I am always amazed by the amount of wisdom Dr. Sandy shares with me. This weekend was the Arkansas Dermatology Society meeting. It was a perfect meeting. The speakers were amazing. I don’t know if it was because I could drive around Little Rock without seeing a single political sign(yes, when in Sebastian County I do count signs and stress about their placement and usefulness) or the amazing company that has me on a natural high. I drove home from Little Rock analyzing the meeting and reviewing in my head what I learned. Dr. Sandy then reminded me that my favorite part was the team building. The team of providers at JD really are amazing. Honey is a psoriasis expert that regularly teaches me about biologics and how to be a better person and provider. She is better than me and that’s what makes her so great to work with. Dr. Sandy, Dr. Brad and Dr.Nelson are all board certified dermatologists who help teach, work with me and make me better everyday. They care about their patients but they also care about mine, even the ones they have never met. They collaborate with me and hold me accountable to perform at the highest standards for my patients. And all these blogs from Dr. Sandy are free knowledge for you. Free advice from a board certified dermatologist right here on the skinny on skin. Knowledge is priceless so I would continue reading if I were you. From Dr. Sandy:
Stop the spot was the marketing campaign for our American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) a few years ago. This campaign was to help educate people to perform monthly self exams and have yearly full body skin exams by your dermatologist so that you can stop the spot or catch a skin cancer early while it is still easy to treat.
Most people however when they come to see us and want us to stop the spot, they are not referring to cancerous spots but are referring to brown spots. These spots are usually diagnosed as either lentigos or seborrheic keratosis. I have heard them called liver spots, age spots, wisdom spots, and many other untoward names. Whatever you call them, people want them GONE!
I thought now was the time to write a blog about stopping these spots because there is now a new product available called Eskata. It is a stick containing 40% hydrogen peroxide solution that is applied by us in the office to about 7-10 spots and costs $300. As with most treatments, more than one treatment may be needed.
We want you to know however that we have been stopping the spots at JD for a long time with at home and in office treatments. At home, we advise daily retinol, lytera and sun protection including TD&R. You can apply mentholatum (Vick’s vaporub) to the spots at home. In the office, we offer treatments aimed at treating spots with either acid, liquid nitrogen or laser. We only charge $10 per spot with a $75 minimum charge, again more than one treatment may be needed. We also offer treatments aimed at treating an area with a bunch of spots; these include chemical peels, lasers and intense pulsed light with radiofrequency. The cost for these treatments varies depending on how large of an area is treated. There is often some down time when treating these spots. These spots cannot be treated if you have any tan or recent sun exposure. Treatment is very rewarding but we need to be persistent since we continue to make more spots in the same area and other areas as we mature. Genetics play a role and since we did not pick our parents, we cannot control this. Sun exposure also plays a role so this is another good reason to be sun smart.
Anyways, make sure you keep an eye on your spots. Always have your spots checked by a Dermatologist before having them treated. Email kyana@johnsondermatology.com to make an appointment to see one of our providers: Dr Brad (at walk in clinic on Thursdays), Dr Nelson, Honey, Nina or myself. We can check your spots and discuss the best way to stop the spot. Stay skintastic.
Have a skintastic day, S
