Dr. Geoffrey A. Potts, M.D.

It sounds like it could be acne or cysts. See your primary care doctor and/or board certified dermatologist for proper treatment. Do not pick or squeeze the cysts as it can lead to scarring.

You can try over-the-counter Amlactin moisturizer to help. Make sure you do not have prediabetes by seeing your primary care physician (could be acanthosis nigricans from insulin resistance). There’s some other possibilities that would need evaluation and treatment by a board certified dermatologist if the above doesn’t work.

Warts can be tough as the virus hides from the immune system. Common reasons warts spread on the hands is from excessive sweating or irritant hand dermatitis from harsh soaps or fragrances. Make sure you use gentle hand washes, moisturizer, and don’t over wash the hands. Use over the counter products such as the salicylic acid liquid or pads (Dr. Scholl’s or Compound W). If not helpful (or your sweating or hand irritation needs further treatment) make an appointment with a local board certified dermatologist.

Sounds like a little more than just the stress of childbirth given the duration. You should ensure your iron, blood counts, Vitamin D, thyroid studies, and free testosterone (if you have signs of polycystic ovarian syndrome such as thick hairs where they aren’t supposed to be, deepening of voice, acne, irregular periods).

Surgery is an option if this is genetic hair loss but no surgeon would do the procedure until you’ve pretreated for many months with minoxidil (Rogaine). It’s also important to do the above workup and consider a biopsy if there’s any concern for an inflammatory hair loss that would need to be treated differently. Hair breakage and tension can also cause hair loss so be careful about heat, braiding, or chemical relaxers. It sounds like you should make an appointment with a board certified dermatologist for workup and treatment.

They can be especially with methicillin resistant staph aureus or MRSA skin infections. Good hygiene especially with the hands is key including alcohol based hand sanitizers. If you have sensitive skin consider using Gold Bond hand sanitizer cream as it is less prone to irritating the skin or hurting when you apply it to broken skin. Do not share towels. Decolonization is the process of reducing the amount of staph on the skin and in the nose. Mupirocin (Bactroban) is an antibacterial prescription ointment and we often recommend to use it in the nose the first 5 days of every month to reduce the amount of staph in the nose.

Bleach baths are an important component of this twice a week 1/2 cup of household bleach in a full tub of water. It sounds irritating but it's like a swimming pool and diluted enough that it shouldn't cause harm even with children with eczema. It's actually a common recommendation for kids with eczema to reduce their risk of skin infection. Ensure you are washing your towels in hot water to kill bacteria that could grow on them and consider using paper towel in the bathroom rather than hand towels. Staph bacteria can easily spread between close household contacts so make sure everyone is on the same page so it doesn't continue to spread.

Silicone sheets and massage are helpful and petroleum jelly (Vaseline) or Aquaphor if the area is still sensitive. Most other products such as Mederma are not helpful. Ask your surgeon if dermabrasion or laser would be helpful. Many board certified dermatologists are able to offer such procedures to improve the appearance of scars. If the scar is thickened we sometimes do injections of a cortisone called triamcinolone (Kenalog) to help soften or thin down the scar. Marks from suture are sometimes hard to avoid in areas of high tension such as the back but can be avoided by not tightening the knots in the skin.

It sounds like topical creams may not be sufficiently controlling your fungal infection. You may require a pill to help keep the infection down so that the creams are better able to maintain clearance. Talk to your local doctor if a pill like terbinafine (Lamisil) would be helpful to knock out the infection. Ensure you use the anti fungal cream (Lotrimin Ultra or butenafine is my recommended over the counter cream) in the typical areas whether the groin or feet once the infection is gone to keep it from returning. Keep your feet and groin dry with powders and make sure footwear is allowed to completely dry.

Varicose veins are caused by loss of the normal valves that help keep blood moving back to the heart through the veins and lymphatic system. The mainstay of treatment is compression stockings to prevent worsening and to help reduce the amount of blood that is pooling in the legs. The safety of stockings requires an exam by your podiatrist or medical doctor to ensure it is safe. If you have poor blood flow to the feet (arterial insufficiency) then compression therapy can actually be harmful. Symptoms of that would be cramping upon walking in the calves (claudication). If deemed safe, you can get compression stockings in stores and even on Amazon.com. They are not fitted though and it may be difficult to find exactly the type you need.

Painful veins can be treated by in office treatments through insurance such as sclerotherapy which destroys the abnormal veins or other surgical procedures. Exercise also helps the muscles of the legs to help improve blood flow in addition to its heart health benefits. In the evening keeps your legs elevated above your heart. If this is not treated it is likely to worsen over time and put you at risk for open sores or infection.

The dermatopathologist (a physician that looks at skin biopsies under the microscope) can tell benign (non cancerous) lesions from malignant (cancerous lesions) based on how it looks under the microscope slide. The two types of skin cancers are very easy to tell between them in most cases and are likely to be treated in a similar fashion by your dermatologist to ensure its complete removal. If deeper it is likely to be treated by excision with a blade. If it is just on the top layer of skin a burn and scrape procedure is an option. Ensure you use proper sun protection and teach your family and friends similar lessons.

You may have a condition called hidradenitis suppurativa which causes painful lumps and nodules in the underarms, groin, or buttocks. Topical washes such as benzoyl peroxide (found in acne aisle) and topical antibiotics may help to reduce the number of flares. Bleach baths can also be helpful twice a week (1/2 cup of bleach in full tub of water) to keep bacterial colonization down. Avoiding smoking tobacco and weight loss are also helpful to reduce the severity of flares. The issue with antibiotics is that you can develop candidal (yeast) infections especially vaginal. Probiotics and topical or oral therapies for the yeast infection will make it more tolerable.

With your hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) if you are using irritating antiperspirants sometimes you'll want to get that under control in other ways. It's possible you could have a bacterial infection caused by staph which happens when the skin gets irritated. A board certified dermatologist can help you manage both conditions.

No exercise does not speed up the process of filler breakdown. However the first week or two you may want to avoid trauma or pressure on the face even from sleeping as it can move the filler in the skin until it becomes part of the collagen matrix.

The skin portion of the vulva (outside) is safe to use gentle cleansers such as Dove Sensitive Skin. The mucosal surface of the vagina you should only use water. Do not use wipes as they can contribute to irritation or even allergy.

HPV vaccination with Gardasil is recommended even for those who have had previous warts. This will assist in prevention of infection and cervical cancer. The only way to tell that you are HPV free is a Pap smear and examination. Unlike herpes infections HPV can be cured and prevention is by avoidance of sexual contact with infected individuals. Condoms are not always completely preventive if warts are outside of the genital skin.

Depending on his age there is usually a stepwise approach to treating acne. Once scarring sets in the best treatment that is usually long term is isotretinoin (Accutane). Prevention of scarring is by being aggressive with topical and oral therapies such as antibiotics to reduce inflammation in the skin. See your board certified dermatologist to help manage this.