Here are common Foot Problems:

Fungal and Bacterial: fungal and bacterial conditions, including athlete’s foot, occur because our feet spend a lot of time in shoes - a warm, dark, humid place that is perfect for fungus to grow. Fungal and bacterial conditions can cause redness, blisters, itching, scale, pain. To prevent these infections, keep your feet clean and dry - mainly between your toes.

Callosity: they are caused by friction and pressure when the bony parts of your feet rub against your shoes. Wearing shoes that fit better can solve the problem.

Warts: warts are skin growths caused by viruses. They are sometimes painful and can spread. If you have warts see your doctor. These are some treatments performed by dermatologist to treat warts: topical medicines (acids), freeze the wart off (criotherapy), lasertherapy, and surgery in some cases.

Ingrown toenail: it occurs when a piece of the nail breaks the skin and can happen if you don’t cut your nails properly. A dermatologist can remove the part of the nail that is cutting into the skin. Ingrown toenails can often be avoided by cutting the toenail straight across and level with the top of the toe.

Osteophytes or spurs: It is calcium growths that develop on bones of your feet. They are caused by muscle strain in the feet. Things that can make it worse include: standing for long periods of time, wearing badly fitting shoes, being overweight. Sometimes spurs can be very painful. Treatments for spurs include using foot supports or heel pads. Surgery can be performed in some cases.

Best wishes from Brazil and happy New Year!
Dr. Érica Monteiro - Cosmetic Dermatologist
www.dermatologia.com.br

Foot care may prevent many foot problems. Problems with our feet can be the first sign of more serious medical conditions such as: arthritis, diabetes, nerve disorders, circulatory disorders.

Practice Good Foot Care: Check your feet regularly, primary care doctors (internists and family practitioners) are qualified to treat most foot problems, but sometimes the special skills of an orthopedic surgeon or dermatologist are needed.

Circulation
It also helps to keep blood circulating to your feet as much as possible. You can do this by: putting your feet up when you are sitting or lying down, stretching if you’ve had to sit for a long while, walking, having a gentle foot massage, taking a warm foot bath.

Other Foot Care Tips: avoid pressure from shoes that do not fit right, try not to expose your feet to cold temperatures, do not sit for long periods of time (especially with your legs crossed), do not smoke, wearing comfortable shoes that fit well.

Have a nice weekend with your foot.

Best wishes from Brazil!

Dr. Érica Monteiro - Cosmetic Dermatologist
www.dermatologia.com.br

No matter how thick or strong it looks, the hair is actually very delicate. So we cannot just tug and pull at it, or else it would break.

Is there a right way of washing the hair?

Yes! First you should comb the tangles out of the hair before you wet it so the hair would wash easily and the tangles would not worsen. And then, wet your hair thoroughly under the shower. You can wet your hair with warm water to open the scale-like cuticles of the hair and wash all the oil and dirt off. And then, you can rinse your hair with cold water afterwards to close the cuticles and add to the shine of your hair.

Rinse your hair under the shower to rid it of the leave-on conditioner and styling aids you have used previously, using gentle strokes of your fingertips. Then, pour a dollop of shampoo in the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together, and then apply the shampoo to your scalp. You should put the shampoo on your scalp and not at the ends of your hair, as the shampoo would dry your hair’s ends and cause it to weaken and split. After this, rinse the shampoo off. If you have a delicate or a damaged hair avoid to shampoo our hair for a second time. The first shampoo will clean the oil and dirt off; the second shampoo can dry your hair. Rinse the hair completely after this.

To get the excess water off your hair, just squeeze the water out. The hair is mainly delicate when it is soaked. When the excess water is out, apply a conditioner - mane event - and apply it along the hairline, the nape and the ends of the hair. Pile your hair then inside a shower cap and let the conditioner stay there for around ten minutes. And then, rinse it off completely.

The process described is time-consuming, but having great hair takes time…

Best wishes from Brazil!

