Arizona Dermatology

Medical Dermatology

Melasma Treatment

Melasma is a common skin condition that causes brown patches on the cheeks, forehead, upper lip, or chin.

Melasma usually occurs in women and is most common in people with darker skin tones, including those of Latin, Asian, Middle Eastern, African and Mediterranean descent. Dermatological Studies show that sun exposure, pregnancy, birth control pills, hormone therapy and heredity factors are the most common causes of melasma. Any sun exposure can trigger melasma because the pigment-producing cells in the skin (melanocytes) are stimulated by ultraviolet light from the sun.

Here at Arizona Dermatology, located in Phoenix, Apache Junction, Paradise Valley, and Mesa, we treat acne.

Sun Screen

The best way to prevent melasma is by using sunscreen and staying out of the sun. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat and reapplying SPF 30+ every two hours protects against sun damage and melasma.

Prescription Medication

Use hydroquinone for dark patches, tretinoin to exfoliate and lighten skin, and corticosteroid cream to ease irritation. We recommend hydroquinone for dark patches, tretinoin for exfoliation and lightening, and corticosteroid cream for irritation

Chemical Peels

Chemical peels are an effective way to eliminate skin discoloration and restore a more even appearance of your skin. We offer many different treatments; for example, light, medium, or deep chemical peels for various skin types. Moreover, our chemical peel treatments not only improve skin appearance but also reduce precancerous lesions, which may otherwise progress and lead to skin cancer.

Click here to schedule an appointment at our Phoenix, Apache Junction, Paradise Valley, and Mesa practices.

Vitiligo Treatment

Vitiligo is a non-contagious skin condition that affects 1-2% of the population, which is approximately 2-4 million people in the United States! Vitiligo is a patterned loss of melanin pigment resulting from the destruction of melanocytes. Melanin pigment defines color in the hair and skin and is produced by cells called melanocytes. If melanocytes die or can no longer produce melanin, the skin becomes lighter or completely white.It is rare for your skin pigmentation to return on its own without the help of a treatment. However, if your skin does return to its natural color, you many still have vitiligo. The loss of pigmentation and how the pigmentation takes its course differs between each person. There is no way to detect the severity of how much pigment a person will lose after diagnosis.  Many people try disguising vitiligo with makeup or self-tanning compounds to make their pigmentation appear less noticeable. While none of these methods help cure the disease, they can improve the visibility greatly. If you’re tired of simply covering up your skin pigmentation, make an appointment with us and we can work with you to find a solution. Below is a list of vitiligo treatments that we may recommend based on your symptoms and needs.

Excimer Laser

The XTRAC® Excimer laser is a targeted laser that we use to deliver a focused beam of UVB light, through a unique delivery system, and targets the hypopigmentated patch of skin. While avoiding harm to the surrounding healthy tissue, we are able to successfully bring pigment back to areas of the skin suffering from discoloration.

Phototherapy

Phototherapy, or UV light, is a successful way to help bring back pigmentation to the skin. Clinical studies have shown that UVB light is the preferential wavelength for stimulating melanocytes to initiate the repigmentation response in vitiligo patches, bringing the color back to your skin.

Wart Removal

Warts are non-cancerous skin growths caused by viruses and formed in the top layer of skin. Warts commonly form as rough, skin-colored patches on the skin, but there are several different types of warts, including:

  • Common Warts
  • Plantar (foot) Wart
  • Genital Warts
  • Molluscum

Different warts respond to different dermatological treatments, so it’s important to understand the type of wart you have before selecting a treatment option. We offer a wide range of treatment options and recommendations based on the severity and type of wart(s). For less serious warts, salicylic acid products (in the form of drops, gels, pads and bandages) may aid self-treatment of warts by dissolving the keratin protein that creates the wart and the dead skin above it. Other effective treatments for warts include cantharidin/ Podophyllin, (painless solution applied in office), cryotherapy (freezing) or electrosurgery (burning). These may be recommended for painful or more serious warts.

We will work with you to determine which wart treatment will provide you with best possible results. Read about a few of our treatment options below, then schedule an appointment with us to find the right wart removal treatment for you and your skin.

Cantharidin

Cantharidin is a potent blistering agent derived from the dried, powdered blister beetle. This liquid formula is applied to the wart which enables it to form a blister-like reaction underneath. The “blister beetle solution” is commonly used to treat warts and molluscum, especially in children for whom other treatment options may be too painful, traumatic, or have the possibility of scarring.

