Learn about Mohs surgery for skin cancer and its many benefits. Interested in learning more? Give us a call at 626-793-7790 to schedule a consultation with one of our highly experienced dermatologists.

What Happens During Mohs Surgery?

We’ll provide you with detailed information about your Mohs surgery plan before your procedure. Here’s what you can expect during your treatment at Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena.  

• First, we apply local anesthesia to the treatment area to ensure your comfort during surgery. 
• We surgically remove the outer, visible portions of the tumor.
• Your doctor carefully removes a layer of tissue and surrounding skin, and sends it for analysis. You’ll be bandaged and will wait for the results. 
• The dermatologist carefully examines the tissue, pinpointing the areas where cancer remains. 
• Your doctor then removes another thin layer of tissue from the cancer site and covers the treatment area. 
• While you wait, the tissue gets processed and analyzed for remaining cancer cells, and a map will show us exactly which areas need treatment. 
• The process continues until all margins are clear and no cancer remains. 
• After Mohs surgery, your doctor will address any aesthetic issues that arose from the procedure and will carefully bandage the treatment area. Some patients will need stitches. Large removals may require skin grafting. We do our best to minimize aesthetic changes while ensuring the removal of all cancer. 

Mohs surgery can take some time to complete correctly, as it requires layer-by-layer tissue removal, with analysis between each stage. In some cases, this procedure can require more than four hours. Many patients will finish sooner, but we keep going until we achieve clear margins.

The Benefits of Mohs Surgery in Pasadena

Mohs surgery offers many benefits to skin cancer patients. This treatment allows for the maximum preservation of healthy tissues with complete removal of the cancer, and virtually eliminates recurrence. Since we remove all cancerous tissues are removed during surgery, there is no need for reoperation for insufficient tissue removal. 

Because your surgeon will remove the smallest amount of tissue possible, this technique is ideal for treating highly visible areas like the face, nose, hands, and ears. 

The benefits of Mohs surgery include:

• Complete cancer removal, verified at the time of surgery
• No need for additional operations
• Minimizes healthy tissue removal
• Allows for immediate cosmetic repair
• Effective for hard-to-treat and stubborn cancers

Do I Need a Skin Cancer Screening?

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. It is also very treatable if we catch it early. Come see us for a skin cancer screening if you notice changes to your skin. Changes to watch for include:

• A skin growth that bleeds easily
• Growths that increase in size
• Changes in the appearance of moles or birthmarks
• Moles or birthmarks that itch, hurt, crust, or bleed
• An open sore that does not heal within four weeks
• A sore that heals and reopens

If you notice these or other changes to your skin, schedule a visit to your dermatologist. It is best to treat skin cancer at its earliest stages, before it has grown substantially or spread to other parts of the body. You can reach Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena at 626-793-7790.

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Why do people who know the dangers continue to tan? Why do so many claim to be addicted to the process or demonstrate definite patterns of dependence?

A new study from the Yale School of Public Health suggests some interesting possibilities.

Researchers discovered a higher propensity toward other addictive behaviors, such as alcohol abuse or “exercise addiction,” among study participants who described themselves as addicted to tanning. While this may indicate addictive personality issues, there was one other correlation that the researchers found intriguing. Tanning-dependent subjects were three times more likely to experience symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) than non-tanners.

SAD is a type of depressive disorder keyed to the change of seasons, with patients generally exhibiting sadness, sleep and eating disorders, generalized aches and pains, and loss of interest in pleasurable activities during the late fall, winter, and early spring months when there is less available sunlight. Seasonal affective disorder is commonly treated with exposure to controlled, filtered light.

Those who can’t stop tanning might well be using the tanning bed to self-medicate for seasonal depression, the study posits. There is even a possibility that the co-addictions to alcohol and exercise may be attempts to fight SAD or other depressive disorders as well. Sunlight and artificial tanning rays stimulate the body’s production of endorphins, the hormones that contribute to our feeling of well-being and happiness. So does exercise. And alcohol, though actually a depressant, initially stimulates the reward areas of the brain, distracting us from feelings of sadness or depression.

It is certainly possible that these links are only circumstantial. Tanners may also be addicted to exercise because they are highly conscious of how their bodies look. Those who abuse alcohol may also abuse other things like tanning. But the SAD connection is a good one to explore if you are trying to kick a tanning addiction (which we strongly urge you to do, for the sake of your health, your skin, and your beauty!).

