Our Office Has Reopened – COVID-19 Protocols

Dear Patients, Some exciting news! After over two months of closing our office doors, we reopened on Monday May 18 for live interactions. The first few days went very well. Being away from the office for so long has reminded me that I really love my job. I have missed you! Please call 212-375-4019 for […]

Skin Cancer Prevention…Beyond Sunscreen

We all know that to prevent skin cancer, we need to reduce sun exposure.  But for people who have already had skin cancer, who are at a high risk for skin cancer (like transplant recipients, redheads, etc etc), sun reduction may not be enough.  And even for those of us who had not had skin […]

Clear + Brilliant Laser

Sometimes, I just feel BLECH, and want to feel better.  Champagne and red burgundy can often help, or a new pair of shoes.  But other times, I wake up and look in the mirror, and wonder WTF happened.  I think many people feel like this from time to time, but they don’t want to do […]

Warts….EEK!!! What can I do?

I have not blogged in eons. I think the blogs were too long – Who has time? So, from now on, will try to write short and sweet nuggets of dermatologic wisdom based on common patient questions. What are natural options to treat common warts? (not genital, which is a whole other thing) Warts drive […]

SUPPLEMENTS SCANDAL!

Not sure if you saw this article in the NY Times on 2/13/15 – It upset me greatly, as I felt consumers who were using supplements to live more healthy lives were being duped. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/sidebar-whats-in-those-supplements/?_r=0 The new York Attorney General’s Office “had run tests on popular store brands of herbal supplements at the retailers — […]

Two Natural Treatments for Skin Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a very frustrating chronic disease, and recently it has been linked to serious diseases like diabetes and coronary artery disease. As I do for all skin diseases, I try to incorporate natural treatments in addition to the traditional Western medical approach. A few pearls: 1. Psoriasis and stress are close friends.  I firmly believe […]

In Defense of Pleasure

Sometimes patients come see me, and proudly say, “I don’t eat any gluten, dairy, or sugar, and I don’t drink alcohol” and the expectation is that I will say “How wonderful!” but what I say is “Poor you!  Every day must be stressful thinking at every meal of what you cannot eat.” I do not […]

Plants for Skin: Polypodium Leucotomos

This is the first installation of Plants for Skin, where I will discuss the beneficial effects on our skin of one ingredient which comes from the natural world.  I am doing this because it fascinates me, it is a way for me to learn more and hopefully to teach my reader something useful, and because […]

Are you shallow if you do cosmetic procedures?

The conversation often begins like this:  “I know this is really vain, but…” or “I never thought I would be one of those people who did Botox” or “Now that I know I don’t have skin cancer, can we talk about how to make my face look better?” Patients often feel sheepish or embarrassed about […]

Rosacea and SIBO

I am a big believer that a happy gut means better overall health, including skin health. Just like the skin, the gut has its own unique microbiome (the microorganisms in a particular environment), and if the microbiome gets disrupted, there are consequences not just for the digestive system, but for other organs as well.  Digestive […]

The 3 Worst Things People Do To Their Skin

1. It has been said a zillion times, but I will say it again:  DO NOT USE TANNING BEDS. EVER. In 2009, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an arm of the World Health Organization,  added tanning beds and lamps the list of the most dangerous forms of cancer-causing radiation.  Let’s be clear, […]

Do LESS to your skin!

This month’s blog was inspired by the article in the May 22, 2014 New York Times Magazine.  I have copied the whole thing for you, so you don’t have to go searching for the link, and for those who are not subscribers. A few thoughts, and then I really encourage you to read the article. […]

Exercise is good for your skin!!!!!!!!!

I found this article, published in the New York Times on April 26, 2014,  absolutely fascinating, and wanted to share it with you.  We all know there are a million reasons to exercise, and now we can add one more – it seems from this study it actually has the ability to make your skin […]

Sunscreen: FAQs

Now that we are in April, and hopefully the longest winter of memory is behind us, it is time to share questions I get asked again and again about sunscreen. 1. What number SPF should I use? -First of all, know that the SPF refers ONLY to UVB, not UVA.  In order to know you […]

Why Accutane is great!

I feel there is this big mystery about Accutane (generic name isotretinoin, which is how I will hence refer to it).  So let me break it down for you.  Accutane is a synthetic form of Vitamin A.  That’s it.  Every cell in our bodies has receptors for Vitamin A.  Our bodies know what to do […]

Integrative Approach to Eczema

Eczema aka Dermatitis is, on its own, a useless term. It just means inflammation of the skin. There are many different kinds of eczema: -Contact dermatitis: The classic is poison ivy, but can be from contact with anything -Irritant dermatitis: Like hand eczema you get after washing dishes without gloves -Nummular eczema: Eczema that is […]

Sleep and Your Skin

  In my patient history form, I ask about sleep – how well do you sleep?  If you do not sleep well, why not?  I ask these questions partly because it gives me insight into who you are as a person, but also because I think lack of good quality sleep or not enough quantity […]

Diet and Acne

One of my all-time favorite topics. For a long time, the party line in dermatology is that diet does not affect acne. And frankly, I always thought that was ridiculous.  How can what you put in your body not affect the largest organ of your body.  I mean, it just makes no sense. Finally, the […]

What is Integrative Dermatology?

The skin is the largest organ in our bodies, and in my opinion, if you do not see the skin’s health as part of overall body health and wellness, you are missing an important part of the picture.   For me, , the best way to treat patients is using a combination of conventional Western medicine […]