Dr. Érica Monteiro - Cosmetic Dermatologist
www.dermatologia.com.br

The colour of skin depends primarily on a pigment called melanin. Melanin is a pigment produced by cells called melanocytes that manufacture the melanin and transfer it to the skin cells of the epidermis.

Melanin pigmentation in humans is of two types. The constitutive colour is that which is genetically determined without the effect of sunshine. The other is inducible skin colour or tan as a consequence of sun exposure. Other factors can darken skin, some hormones e.g. in pregnancy can make the skin darken, blod flow through the skin and others.

Melanocytes are found throughout the skin. Melanin helps protect the skin against the effects of ultraviolet light, and tanning of the skin on sun exposure acts to increase that protection. The number of melanocytes in the skin is the same in all races. The difference in colour between Caucasoid and Negroid skin is due to the number and arrangement of the melanosomes in the keratinocyte.

The superior sun protection of the black skin is therefore not due to more melanocytes but more melanosomes within the epidermis. How well their skin tans and how easily it burns is related to your risk of skin cancer from sunshine.

Protect the skin you are in!

Best wishes from Brazil,

Dr. Érica Monteiro - Cosmetic Dermatologist
www.dermatologia.com.br

What makes a face attractive and why do we have the preferences we do?

Since the beginning of humanity, man has sought to define beauty. Whether by philosophy, mathematical constructs, social studies, or biology, the fascination with and the study of beauty has consumed our emotions and intellect. Averageness, symmetry and sex-specific traits have been associated with attractiveness. Recent studies are shaping a new reality of beauty, one founded on evolutionary and biologic findings that link our fascination with beauty to our reproductive success.
It is proposed that beauty can be external or internal or both. External or physical beauty is immediately visible. Internal or inner beauty is not always immediately visible. Ideally both types of beauty are connected. The dermatologist needs many clinical skills, including an understanding of psychology, when addressing skin-related problems - appearance-related problems in particular.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and cosmetic dermatology is the science of beauty.

Best wishes from Brazil!

Dr. Érica Monteiro
Cosmetic Dermatologist
www.dermatologia.com.br

Soap is one of the most important cosmetic and personal care product. Soap is a product used in conjunction with water for washing and cleaning. It can comes in a solid form (bar soap) but may also come in the form of liquids. Soaps typically contain surfactants that, when applied to a soiled surface in combination with water wet the dirt and effectively holds particles in suspension so it can be rinsed off with clean water. But some soaps today are much more sophisticated and they can also serve as a deodorant, cleanse and moisturize, to treat acne and bacterial infecction and much more.

My tip: choose not so detergent soap and always moisturize your skin after bath.

Best wishes from Brazil!

Dr. Érica Monteiro
Cosmetic Dermatologist
www.dermatologia.com.br

Laser Hair removal works best with light skin and dark thick hair. Hair can
be removed on dark skin with dark hair but it may need special device and previous ski
treatments to minimize side effects. The reason for this is that the laser absorbs the
pigment or color in the hair follicle and converts the light to heat.
This causes the hair follicle to be heated and destroyed.

This is great for removing large amounts of hair fast. Legs, bikini
areas, backs, ect. The skin is cooled with ice or cryogen spray, slightly
before the time of the laser pulse. The laser then pulses for a
fraction of a second with some feeling of pressure to the skin, much
like a “thump”.

The number of treatments vary from person to person. Factors that
determine how long it takes are: Hair color, Hair diameter, growth cycle of the hair. Laser Hair removal will not work on blond, gray, or red hair.

Prior to laser hair removal

- Do not have plucked, tweezed or waxed your unwanted hair for at least 4-6 weeks. The hair should be shaved and visibly present.
- Stop depilatory cream one week prior to treatment the hair must be at skin surface to remove.
- No sun exposure 36-48 hours prior to treatment The laser targets the pigment in the hair, so the less pigment in the skin helps the laser focus its energy on the hair.
- Do not use self tanning products 2 weeks prior to laser treatment.
- Makeup, deodorant and lotions need to be removed before treatment.
- Do not use retinoids A or acids products 2 weeks prior to treatment

Best wishes from Brazil!

