Questions and Answers

WILL DYEING MY HAIR MAKE IT FALL OUT  MORE?

Hair dye does not discourage hair growth, but dyeing can damage the hair that is color treated. Hair that has not emerged through the skin can not be affected by the dye.   Now  hair shedding can increase with hair dyeing by the manipulation of the hair shafts as part of the dyeing process, rubbing and combing can loosen hairs in causing increased shedding.Next, some of the ingredients in the hair dyes on the market contain both ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, which also loosens hairs that are currently not in the growing phase. Lastly, hair dye can physically weaken hair shafts increasing breakage-caused hair loss, which I see frequently.   Now, hair dyes that lighten hair from its natural color are the most disruptive as they contain high amounts of peroxide. Peroxide is necessary to remove the pigments from the hair shaft and replace them with lighter colors. Many people that lighten from dark to light will experience Many individuals who dye their hair from brunette to blonde will notice breakage at the ends of the hair shafts, which are the oldest. Fortunately, the treatment recommendation is simple. The patient should no longer lighten their hair color and pick another darker shade. Thus, hair dyeing can cause temporary hair loss due to breakage.

SO IF DIET HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ACNE, WHY DOES MY FACE BREAK OUT AFTER EATING CHOCOLATE?

Science still does not know whether diet and acne are related, but evidence is starting to trickle in. Based on what we are seeing in clinical research, it seems prudent to eat a relatively low-glycemic diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables and omega-3 fats and to perhaps supplement with 30mg of zinc gluconate per day. However, due to our modern diets and Western style of living, achieving sustainable relief of acne from changes in diet alone remains an elusive goal.No matter what anti-acne diet you embark upon, while you may see a short-term reduction in acne.  Due to the lack of concrete evidence on the subject of dairy and acne, and major design limitations in the studies researchers have performed thus far, scientists in the Journal of Clinics in Dermatology wrote after a review of the existing evidence, "Our conclusion, on the basis of existing evidence, is that the association between dietary dairy intake and the development of acne is slim

MY ZITS HAVE GONE AWAY, BUT THE MARK STAYS, HELP!

The red zit that occupied your face for a week has finally calmed down but months have passed and the dark spots that took it’s place makes it seem like it never went away at all.  Luckily, the dark “scars” left over from acne are not actually scars at all. Post-pimple red and brown spots are actually caused by a condition called Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation and they are usually a temporary side effect of those red, pimples called inflamed acne. 

ACNE MARKS ARE DIFFERENT FROM ACNE SCARS
Scars, by definition, are permanent marks caused by changes to tissue resulting from an injury. True acne scars show up as textural changes in the skin and usually appear as raised or indented/depressed marks. Dark marks are also a defense mechanism triggered by inflammatory acne but they are the result of pigment being injected into skin cells, not changes to the tissue.

There is no magic eraser that will instantly get rid of PIH and it usually takes a few months to over a year for them to go away whether you treat them or not.   Exfoliating products such as tretinoin, or azeleic acid along with hydroquinone can help.

I'M COVERED IN THESE UGLY MOLES, WHAT CAN I DO?

Well first of all they are not moles.  And you can thank your parents for them, since they are inherited.

Seborrheic keratosis is a common skin growth. It may seem worrisome because it can look like a wart, pre-cancerous skin growth, or skin cancer. Despite their appearance, seborrheic keratoses are harmless.Most people get these growths when they are middle aged or older. Because they begin at a later age and can have a wart-like appearance, seborrheic keratoses are often called the “barnacles of aging.”It’s possible to have just one of these growths, but most people develop several. Some growths may have a warty surface while others look like dabs of warm, brown candle wax on the skin.Seborrheic keratoses range in color from white to black; however, most are tan or brown.You can find these harmless growths anywhere on the skin, except the palms and soles. Most often, you’ll see them on the chest, back, head, or neck. Seborrheic keratoses are not contagious.  they can be removed, unfortunately the procedure is considered cosmetic and the outcome at times is a white area after removal.