Your physician can arrange tests for SAD and other depressive conditions and can recommend treatment that lifts your spirits while not sacrificing your health. At Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena, we offer a wide variety of sun protection products, plus treatments to help restore your skin’s natural, youthful glow and stop UV damage before it turns disfiguring or deadly. Contact us to get help kicking the tanning habit.

The post Tanning Addicted? Maybe It’s Because You’re SAD appeared first on Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena.

1 That sunscreen might not be working as well as it needs to.

Yes, we repeat our sunscreen message even more often than you need to reapply sunscreen itself. That’s because no other part of summer skin care (or year-round skin care, for that matter) is more important in preventing both skin cancer and premature aging. But of course sunscreen that doesn’t do its job — which is to provide you with broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection — might as well be no sunscreen at all. A recent Northwestern University study found that nearly 40 percent of the top-selling sunscreens on the market don’t meet American Academy of Dermatology standards, mostly due to overstating SPF or lacking sufficient water resistance. Prices for sunscreens can vary by a whopping 3000 percent, the study found. Your best bet? See your dermatologist for the best sunscreen for your skin and your budget.

2 Even if your sunscreen works, you may think you don’t need one.

We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again: everyone needs sunscreen, every day. Studies show, however, that people with dark skin — African Americans and Latinos in particular — are far less likely to use sunscreen on a regular basis than light-skinned people. They’re also far less likely to apply sunscreen to their children or teach children the importance of UV protection. It’s understandable, because most of us associate sun damage with sunburn — the visible reddening and peeling light-skinned people experience. But UV damage occurs just as often among dark-skinned people, with melanoma survival rates much lower because cancer is not often identified early enough. In people with dark skin, signs of skin cancer may more likely appear where they are least noticeable — on the soles of the feet, under the nails, on the scalp. If your skin is dark, please remember to use sunscreen and other UV protective measures on yourself and your children, and to schedule an annual skin check.

3 Blister care is part of summer skin care.

As the American Academy of Dermatology notes, summer is prime blister season. We wear sweet new sandals without breaking them in, or go for a hike or a run in ill-fitting shoes, or scorch our bare feet on hot sand or concrete. And blisters aren’t just for feet. Anywhere we experience chafing — from tight clothing, or sweat, or wet swimsuits — can see blisters form. “If you do get a blister, be patient and try to leave it alone,” says Dr. Anthony Rossi, a professor of dermatology at New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “Most blisters heal on their own in one to two weeks. Don’t resume the activity that caused your blister until it’s healed.”

For advice on these or any summer skin care issues, contact us today!

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This year the AAD is incorporating the hashtag #LookingGoodin2016 into its promotional materials for Skin Cancer Awareness Month. The slogan has a double meaning. Not only will protecting yourself from cancer-causing radiation keep you looking good longer (UV radiation, in addition to triggering cancerous changes in skin cells, also ages us prematurely), but giving yourself a “good look” all over is one of the most important ways to monitor your skin for early signs of cancer.

Here’s how the AAD uses humor, this year, to get across this life-saving message to men, who are at highest risk to develop melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALnyuVbOAtc

You can find out much more about keeping your skin “looking good” at the AAD’s Spot Skin Cancer website.

At Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena, we want to support your efforts to stay looking good all year. We invite you to contact us now to schedule your annual full-body skin check with one of our Licensed Physician Assistants. See us for a full line of dermatologist-formulated sun care products and for chic, packable sun hats that offer UPF 50+ protection from aging and cancer-causing rays. Remember that we offer the finest in skin cancer detection and treatment, including Mohs surgery.

And please, please, join in our efforts to ban the tan, for your skin’s sake. With the American Cancer Society, you can spread awareness by observing Don’t Fry Day, May 27—the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. Let your healthy, beautiful skin provide all the natural sizzle you need this summer!

The post Skin Cancer Awareness Month: Protect, Check, Correct appeared first on Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena.

Yada yada yada sunscreen. We know, you’re tired of hearing it. But if you won’t listen to us, how about a sunscreen public service announcement from Wolverine? Or Jean Valjean?

