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Category Archives: Skin/Dermatology
Straight, No Chaser: Athlete’s Foot (Tinea Pedis)
 Athlete’s foot is one of those topics that everyone seems to know a little about but not enough to really understand. If your level of knowledge is “scaly, itchy rash on
Straight, No Chaser: Ingrown Toenails
The overwhelming majority of cases of ingrown toenails I see come from people chewing on their toenails. So the really, really Quick Tip is keep your feet out of your mouth. If onl
Straight, No Chaser: First Steps to Take If Someone Gets Poisoned
How would you respond if you or someone in your home became a victim of an accidental poisoning? What if you stumbled across a family member who intentionally swallowed a bunch of
Straight, No Chaser: About Hair Loss and Male Pattern Baldness – Alopecia
I tell people all the time, “I’m shaved, not bald.” Whether or not that’s a distinction without a difference, alopecia (defined as partial or complete hair
Straight, No Chaser: Why You Get Grey Hair
This is a lot simpler than people make it. Â Gray hair is a happenstance of life. Â At the end of the day, genetic, racial and chemical considerations determine when you go gray. Â
Straight, No Chaser: Quick Tips for the Diabetic in Your Life
Per your requests, we occasionally feature quick tips for healthy living. Here’s an important example. If you have diabetics in your life, here are three things they should d
Straight, No Chaser: Fifteen Tips to Care for Diabetic Skin
In the previous Straight, No Chaser, we discussed the frailty of  diabetic skin and discussed how that sets one up for skin infections, abscesses, ulcers, amputations and even
Straight, No Chaser: The Skin Problems of Diabetics, Part 1
If you are diabetic or caring for a diabetic, one of the things you’ve likely noticed is that the skin doesn’t always seem to look, feel or perform normally. Perhaps th
Straight, No Chaser: Hot Tub and Barbershop Folliculitis
Follulicitis. You know it well as hot tub rash, barber bumps, ingrown hairs and many other names. The first thing you need to know is the ‘itis’ means inflammation, and the fol
Straight, No Chaser: Abscesses (Boils)
Whether you call them boils, pus pockets or abscesses, they hurt. Abscesses are infections that localize and collect pus beneath the skin. Although previous Straight, No Chaser p
Straight, No Chaser: MRSA, the Big, Bad Staph Infection
One of the things that’s changed a lot from when I first started practicing medicine is people show up every day to the emergency room for mosquito and spider bites. Â The lo
Straight, No Chaser: Life Begins (to End) at 40 (Unless It Doesn’t) – The Skin
We have a natural inclination to think about our mortality as we approach and pass 40 years old. A big part of healthy aging is prior healthy living, particularly as you reach the
Straight, No Chaser: Keloids
Have you ever seen a keloid? Do you suffer from keloids? Do you know someone with them and wonder what’s occurring? Here are some answers. Some people, more commonly African-Amer
Straight, No Chaser: Contact Dermatitis, Diaper Rash, Poison Ivy and the Like
Let’s pick up where we left off. In our discussion of eczema and psoriasis, we described the common theme of underlying inflammation manifesting in rashes of different appea
Straight, No Chaser: Rashes on Your Palms and Soles; It's Not Always Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
In the world of rashes, there aren’t an abundance of rashes that appear on the palms and soles. Â However, there are a few of note, so here’s some Quick Tips to point y
Straight, No Chaser: Eczema and Psoriasis
Rashes are very frustrating for patients. Â They itch, burn, get infected, aren’t pleasant to look at and never go away rapidly enough. Another problem is no one ever seems t
Straight, No Chaser: Your Questions About Human Bites
The votes are in, and it appears that Jaws (from James Bond fame) found the previous post, well… biting.  Here’s your questions and answers about human bites: 1) Â
Straight, No Chaser: Human Bites
I have had weird experiences with humans biting humans, as have most physicians. There are several different types of human bites, which can range from harmless to surgically serio
Straight, No Chaser: Animal Bites
We love our pets, and animals in general. Is there one about which a movie hasn’t been made? In most cases they are sources of entertainment, if not love. Unfortunately, they
Straight, No Chaser: Questions You Should Ask When You Have a Laceration
I wonder if any of us avoid lacerations over the course of our lives. It seems that everyone I know or every patient I have cared for has a scar and a story to accompany it. Fortun
