Whether you have acne or psoriatic arthritis, you may need to see a local dermatologist. Usually, your local family physician may refer you to a local dermatologist if they feel you need it. A local dermatologist a doctor who has been trained in treating conditions that affect the skin, nail and hair. 

Common Skin Conditions a Local Dermatologist Treats 

Actinic keratosis: This occurs when thick, scaly or crusty patches of skin appear on areas of the body that get sun exposure. Acne: It can include pimples, blackheads, whiteheads or cysts. People generally have acne on the face, shoulders, chest, neck and upper back. Basal cell carcinoma: This type of skin cancer can lead to raised pink or red areas that can ooze or bleed. There will be visible blood vessels. Rosacea: People with rosacea find that this condition can be triggered by alcohol certain foods, sunlight or stress. It can even an be caused by an intestinal bacteria. This chronic skin disease may lead to facial flushing, dryness and red bumps.  

Squamous cell carcinoma: This type of skin cancer occurs in areas that are more exposed to the sun. This causes red and scaly patches of skin, which then grow into red bumps.  If you have symptoms that sound like these diseases, see your local dermatologist or family doctor. 

Skin Conditions Related to Diabetes

If you have type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes, you are more likely to have dry skin. Here are some diabetes-related skin conditions you may see a local dermatologist for:

• Necrobiosis lipoidica: Yellow, brown or red patches on the skin.
• Acanthosis nigricans: Darker patches on the creases of the neck. 
• Digital sclerosis: Thickening of the skin.
• Skin infections and ulcers: Poorly managed blood glucose levels can lead to nerve damage. 

Skin conditions are common in people of all ages. If you’d like more info, start by talking to your local family physician. 

We treat atopic dermatitis by trying to avoid triggers that make the skin drier and itchier, and that can include using soaps that have too much perfume in them, soaps that are too harsh, exposure to things like wool or drying environments.

We also try to improve the skin barrier, and we try to improve that by using moisturizers. Patients with atopic dermatitis should use moisturizers daily, and preferably twice daily. In areas where they get inflammation, we can treat that inflammation with topical medicines.

Local Dermatologists can offer information on Those are either creams or ointments that we put on once or twice a day. They can be based on anti-inflammatory medication such as steroids, and they’re also medications that don’t have steroids in them that have good anti-inflammatory properties and work for atopic dermatitis. Good skincare is important to decrease the number of bacteria on the skin, and that includes a gentle washing, patting the skin dry after washing, and then putting on the moisturizers to improve that barrier and seal the skin.

What if the basic steps that I’ve just outlined don’t work, are there any other options, and what do we do then? Well, if atopic dermatitis becomes very extensive, and involves a large part of the body surface, where there’s severe itch where patients can’t work, or can’t sleep, then it’s time to start thinking about more generalized treatments that affect the whole body. Options there include treatment such as special light treatment called phototherapy at your doctor’s office that can decrease the inflammation in the skin.

Treatments can include taking pills that decrease inflammation, both in the short term and long term. And those pills can include short courses of antibiotics that can help when there’s a flare, or -inflammatories such as short courses prednisone, or more specialized medications that decrease the inflammation.

Presenter: Dr. Jan Dutz, Rheumatologist, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Rheumatologist