Dermatology and skin

Dermatologists writing on KevinMD about skin: skin cancer and sun exposure, hair loss and what it costs emotionally, aesthetic medicine and its evidence, racial bias in dermatology AI, why primary care needs more dermatology training, and the business of a new practice. Board-review cases make up part of this archive. Two maintained records draw on this archive: Private equity and corporate medicine: what physicians say, in their own words, and Artificial intelligence: what physicians say, in their own words.

July 7, 2023Jul 7, 2023

The medical aesthetic field is experiencing significant growth, with an expected market valuation of billions by 2023. As the demand for non-invasive aesthetic procedures rises, physicians are increasingly enticed by medical laser devices. However, this industry is plagued by underhanded…

The overpriced landscape of medical laser devices. Medical laser devices, although technologically advanced and effective, are notorious for their exorbitant prices. …

Medical Education

More than skin deep: the importance of culturally competent care in medical education

Grace Shadid

June 26, 2023Jun 26, 2023

The very first patient I met in the rheumatology clinic at SUNY Downstate heard I was applying to medical school and pulled me close to her, saying, "I want you to feel the swelling in my hands." She took great…

The very first patient I met in the rheumatology clinic at SUNY Downstate heard I was applying to medical school and pulled me close to her, saying, “I want you to feel the swelling in my hands.” She took great care to ensure I palpated each joint and appreciated the warmth, erythema, and “boggy” feeling imparted by the inflammation. She explained her medical history and was very specific with her …

Physician

How to maximize your dermatology appointment for effective care

Karen Ezenne and Albert Zhou, MD, PhD

June 17, 2023Jun 17, 2023

An office visit with a health care professional can seem like a race against time and money. With rising co-pays and shorter appointments, arriving prepared for a health care appointment will maximize the likelihood of addressing as many concerns as possible and developing a personalized treatment plan. Below are the ways you can prepare for your upcoming dermatologist appointment.

Keep track of your scheduled appointments and arrive early.

Know the day and …

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Podcast

Uncovering the truth about skincare: a dermatologist’s perspective [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

March 17, 2023Mar 17, 2023

In this episode, we have Fayne Frey, a dermatologist and author of The Skincare Hoax: How You’re Being Tricked into Buying Lotions, Potions & Wrinkle Cream. We delve into the world of skincare and the billions of dollars spent on…

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In this episode, we have Fayne Frey, a dermatologist and author of The Skincare Hoax: How You’re Being Tricked into Buying Lotions, Potions & Wrinkle Cream.

We delve into the world of skincare and the billions of dollars spent on products that may not even work. Why do we spend so much …

Podcast

Discover the reality of living with hidradenitis suppurativa [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

January 24, 2023Jan 24, 2023

In this episode, we speak with Christopher Sayed, a dermatologist who has dedicated his career to studying and treating hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). HS is a condition that causes painful boils in areas like the underarms, groin, and around the breasts,…

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Conditions and Diseases

Why does it take 10 years to diagnose this common disease?

Christopher Sayed, MD

November 15, 2022Nov 15, 2022

Every day, patients with the same story walk into my office. Young people in their teens, 20s or 30s are exasperated and seeking help for constant painful boils that drain the pus in underarms, groin, and around breasts — a condition called hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). This disease often makes their lives a nightmare. Despite being a more common condition than once thought, many patients see providers for 7 to 10 …

Conditions and Diseases

How you’re being tricked into buying lotions, potions, and wrinkle cream

Fayne Frey, MD

October 30, 2022Oct 30, 2022

An excerpt from The Skincare Hoax: How You're Being Tricked into Buying Lotions, Potions & Wrinkle Cream. Why do accomplished, intelligent women spend so much money on skincare products that don’t work? Why do they put so much energy into…

An excerpt from The Skincare Hoax: How You’re Being Tricked into Buying Lotions, Potions & Wrinkle Cream.

Why do accomplished, intelligent women spend so much money on skincare products that don’t work? Why do they put so much energy into looking a certain way? These questions hover in the back of my mind every day in my dermatology practice.

I see women spend $300 for a one-ounce jar of face cream, …

Podcast

Want your skin to look better? Then consider your mental health. [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

June 25, 2022Jun 25, 2022

"Stigma surrounding mental illness often prevents patients from seeking the mental health care they need, delaying care and prolonging suffering. Fear, embarrassment, and impaired quality of life are a reality for many patients suffering from skin disorders like severe cases…

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“Stigma surrounding mental illness often prevents patients from seeking the mental health care they need, delaying care and prolonging suffering. Fear, embarrassment, and impaired quality of life are a reality for many patients suffering from skin disorders like severe cases of psoriasis, hair loss, or acne. In these cases, assistance from …

Conditions and Diseases

Want your skin to look better? Then consider your mental health.

Katlein França, MD, PhD

June 3, 2022Jun 3, 2022

Despite a popular embrace of self-care and the growing awareness of trauma-like symptoms stemming from COVID, one facet of mental health remains widely overlooked: the way our emotional state affects our skin. Although most of us don’t think about it…

Although most of us don’t think about it regularly, our mental state impacts our bodies from head to toe, and the skin—the largest, most visible organ of the human body—is not an exception.

