
- Late stage: In the later stages of rosacea, inflammation or red pimples appear as well.
Phimosis
This is a type of acne which appears on the nose which makes it turn red and grow in years. It is a rare case of rosacea and it is not seen on every people. There are no certainly known factors of acne rosacea but factors which increase the possibility of this disease such as exposure to extreme cold or hot, spicy food, sunbathing, stress and using creams which are not prescribed by the doctor should definitely be avoided. Creams, antibiotics, variations of Vitamin A and laser are used for treatment.
Moles
Moles are mostly brown, swollen or non-swollen meaty spots on the skin. It is rarely natal and most usually appear in adults. The most important factor among the causes of moles is genetic predisposition. Besides, exposure to sunlight for years can also cause the moles. The most important thing to know is that in some occasions it can lead to melanoma, also known as the skin cancer. Therefore teenagers with a lot of skin tags and adults should be examined by a doctor once a year. In addition to these yearly examinations, if an already existing mole grows rapidly, turns into a darker colour, bleeds, itches, patient must consult a doctor immediately.
Seborrhoeic Keratosis
Seborrhoeic keratosis is a type of skin lesion which is textured, swollen and mostly brown. It is often confused with moles and scares the patients but seborrhoeic keratosis is harmless. It may grow in time and disturb the patient cosmetically. It is commonly seen in elderly patients. Electrocautery, cryotherapy or laser can be used as treatment methods.
Skin tags are little flaps of skin, mostly brown or skin-coloured, which are mostly pedunculated. Skin tags are mostly seen on armpits or under the breasts of overweight people but for the people who are at a healthy weight, it can be seen if there is a possible genetic predisposition. Its causes are not clearly known. Electrocautery, cryotherapy or laser are used as treatment methods.
Seborrheic Dermatitis
Seborrheic dermatitis is a type of skin disease which appears as yellowish rash and scabs. It is most commonly seen on scalp, eyebrows, edge of the nose, chest and rarely on the back. Seborrheic dermatitis is directly related to the psychological and physical stress. It advances along with the stress level of the patient. It is often recurrent but symptoms can be reduced through proper treatment. Treatment options are antimycotics, steroids and immunmodulator creams.
Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis is one of the most common allergic skin diseases seen in children. Atopic dermatitis patients definitely have a relative who also have a history of this disease. It often occurs during adolescence and symptoms become less severe or completely disappear after a certain age. Severe itchy sensation is the most important outcome of atopic dermatitis. In addition to the itchy sensation, rash and wetness of the skin appear as well. The most important point that the patient must be careful about is to protect the dermatitis area from infections as it spreads twice as fast than a healthy body area. Moisturizers, steroid creams, immune-modulators and antihistaminics are used to treat this disease. It has a tendency to recur and symptoms are reduced with proper treatment.
Psoriasis
The causes of this disease is not surely known but it is known to develop by genetic predisposition. It is often seen in adults, however there are some types of this disease which can be seen in children after the use of certain medicine or viral infections. It most commonly appears on elbows, knees, scalp and nails. This disease can also be seen on any other areas of the body except inside the mouth. It is possible to cure this disease but it often recurs.
Warts
There are many types of warts but all of them are caused by a virus called HPV (Human Papilloma Virus). They are contagious as they are actually viral infections. The most common warts on the face are filiform warts which have a thin thread-like shape. If they are on a shaved area of the face of a man, they should immediately be treated as they can spread by shaving. It has the tendency of appearing on the edges of the nails of hands. If a person has a habit of biting his/her nails, they can spread to the lips as well. Other than these areas, warts on the genital area are crucial as well as they can be spread through sexual intercourse and might cause cervical cancer. Genital warts are called “condyloma acuminatum” and they must be treated immediately. It can appear on other parts of the body as well. Therefore if a wart appears, a specialist must be consulted. Electrocautery, cryotherapy or laser are used as treatment methods for the treatment.
Eczema
There are two types of eczema. First one is allergic eczema which often appears when allergic substances are consumed. It does not only appear in one area but spreads over the whole body. It commonly appears after wearing certain make up materials, hair dye, an accessory or clothing which cause the allergic reaction. Its symptoms are itching, rash and wetness. If it is not treated, it often recurs. If a person is diagnosed with eczema, a skin-patch test or TRUE test- an allergy test- should be performed on that person. The other type of eczema is Irritant Eczema which is generally called the housewives’ eczema or hand eczema. It is often seen in people who frequently contact chemical subtances detergents, soap or bleach. It appears as rash, itching, scars. Patients must avoid these chemical substances and frequently use moisturizers. It is hard to cure and must be treated by a specialist. Both types of it are not contagious and can be treated.
Paronychia
Paronychia is often seen in housewives, as well as in people who wash their hands frequently and in people who have frequent manicure sessions. Its symptom is a bacterial infection followed by severe ache, rash and swelling on the finger after the side of a fingernail is damaged. It causes severe pain so it must be treated immediately. Treatment of this disease involves oral or local antibiotic use and additional creams if necessary. During the treatment, patient should not wash his/her hands frequently and have his/her hands manicured.
Sunspots
There are a few types of sunspots. One of the most common of these is melasma. Melasma is brown fragmental spots which are more commonly seen on women’s foreheads and over the lips which are exposed to direct sunlight. Through a special examination made by a special light source named wood’s lamp, it can be seen if the scars are shallow or deep. Shallow scars are more easily treated whereas deep scars are relatively harder to cure. Melasma treatment is at least a 3 months long process which may have to be extended to years.
Vitiligo
It is a disease which causes the skin to whiten after all the melanocyte cells, which pigment our skin, are lost. There is no known cause of this disease. It is caused by the attack of the autoimmune system to the melanocytes. People who have vitiligo may also have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and/or diabetes. Vitiligo often occurs on the tips of the fingers, eyelids, around the mouth and genital area. It is curable while %50 percent of the treatment attempts fail. This is not a contagious disease and it can become more severe over time. Therefore, it must be diagnosed correctly and treated immediately.
Tinea (Pityriasis) Versicolor
Tinea versicolor is a fungal infection. It is one of the most commonly seen diseases in dermatology clinics. It often appears on the back, breasts and thighs and is caused by a fungus called malessezia. This fungus normally exists under the normal flora of all people but transforms into an infection due to excessive sun exposure, sweating and severe physical and psychological stress. It appears as dots and patches, mostly dark colored. It can be confused with sunspots but its curable if diagnosed correctly. It is not contagious but can frequently recur if the patient is not cautious.
Pityriasis Rose
Pityriasis rose is a very common disease. What causes this disease remains unknown but in the last few years there have been publications which claim that it might be a viral infection. This disease first shows itself as a small red rash with a mild scabbing, which is called medallion. Shortly after this, small rash-like dots spread through the whole body. It does not occur on the face, legs and arms. It does not damage any organs, it is a simple skin reaction. It can be treated in a short period of time.