As far as skin-care products for the body are concerned, the litany of options is mesmer­izing. Yet there is almost no uniformity between formulas. It would appear, if the claims are to be believed, that a wide variety of unrelated plant extracts can deflate or break down fat and/or restructure skin. Looking at the research, […]

There are three leading theories about cellulite formation: 1. Women have a unique, genetically determined skin structure on their thighs, which causes fat pockets to form (which would explain why only 5% of males have cellulite while more than 85% of females have cellulite). 2. The connective tissue layers on the thigh are too weak […]

Trying to navigate and smooth out cellulite fact from fiction isn’t easy but there is a small amount of good news: there are options that may make a difference. The bad news is that even the treatments that have some potential of working (and I say potential of working very carefully) rarely live up to […]

Technically called gynoid lipodystrophy, cellulite is a pervasive aesthetic problem. Regret­tably, most of us (meaning women) have it to one degree or another. According to statistics, and this is really shocking, cellulite shows up on the thighs of more than 85% of females past the age of 18 regardless of ancestry, although it is more […]

One of the more typical treatments for eczema is Protopic, containing the active ingredient tacrolimus in a 0.1% and 0.03% concentration ointment for adults and a 0.03% concen­tration ointment for children two years of age and older. It is a nonsteroidal (meaning not cortisone) ointment indicated for patients with moderate to severe eczema and for […]

On a personal note, I suffered from eczema for many years. At one point in my life almost 80% of my body was affected, and the resulting itching and scratching, sores, ir­ritation, and discomfort were more awful than I can put into words. For years I struggled with medications and a varying assortment of cortisone […]

Seborrhea is a skin disease of the sebaceous (oil) glands marked by an increased secretion of sebum (oil) or a thickened sebum discharge. It can resemble acne and blackheads. One of the differences between acne and seborrhea is that in seborrhea the increased oil production is often accompanied by a scaly, thickened skin, especially on […]

the basics TWICE A DAY: Gentle cleanser Recommended cleansers: CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser; Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser; Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Extra Mild; Eucerin Redness Relief Soothing Cleanser; Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery Cleanser for Normal to Very Dry Skin; Paula’s Choice One Step Face Cleanser for Normal to Oily/Combination Skin. TWICE a DAY: Toner with antioxidants, […]

The most typical combination therapy for psoriasis is something called PUVA. PUVA involves the use of a prescription medication called Psoralen and exposure to ultraviolet light A (UVA)—hence the initials PUVA. It is also called “photochemotherapy” because Psoralen functions similar to other types of chemotherapy used for cancer treatment. It is considered extremely effective and […]