Medical Dermatology

Pimples are the bane of adolescent life. Sometimes they can appear or persist later in life as ‘Adult Onset Acne’. Acne is driven by your hormones. External factors like stress, cosmetics, humidity, medication & starchy food, only play a limited role in worsening acne. Over-washing can be counter-productive. Do not pick on acne, or you’ll be left with scars & marks. Although it is a purely cosmetic concern, most patients choose to get it treated, as post-acne scarring is difficult to treat. When seen in association with weight gain, irregular periods, hair thinning, etc., an endocrinologist’s opinion must be sought to rule out hormonal disorders like polycystic ovaries. Acne is treated with topical gels &/or oral medications like antibiotics, hormonal medication or Isotretinoin. Our facility also offers Blue Light therapy for those who are not keen or unsuitable for treatment with antibiotics or Isotretinoin. Marks & scars are treated with creams along with procedural modalities performed by trained dermatologists.

Rosacea is a common skin condition that causes redness & swelling on the face, usually on the cheeks & nose. These may be accompanied by the appearance of tiny broken blood vessels on the skin, & pimple-like lesions. There is a very typical tendency to blush & flush easily. Flushing is usually temporary & is triggered by certain stimulants like alcohol, caffeine, spices, hot food, strong sunlight, stomach infections or emotions (anger, crying). Rosacea rarely reverses & may last for years. It can worsen without treatment. About 50% of sufferers have complaints of dryness & foreign-body sensation in the eyes- a condition known as ocular (eye) rosacea. Rosacea is treated with sunscreens & topical medication. Oral medication is rarely needed. Most patients have highly reactive skin, hence a patch test may be needed for the selection of appropriate skincare.

Vitiligo is a condition where white patches develop on the skin due to loss of pigment. There are usually no other symptoms. In about a third of all cases, it may be hereditary. The pattern of inheritance is unclear but it is not contagious. It is worsened by stress. Before initiation of treatment, we order some blood tests to rule out co-existing autoimmune conditions. Treatment includes topical & oral medication, depending upon your age, onset, severity & medical history. Phototherapy helps in stimulating pigment production in the patches. Camouflage make-ups & foundations can help restore confidence & self-esteem till your medication takes effect. Consult a dermatologist to rule out other conditions & seek the right treatment.

Urticaria or ‘hives’ are pale red swellings of the skin that occur in groups or on any part of the skin. Each hive lasts for a few hours, rarely up to a day, before gradually fading away without a trace. It can sometimes be associated with a condition called angioedema, where a patient can develop swelling around the eyes, lips, tongue &/or genitalia, or choking sensation in the throat. Urticaria can be caused by any number of triggers including food, stress, infections, sweating, medications or medical conditions like thyroid disease. When hives occur on & off for a period longer than 6 weeks, then it is called Chronic Urticaria. Here the cause may be harder to identify although such cases are usually caused by the development of autoimmune antibodies in the system. Chronic Urticaria may last for 3-5 years. Antihistamines are the mainstay of treatment. If you develop giant & painful hives which last for more than a day, then ANA testing & skin biopsy may be performed to rule out Urticarial Vasculitis or Lupus.

Atopic Dermatitis or ‘Eczema’ affects about 3% of all children. It is more common in children born to families with asthma, hay fever, spring catarrh & eczema.
Dry & irritable skin with severe & easily triggered itching is the outstanding feature of this condition. It is important to remember that your child’s skin has an overactive immune system, because of which he/she is sensitive to a large number of irritants in our environment, to which other children do not react.
Eczema can be kept under control with regular use of bland, fragrance-free moisturizers & soap-free cleansers. Medicated ointments are only used on inflamed areas of the skin & are meant to be used for short periods of time only. Use cotton clothing rather than wool or synthetic. Do not eliminate essential foods like eggs or milk from the diet, until food allergies can be medically confirmed. 30-50% of all atopic children will eventually get better as they enter adolescence.

Allergic patch testing helps to identify specific allergens. It is an internationally recognised method of testing & is a simple test that can often help identify the cause of a skin allergy & help in eliminating the cause. This can go a long way towards finding a long-term solution to your skin allergy issues.

Sun allergy is a common term used to refer to a number of conditions where the skin becomes red & develops an itchy rash when exposed to strong sunlight. In some cases, this may be a hereditary condition or may develop due to certain medications or exposure to certain plants. The most common type of condition is Photo dermatitis or sun poisoning where swelling & rashes or blisters may appear on the exposed skin & often persist for long periods. Mild cases of sun allergy usually resolve themselves. In severe cases, topical steroids & other medication may be prescribed.

The Pixel is a fractional semi-ablative Erbium:YAG laser which is the best laser available for the treatment of acne scars in Asian skin types. The procedure requires no anaesthesia & no dressings. The entire process requires 4-6 sittings to produce 60-70% improvement in the appearance of acne scars. This treatment has a 3-5 days downtime, during which your skin will show some redness & bronzing or flaking, which will resolve completely. The Pixeli RF laser with Impact Module (Alma’s Legato laser) also works on a similar principle. It has a punch apply & push technique. The radiofrequency light ablates the skin. The Impact module uses ultrasound waves to enable customized cosmeceutical delivery directly to the target skin. Specialized pre-treatment & post-treatment skincare kits help in preparing the skin & healing it post-treatment, for best results. This treatment also requires 6 sessions, & has a 5-7 days downtime. The eMatrix machine uses fractional bi-polar radiofrequency & is an optimal treatment for patients with scarring & pigmentation. This treatment also has a 3-5 days downtime for healing.

Stretch marks can appear during periods of rapid weight change, puberty & pregnancy. Stretch marks can be prevented by the use of cosmeceutical creams & fresh stretch marks (less than a year old) can be treated successfully using medicated ointments containing tretinoin & retinyl palmitate. However older stretch marks have to be treated with fractional ablative lasers or the unique Legato laser by Alma. All treatments have a 5-day downtime & are performed under topical anesthesia (using cream). No dressing is required. Treatment requires multiple sessions. Skin sagging can be addressed using skin tightening lasers & abdominoplasty (“tummy tuck” surgery)

The Q switched Nd:YAG laser is the treatment of choice for the removal of unwanted tattoos in all their popular colours. Once the tattoo colours are broken, the fluids in the skin wash away the pigment/ink. The treatment is quick & allows for near-complete removal of the tattoo in 6-8 sessions. An anaesthetic cream is applied over the tattoo for 30 minutes before the treatment for a pain-free experience. Patients experience redness & mild soreness for a day or two after treatment. When treating black tattoos, minor blistering may be expected in some patients, which will turn into scabs in 4-5 days & heal by the end of a week. Some colours like light blue & light green are difficult to treat completely. Older tattoos are easier to treat & require fewer sessions.