Over the last …

Podcast

A call to dismantle structural heteronormative care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

June 1, 2022Jun 1, 2022

"The visit with my patient helped to change my perspective. I should not have made assumptions about her based on my implicit bias. I highly recommend the Harvard Implicit Bias tests as an exercise in introspection. We also need to…

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“The visit with my patient helped to change my perspective. I should not have made assumptions about her based on my implicit bias. I highly recommend the Harvard Implicit Bias tests as an exercise in introspection. We also need to share and reflect on our experiences — especially when we were …

Health Policy

A call to dismantle structural heteronormative care

Naila Russell, DNP, FNP-BC

May 29, 2022May 29, 2022

"That is a very heteronormative lens." These words were uttered to me by a 23-year-old female patient as I explained i-PLEDGE and the steps she must complete to take oral isotretinoin. The visit started as fairly routine. A young female…

“That is a very heteronormative lens.”

These words were uttered to me by a 23-year-old female patient as I explained i-PLEDGE and the steps she must complete to take oral isotretinoin.

The visit started as fairly routine. A young female presented with a complaint of acne. I quickly appraised the patient on entering. She was petite, with a blonde pixie cut. She wore clothes that …

Physician

Think TikTok is smarter than me? Then I’m not the right doctor for you.

Bari B. Cunningham, MD

November 27, 2021Nov 27, 2021

"I don't think I am the right doctor for you." In over 20 years of practice, I had never uttered those words before this year. Now, as my medical assistant of 20 years remarks, almost two years into the pandemic,…

“I don’t think I am the right doctor for you.”

In over 20 years of practice, I had never uttered those words before this year. Now, as my medical assistant of 20 years remarks, almost two years into the pandemic, I say it almost daily.

I like to think I am a good physician and listener, spending most of the outpatient visit time trying to understand what it is that the patient …

Podcast

Technology’s impact on dermatology [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

October 22, 2021Oct 22, 2021

"During COVID, the medical training system had to adapt because people couldn’t meet in person and even those that could didn’t have access to patients or facilities in the same capacity. However, the explosion of remote training tools that became…

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“During COVID, the medical training system had to adapt because people couldn’t meet in person and even those that could didn’t have access to patients or facilities in the same capacity. However, the explosion of remote training tools that became available make this hybrid training method as good in …

Medical Education

The evolution of medical training in dermatology and the impact of technology

Peter Lio, MD

September 1, 2021Sep 1, 2021

In nearly every field, ongoing education is warranted, if not explicitly required. Be it the informal transfer of knowledge between colleagues, or a more formalized process like recertification, nearly every profession mandates some form of maintenance of knowledge and skills. However, there are few professions that produce information at the volume and pace of health care. Indeed, since ancient times when early Greek and Egyptian texts provided …

Conditions and Diseases

How I accepted hair loss at 19

Casey P. Schukow, DO

July 4, 2021Jul 4, 2021

I will never forget the first time my thinning hairline hit me in the face with an openhanded, five-finger slap. It was in February of 2014, the spring semester of my freshman year in (undergraduate) college. I was only 19…

I will never forget the first time my thinning hairline hit me in the face with an openhanded, five-finger slap.

It was in February of 2014, the spring semester of my freshman year in (undergraduate) college. I was only 19 at the time. A then-football teammate of mine and I had placed a bet on the upcoming Super Bowl XLVIII. I had all of my marbles placed on the Denver Broncos, …

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How I accepted hair loss at 19

Physician

Confession from a female doctor: I am sexist

Christine J. Ko, MD

June 2, 2021Jun 2, 2021

Maybe it’s a testament to a hardy relationship that there was no resulting argument. Without thinking, I blurted out, “You are so sexist!” I could immediately tell by my husband’s face, his upper eyelids and eyebrows lifted a bit, his mouth freeze-framed in a small “o” — my exclamation surprised and insulted him. Maybe it was a completely unfair assessment; after all, he was standing at the sink, his hands …

Podcast

A dermatologist reflects on his career [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

February 17, 2021Feb 17, 2021

"At that point, I realized Thanksgiving came early this year, and I missed it. It was a reminder of why many of us go into medicine. I didn’t go into medicine for glory or fame. Nor did I go into…

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“At that point, I realized Thanksgiving came early this year, and I missed it. It was a reminder of why many of us go into medicine. I didn’t go into medicine for glory or fame. Nor did I go into medicine for financial reward. Still, I often told the resident physicians …

Medical Education

3 strategies for matching into a competitive specialty, even with a lower USMLE score

Rajani Katta, MD

December 6, 2020Dec 6, 2020

For applicants seeking to match into a competitive specialty, it can be challenging. In fact, it's not uncommon for programs to receive over 100 applications for a single residency position. To sort through that many applications, many programs use filters.…

For applicants seeking to match into a competitive specialty, it can be challenging. In fact, it’s not uncommon for programs to receive over 100 applications for a single residency position. To sort through that many applications, many programs use filters. One type of filter is a USMLE “cut-off” score: applicants who don’t score above a certain minimum won’t be considered further.

That’s why, for applicants with lower-than-average USMLE scores, my advice …

Physician

Thanksgiving came early this year. I just didn’t appreciate it.

Marc L. Frost, MD

December 2, 2020Dec 2, 2020

I retired on June 30, 2020, after 32 years of solo practice as a dermatologist. Due to the pandemic, some say I was smart to retire when I did. But if I was so smart, I would have retired on…

I retired on June 30, 2020, after 32 years of solo practice as a dermatologist. Due to the pandemic, some say I was smart to retire when I did. But if I was so smart, I would have retired on February 28th. My practice was simple: three full-time employees, 1,300 square feet, no fancy surgeries or cosmetic procedures, just a plain, old- fashioned medical dermatology practice.

I announced my retirement on …

Dermatology and skin

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