The actor Hugh Jackman is known for his rugged Aussie good looks, his superhero physique, and his Broadway show-stopping musical pipes. But in the past couple of weeks it’s Jackman’s skin that’s made news, as the Golden Globe and Tony award winner took to Instagram with a selfie of his bandaged nose. Confessing he’d just had surgery to remove a fifth basal cell carcinoma, Jackman took the opportunity to plead with his fans and followers: “PLEASE USE SUNSCREEN and get regular checkups.”

We applaud Jackman and second his appeal. And we want to take an opportunity of our own to dispel a couple of sunscreen myths that showed up, unfortunately, in the comments under his Instagram post.

Myth #1. Real men don’t use sunscreen. Jackman has confessed to falling for this one. In his home country of Australia (which has some of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world) the outdoor lifestyle and tough-guy Ozzie spirit don’t put much stock in UV protection or skin care. Jackman is hoping his example will help change that.

Myth #2. Sunscreen causes cancer. This dangerous myth showed up far too frequently among responses to Jackman’s plea. Commenters claimed skin cancer rates have only begun increasing since sunscreen use has been recommended. Wrong! More awareness and more frequent skin checks, with earlier diagnosis and treatments, are what’s behind rising skin cancer rates–and cures. Also, the damage now showing up as skin cancer in adults was more than likely done years ago, before sunscreen use was popular. There is also a lot of dangerous misinformation out there about the chemicals contained in sunscreens. Contrary to myth, these are not carcinogenic! You may have a sensitivity to particular chemicals that causes irritation or an allergic reaction. In that case, choose what’s called a physical sunscreen–one that uses minerals to block sun damage without irritating sensitive skin.

Myth #3. The best sunscreen is “natural” coconut oil. Coconut oil is indeed natural, and contains lots of good fats. But slathering fat on your skin doesn’t protect it from UV damage any more than slathering olive oil on chicken breasts before grilling them protects the meat from cooking. Back in the day, when tanning was in dangerous fashion, sunbathers often used coconut oil, cocoa butter, baby oil (mineral oil), and other fats to speed the browning of skin. All tanning did, though, is damage–leaving behind premature aging, wrinkling, dark spots, and a highly increased risk of developing the deadliest form of skin cancer, melanoma. (Myth #3a–that skin cancer can be cured by applying a paste of coconut oil and baking soda to the lesions–is an even more dangerous offshoot of this misinformation.)

So take it from Hugh Jackman. Please use sunscreen (talk to us about the product that’s right for you, and how to apply it effectively) and get regular checkups (call us now, so you don’t forget). Wolverine’s nose knows!

Image source: Wolverine promotional poster, Marvel Entertainment

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Who Needs PDT?

PDT has a variety of applications in dermatology, but today we’re talking about its use in the elimination of the precancerous lesions known as actinic keratoses (AKs). AKs, which are more common in light-complexioned people with a higher tendency to sunburn, are spots of UV-damaged skin. They appear as reddish, brown, or tan bumps on frequently exposed skin such as the face, lips, scalp, and hands. The lesions may scale or crust over, and they don’t heal or go away by themselves. Untreated AKs have a high potential to become cancerous–and there’s no way to predict whether that development will be swift or slow.

What Is Photodynamic Therapy?

PDT uses a combination of a topical solution and exposure to blue light to destroy the damaged cells that make up AKs. The solution, Levulan Kerastick, is applied directly to the areas of skin damage. As it is absorbed into the skin’s layers, the solution forms a chemical that makes the damaged areas particularly sensitive to light. Then the patient (wearing eye protection) is exposed to BLU-U blue light for about 17 minutes. The blue light targets the sensitized areas and destroys them, leaving healthy surrounding skin unaffected and clearing the way for healthy new cell growth.

The most common side effects of PDT are stinging, burning, and peeling at the treatment site, similar to the effects of a bad sunburn. To avoid or minimize these effects, the patient must avoid exposure to visible light for 48 hours before and after treatment. That means covering up completely when you have go outside, and keeping the lights low inside. Sunscreens are not effective protection against the light sensitivity PDT creates.

The PDT Bonus

In addition to its cancer-prevention power, Photodynamic Therapy leaves skin healthier and younger looking. And unlike many cosmetic treatments, PDT for the destruction of precancerous lesions is a medical procedure covered by most health insurance plans. To learn more about PDT and actinic keratoses, and to see a video about the treatment, click here. And contact us today to learn whether you are a candidate for PDT, or to find out more about its uses in treating acne and rosacea and in cosmetic rejuvenation.

Manage your skin damage today, before the clock springs ahead!

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