Researchers in Brazil say a cream containing caffeine may make women’s thighs smaller. It makes for a nice headline, except: It was not clear from a news release on the study if the work was a true experiment, with a control group and subjects randomly getting the treatment or a placebo. Whether caffeine banishes cellulite [...]
Monthly Archives: December 2007
Dermatology Chair Warns of Unproven Cosmetic Devices
At a recent dermatology meeting Dr. Christopher Zachary, a well know cosmetic and laser dermatologist and department chair, warned that the dermatology profession risks losing its credibility by promoting devices that just don’t work. Zachary cautioned doctors to be wary about purchasing devices that are popular but unproven. In buying a new laser, doctors “can [...]
Skin Care Myths: It’s Normal for Moles to Change During Pregnancy
It is a widely held belief that moles or nevi change during pregnancy. However, there is no convincing evidence to support this. There are many changes that happen to a woman’s skin when she is pregnant. She may develop melasma, brown splotches on her face, or linea nigra, brown pigmentation on her belly. She may [...]
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Melanoma and Skin Cancer, moles, nevus, pregnancy, Skin Cancer 5 Comments
MRSA, the Staph Superbug
What is MRSA? MRSA is a type of staph bacteria that is resistant to methicillin, an anti-staph antibiotic. MRSA is a particularly virulent strain that can cause a life threatening infection, especially in frail or immunocompromised patients. It is more common than we thought; data from the CDC showed that there were about 94,000 cases [...]
Indoor Tanning Increases Your Risk of Cancer
Would You Like 10,000 or 20,000 Watts? ‘Tis the season for indoor tanning. Even some of my most educated, sophisticated patients think that a “little” sun tan is better than having “pasty white” skin. It isn’t. One 2002 study by researchers at Dartmouth Medical School found indoor tanners were 2.5 times as likely to get [...]
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged carcinoma, Melanoma and Skin Cancer, skin, Skin Cancer, tan, tanning 1 Comment
