Pacific Dermatology Welcomes Spring!
April 2011:
The recent and ongoing tragedy in Japan has alerted our attention to the risks of radiation exposure and its potential after effects. Radiation exposure is one of many causes of skin cancer, and there are a number of ways in which we can be exposed to radiation that we often don’t think about or may be unaware of.
One of my recent patients had a large skin cancer on her foot which is not a common location for skin cancer development. As it happens, she grew up in the era when it was commonplace to obtain xrays when buying shoes to be certain that the fit was good. What they didn’t know back then was that the cumulative effects of this radiation can contribute to skin cancer development in later years.
What are other sources of radiation that may cause skin cancer as early as 10-15 years after exposure? Acne patients as well as those with scalp fungal infections were commonly treated with radiation years ago. Also, patients who have had radiation for cancer treatment are also at risk years later within the treatment field. If you have had to undergo a great deal of imaging such as CT scans, x rays, or PET scans, those areas should be screened. And of course, tobacco also has low level radiation.
Drs. Reichel and Jacobson will be attending the annual Mohs College meeting in Las Vegas this spring to get skin cancer and surgery updates. The Mohs College is a select group of fellowship trained physicians who have obtained one extra year of accredited training in treating skin cancers of the head and neck.
We all look forward to enjoying spring with our young families. Dr. Reichel has twin one-year old daughters and a 3 year old son, Dr. Jacobson has a 5 year old daughter and 6 year old son, Kelly Stevens, PA has a 2 year old son and Andrea English, PA has a 2 year old son as well. As the warm weather approaches and the layers come off, please remember to wear your sunscreen and hats.
Kelly Stevens, PA and Dr. Jacobson each had the new Fraxel Dual laser treatment. The Dual is a new addition to the traditional Fraxel laser which provides excellent results for unwanted pigmentation and sun damage.
Kelly had significant improvement of her melasma (unwanted pigmentation which can be secondary to hormones) and Dr. Jacobson had her brown sun spots effectively zapped away.
Both of us had some post-treatment redness and fine scaling afterwards and a smooth recovery. We both were very pleased with our results. What's terrific about the Dual is it can be used on all skin types and also safely used on the neck and chest. Come in for a consultation to see if you might be a good candidate for this novel procedure.
Promotions corner: For 2 Days Only in May, Dr. Reichel and Dr. Jacobson are offering Restylane Buy 1 get 1 Free 1.0 ml Syringes. Treatments must be done during the visit, and cannot be combined with any other offers.