Podophyllin

Podophyllin is a solution with a painless application. This solution exfoliates, irritates and instigates an immune reaction for the removal of warts in sensitive areas. Podophyllin must be applied by our skin care professional followed by careful monitoring to reduce potential side effects.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is the most common treatment for warts among adults and older children. We utilize liquid nitrogen as a way to apply extreme coldness in order to “freeze” the wart as a method of elimination. This procedure may cause symptoms such as a feeling of numbness or tingling to the affected area for a short period of time.

Electrosurgery and Currettage

Electrosurgery is the burning of skin that contains the wart, through the use of an electrical current. After electrosurgery, treatment is continued by curettage, which involves scraping off the remaining wart with a small instrument. Often used together, electrosurgery and currettage are performed on areas that commonly develop warts such as the foot or hand.

Rosacea Treatment

Rosacea is a common skin disease that frequently begins as a tendency to flush or blush easily. As rosacea progresses, people often develop persistent redness and acne-like bumps in the center of the face. This redness may gradually spread beyond the nose and cheeks to the forehead and chin. The main symptoms of rosacea include:

  • Redness of the face
  • Blushing or flushing easily
  • Spider veins of the face
  • Redness and swelling of nose (bulbous nose)
  • Acne-like bumps (papules and pustules)
  • Burning or stinging sensation
  • Irritated, bloodshot, watery eyes

Overtime, the symptoms of rosacea tend to become more noticeable. The redness becomes permanent and your skin is more easily irritated by something as simple as water. Research suggests that rosacea tends to run in families who have previously encountered rosacea or severe acne.

Receiving the appropriate dermatological treatment for rosacea helps maintain discomfort, control redness, reduce acne-like breakouts and diminish the reddish purple veins caused by rosacea. Working with Arizona Dermatology to treat rosacea does more than just improve the visible symptoms, but increases your overall quality of life by giving you confidence in your skin.

There are many treatment options for rosacea that we provide at Arizona Dermatology, and we will work with you to find the best option. With all of the treatments we offer, we will educate you on various triggers that can cause rosacea flares and help you to not just treat your symptoms, but work to keep them from returning in the future.

Prescription Medication

Prescription medications are available as an effective treatment for rosacea. Medications we prescribe often include oral antibiotics with additional anti-inflammatory properties (Oracea, Doxycycline) or topical prescriptions that reduce redness, inflammation or pustules (Mirvaso, Metrogel, Finacea, Avar). This simple, yet effective, treatment for the symptoms of rosacea could be your answer to soothing your unwanted breakouts.

Skin Care Products

Skin care products are used as a preventative measure to treat the occurrence of rosacea and limit future inflammation caused by sun exposure. Skin care options may include gentle anti-bacterial & anti-inflammatory cleansers (Epionce Lytic Cleanser) or gentle cleansers with active ingredients such as sodium sulfacetamide and sulfur (Sumadan or Avar cleanser). A sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or higher can also reduce the symptoms of rosacea by reducing inflammation. We will work with you to recommend the best skin care products fit for your specific rosacea symptoms.

Vascular Laser for Redness

Redness or flushing associated with rosacea is caused by small, dilated blood vessels near the surface of the skin (telangiectasia). The vascular laser light targets, penetrates, heats and closes the blood vessel, diminishing redness and giving you confidence in your skin.

Resurfacing Laser or Electrosurgery for Enlarged Nose (Rhinophyma)

One of the more common symptoms of rosacea is an enlarged, bulbous nose. Resurfacing laser or electrosurgery can be used to diminish the excess swelling. Heat is used to debulk the nose by removing excess tissue with a laser or high-frequency electric current.

Acne

We’re all familiar with acne and know that it can be unpleasant and cause permanent scarring, as well as emotional distress.

Acne occurs when our pores clog (commonly called blackheads and whiteheads), red inflamed pimples arise, and deeper lumps known as “nodules” occur on the face, neck, back, chest, shoulders, and upper arms. Although acne is most commonly experienced during our teenage years, adults may experience acne during their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, or even older. Acne may be triggered by a variety of causes such as hormones, birth control, childbirth, or menopause.

Here at Arizona Dermatology, located in Phoenix, Apache Junction, Paradise Valley, and Mesa, we treat acne.

Cleaning your face regularly, eating a healthy diet, and wearing as little cosmetics as possible are only a few of the steps you can perform to help control the development of acne. While some acne can clear up on its own without treatment over the course of several years, others will continue to suffer from this skin condition throughout their entire life. If common cleansers aren’t working for your acne, you may want to consult with our expert dermatologists at Arizona Dermatology to discuss other possible acne treatments.

