Skin republic

Dear Dr. Jen,

I have this problem for years now.  I have reddish spots on both sides of my cheeks.  I’ve been trying to get rid of it by applying alcohol, eskinol and other creams.  None of them have worked.  Please help me bring back my skin to how it was before.

Jean

Dear Jean,

There are a number of things that may have contributed to the redness of your cheeks.  Two things immediately come to my mind.  The easiest diagnosis would be an allergic reaction, or contact dermatitis.  Simply put, you might have developed an allergy or irritation to a product that you may have used.  This is remedied by applying cortisone-cased creams for a short period of time. More important is to stop all kinds of things you are applying on your face and stick to hypoallergenic products.

The second possibility is that it may be a case of rosacea.  Is your facial redness preceded by sun exposure, exercise, emotional stress, alcohol and spicy food consumption?  In that case, it might be rosacea.  Rosacea is characterized by redness on the cheeks, nose, forehead and may even be accompanied by pimples.  Treatment of rosacea entails a combination of creams and laser, maintained on a long-term basis. 

However, there are still several other things that it may be such as a fungal infection, bacterial infection, etc…  Rather than beating yourself up by googling all kinds of diagnoses, you can actually just stop by your PDS dermatologist and have it checked once and for all. 

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Dear Dr. Jen,

I have bluish bumps on my lower lip.  I am afraid to go to the doctor because I think it is cancer for sure.  Is there a way to treat it?

Via

Dear Via,

I understand why you may think it is some form of melanoma.  Usually, IF it is soft and slow-growing, it might be a simple case of venous lake.  Venous lake can bleed easily with trauma to the lips. Your PDS derma can do a diascopy to clinch the diagnosis. Venous lake is formed by blood vessels that become dilated.  Sun exposure is a huge factor in contributing to this condition.  You can have it excised (which will leave you with a scar) or you can have laser performed.  Laser can be performed 1-2 times and leaves you with no scars and hardly any complications.  The concern for venous lakes is cosmetic.  If it actually doesn’t bother you, you can opt to leave it alone.

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Dear Dr. Jen,

I have ugly scars on my legs.  Some are dark, some are too white and everything just looks unevenly colored. I can’t wear shorts in public.  Is there any hope for my legs?

Chelsea

Dear Chelsea,

To make dark scars fair is an easy thing.  Chemical peels, medicated bleaching creams and laser or a combination of all are options for lightening dark scars.  However, to do the opposite, making white scars become dark, now that is a challenging thing.

Excimer laser for hypopigmented have been used with variable success in the States.  However, this machine is not available in the Philippines. Some doctors go for microneedling.  There are some claims to the use of fractional laser producing 20-50% improvement.  What you want is for the melanocytes to be active in producing melanin.  At this point, you can have some test spots done and go through the laser if some improvement is noted.  Be prepared to undergo treatment for several months though.  Best of luck!

Dr Tan is a diplomate of Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS). She is affiliated with Perpetual Succour Hospital (PSH). For other information on PDS, check http://www.pds.org.ph/. If you have any questions or concerns please text, email or call (The Freeman or PSH): 0932 857 7070 or <[email protected]> or  (032) 233 8620 or 232 5929.  Your inquiries will be forwarded to Dr. Tan.