Dr. Érica Monteiro - Cosmetic Dermatologist
www.dermatologia.com.br

Daily use of sunscreen products with at least an SPF 15 and antioxidants along with protective clothing such as hats, long sleeved shirts, reduce the skin aging and the possibility of skin cancer. Facial skin care should also be of concern and sunglasses should be worn while outside. This will protect the eyelids from aging and will help reduce crows feet by reducing the squinting which comes from sun exposure without eye protection!

Best wishes from Brazil,

Dr. Érica Monteiro - Cosmetic Dermatologist
www.dermatologia.com.br

Chemical peels or chemexfoliation are a technique used to improve the appearance of the skin. In this procedure, a chemical solution is applied to the skin, which causes it peel off. The new, regenerated skin is usually smoother and less wrinkled than the old skin.

Chemical peel uses a chemical solution as: phenol, trichloroacetic acid (TCA), alphahydroxy acids (AHAs), retinoic acid (RA), Jessner solution and others. The formulation used may be adjusted to each patient’s needs.

Glycolic acid, retinoic acid and Jessner’s peels result in superficial skin injury and are well tolerated. They remove thin lesions on the skin surface, reducing pigment.

Trichloracetic acid (TCA) concentration usually is 20 to 35%. The treatment is painful and treated areas are swollen, red and crusted for the next week or so. It can lead to an impressive improvement in skin texture with a reduction in blotchy pigmentation, freckling and keratoses.

Phenol results in deep skin injury. It is not often used nowadays because of the risk of scarring and because of its toxicity.

All chemical peels carry some uncertainty and risk Chemical peel is normally a safe procedure when it is performed by a qualified, experienced dermatologist. However, some unpredictability and risks such as infection and scarring, while infrequent, are possible.

Fine wrinkling can be reduced, brown marks, freckles and pigmentation can be removed or lessened.

Antibiotics and oral antiviral agents may be recommended after deeper peels. Superficial peels result in mild facial redness and occasional swelling which usually resolve within 48 hours. The peeling is similar to sunburn. Most people can continue their normal activities. Make-up can be applied a few hours after the procedure. Moderate depth peels result in intense inflammation and swelling, which resolve within a week. The peeling is more marked. Mild redness can persist for several weeks. Most people take a week off from work after a moderate depth peel.

Best wishes from Brazil!

Dr. Érica Monteiro - Cosmetic Dermatologist
www.dermatologia.com.br

Melanoma is a cancer in melanocytes (pigment-producing cells) in the skin. Melanoma can spread to other areas of the body. It most frequently appears on the trunk in men and on the legs in women, but it can occur anywhere on the body.

The incidence of melanoma has been increasing faster than any other cancer over the past 20 years. The way to decrease your chance of developing melanoma is to recognize if you are at risk and take measures to decrease that risk or be more vigilant.

The following are risk factors. The more risk factors you have, the higher your chances are of getting melanoma.

- A mole that is changing
- Atypical nevus syndrome
- Having a mole that is >15cm in diameter and has been present since birth
- White pale skin
- A prior melanoma
- A close family member with melanoma
- Using a tanning bed ten times a year or more before age 30
- More than 50 moles on your body
- Suppression of the immune system
- The tendency to burn and freckle instead of tan

Preventing Melanoma
The best prevention is to recognize any risk factors you may have and prevent sun damage. Use a sunscreen that has at least an SPF of 15 anytime and everyday and avoid sun exposure.

Recognizing Suspicious Moles using the ABCD’s system:

- Asymmetry - Draw a line through the middle of the mole. If the halves don’t match, the mole is asymmetric and more likely to be abnormal.
- Border - The borders of atypical moles are not well defined.
- Color - An uneven color throughout the mole is a sign of abnormality.
- Diameter - Moles that are enlarging in diameter greater than 6 mm. This is about the size of a pencil eraser.

If you are concerned about a mole, you must see your dermatologist!

Best wishes from Brazil!

Dr. Érica Monteiro - Cosmetic Dermatologist
www.dermatologia.com.br