We offer several dermatological treatment options to help give you clear skin and keep the acne from returning in the future. Our treatment options and recommendations vary by the severity of your acne, needs and budget. Many patients can often improve mild acne by washing with a facial cleanser twice a day, using prescription acne medications and/or receiving chemical peels. For more severe cases, a laser treatment or blue light photodynamic therapy may be recommended. In addition to acne itself, acne scarring can also be treated in a variety of ways, including the use of certain skin care products, chemical peels, laser skin resurfacing, soft tissue fillers, and microdermabrasion or micro-needling. Read about a few of our acne treatments below, and then schedule an appointment with us to find the best acne treatment for you.

Facial Cleansers

Facial cleansers are a basic necessity to remove oils, makeup, and debris from your face that accrue throughout the day. If you don’t use the proper cleaner for your skin type, you may experience unwanted side effects such as irritated or dry skin. Believe us, there is a facial cleanser for every skin type, even for those that may need a more aggressive cleanser than others. Below are a few of our favorite and most popular medical grade cleansers, many of which you can purchase over the counter at your nearest drug store.

1. Facial Epionce Lytic Gel Cleanser (Medical grade)
2. Facial cleansers with active ingredient Salicylic Acid (Neutrogena, Aveeno) (over the counter)
3. Facial cleanser with active ingredient Benzoyl Peroxide (PanOxyl) (over the counter)

Prescription Acne Medications

Prescription acne medications are a way to clear the development of acne internally. These treatment options include Benzoyl Peroxide, Retin-A, Aczone, oral antibiotics (Doxycycline, Minocycline), Accutane or hormone modulator for females (Spironolactone). Our skin care professional will diagnose your skin condition and recommend a prescription acne medication to deliver the best results possible for your specific condition.

Acne Extraction

Acne extraction is a form of surgery performed by our aesthetician experts in order to professionally and deeply cleanse the skin on the face. This treatment cleans the patient’s clogged pores by thoroughly removing any blackheads and whiteheads on the face. As a result of this treatment, it will likely reduce the amount of outbreaks and lessen the severity of your ongoing acne.

Corticosteroid Injection

The light corticosteroid treatment is injected into a large, swollen pimple or cyst to instantly flatten and reduce scarring. The treatment releases cortisone, which is a natural chemical the body produces to quickly reduce inflammation and stimulate the healing process. This fast acting treatment is recommended for acne that may appear deep within the skin and is unaffected by other acne treatments. The light corticosteroid treatment is an especially great procedure for those needing quick results for an upcoming event.

Chemical Peels

Chemical peels are an excellent way to bring back the smooth texture of your skin. We offer many different treatments such as light, medium, or heavy depth chemical peels for various skin types. The people who come in for our chemical peels are usually suffering from acne, extensive sun damage, or just want a rejuvenated appearance. Our chemical peel treatments have also been known to cut down on precancerous lesions that may lead to the development of skin cancer.

1. AlphaBeta Peel– multiple acid peel (Salicylic, Glycolic, Lactic acids) reduces acne causing bacteria, removes congestion within pores, and improves discoloration caused by acne. This treatment has no downtime, allowing you to walk out of our office with visible results.

2. Vitalize Peel – multiple acid peel (Salicylic, Lactic, Retinoic acids and Resorcinol) that reduces acne causing bacteria and removes congestion within the pores. Moderate exfoliation improves discoloration, pore size and scarring caused by chronic acne with minimal downtime to give you the clear skin you’ve always wanted.

Micro-Needling

An instrument which utilizes fine needles is used to create “micro-tunnels” of the skin. These microscopic wounds stimulate the skin’s natural healing process which increases collagen and elastin production. Micro-needling breaks up scar tissue, plumps acne scarring, reduces pore size and improves skin texture. Acne targeting medications are applied at the start of the procedure and driven into target areas by the instrument to increase effectiveness. The depth of penetrated medication enhances results to give you the results you’ve been hoping for.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion utilizes a diamond tip to sand or exfoliate the outermost layer of your skin. The exfoliated skin is suctioned through an attached vacuum to remove dead skin cells and improve pore congestion, skin texture and acne scarring. Without the downtime of exfoliation process, microdermabrasion is an excellent option for patients suffering from acne.

Laser Skin Resurfacing

Laser resurfacing is recommend to remove acne scarring once the chronic acne has cleared. During this process, the top layer of skin (epidermis) is ablated or removed. The laser penetrates the skin by sending a short pulse of light to the targeted area, and heat from the laser is penetrated in the second layer of skin (dermis) to stimulate an intense collagen reaction. The combination of ablating the epidermis and stimulating deep collagen production improves moderate to severe acne scarring and rejuvenates skin, giving you firm, evenly colored, beautiful skin.

Click here to schedule an appointment at our Phoenix, Apache Junction, Paradise Valley, and Mesa practices.