We know how stressful hair loss can be.  It is something that we specialize in - both in men and women.  Every patient that comes into our office gets a thorough history, exam, and workup to determine the precise reason for the hair loss.  If you are suffering from hair loss, we strongly encourage you to seek the help of a hair loss expert to “get to the roots” of the problem.

We wanted to share with you a tip that has been helping many of our patients.  One of the medications many of you are using is Rogaine.  We find Rogaine, when used correctly, to be of great value to our patients.  We think that you can make this even more effective if you condition the scalp before applying Rogaine.  By conditioning the scalp - we mean increasing the blood flow.  If the scalp has extra blood flow when you use Rogaine, than we believe more medicine is absorbed and the benefits are enhanced. 

So how do you ‘condition’ your scalp?  One of the best ways we have found is with a product called made by by Arbonne.  You can buy this product in our office, or directly from the company.  Here is how to buy it directly from Arbonne:

1. Signing up with Arbonne here. (Registration is free)
2. Look for Arbonne Intelligence Thermal Fusion Hair & Scalp Revitalizer

When in the shower, wash your hair, and then apply this conditioner.  Leave the conditioner in your scalp while you clean the rest of your body.  After a few minutes, your scalp will feel warm or tingly.   It may also look slightly red.  Wash out the product, get out of the shower, and apply your Rogaine.  We recommend that you use this conditioner one to two times per week.

Most melanomas would not be detected without a dermatologist’s total body skin examination, according to a study presented at the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) 34th Annual Meeting.

To us, this study is not a surprise at all - and that is why we encourage ALL of our patients to have a complete skin exam at least every year.  Finding a potential problem early is the best thing that you can do!

Bloomberg News (11/16, Scott) reported that a “vaccine to prevent skin cancer may be ready for children within five to 10 years.” In fact, the “Australian scientist who created vaccinations for cervical cancer” has tested such a vaccine on animals.

According to Gardasil developer Prof. Ian Frazer, “it was not yet known how many skin cancers were caused by the” human papillomavirus, “a common infection which can turn abnormal cells into cancer,” AFP (11/16) added. Yet, the “new vaccine would target” human papillomavirus, and it “would be used on children aged between 10 and 12 to prevent them from developing skin cancer,” according to Frazer, who is expected to deliver “his findings to the Australian Health and Medical Research Congress on Monday.”

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Read Dr. Ellis’ interview with Gayle Turim from EveryDayHealth.com

The Flu Vaccine is the single best way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated each year.

There are two types of vaccines:

The “flu shot”— an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. The flu shot is approved for use in people older than 6 months, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions.

The nasal-spray flu vaccine — a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu (sometimes called LAIV for “live attenuated influenza vaccine” or FluMist®). LAIV (FluMist®) is approved for use in healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.

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Introduction
Older skin needs gentle handling. The skin becomes thinner and the structures in the dermis are less well supported and easily damaged. The skin’s immune defenses are less active. However as the skin is dry, common agents can upset older skins. These include soap and water, dry air, excessive heat and cold and friction. While not every problem can be avoided, there are some simple measures which can help to reduce the risk of trouble and they may make life more comfortable.

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We wanted to thank our patients for the honor of being nominated as one of the best dermatology practices of Long Island.  Thank you!  If you would like to vote in the “Best of LI” competition you can do so here.

Experimental Drug Ustekinumab Trumps Enbrel in 3-Month Trial; Longer-Term Results Unknown

An experimental drug called ustekinumab shows better treatment results than an established drug, Enbrel, for treating moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in a new trial.

In a news release, the drug company Centocor, which makes ustekinumab and sponsored the study, calls the new drug “superior” to Enbrel.

But Amgen, the drug company that makes Enbrel, notes that the study only lasted for 12 weeks and didn’t address long-term safety.

Both ustekinumab and Enbrel are biologic drugs. Ustekinumab targets two inflammatory chemicals, interleukin 12 and interleukin 23. Enbrel is a TNF blocker; that is, it inhibits tumor necrosis factor (TNF).

In the new study, 903 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis either got ustekinumab (in a higher or lower dose) or Enbrel for 12 weeks.

Patients in the ustekinumab groups got one shot of the experimental drug in their assigned dose when the study started and another shot four weeks later. Patients in the Enbrel group got two shots of Enbrel every week for 12 weeks.

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Join Dr. Ellis as he takes part in North Shore/ LIJ”s Community and Women’s Wellness Program.

Without a prescription plan, medications can be difficult to afford. We wanted to thank Target for making a number of medications available for $4/month ($10/3 month).
Here is a list of medications that you might find of use if you are treating a skin condition and want to save money on filling your prescriptions.