NEWS

Psoriasis is a common autoimmune skin condition. It affects as much as 3 to 4% of the population. In the most frequently seen form of psoriasis, people can develop red scaly plaques in various areas on their body especially over pressure points, such as the elbows, knees, low back, and scalp.  This type of psoriasis is specifically called chronic plaque-type psoriasis.  In the case of psoriasis, as an autoimmune disease, a cascade of steps by the immune system leads up to inflammation triggering the skin spots.

Infantile hemangiomas (strawberry birthmarks) are one of the most common skin growths seen in infancy.  They are a noncancerous overgrowth of blood vessels.  The spots generally appear as a red patch in the skin that will grow to a red raised area over a short period of time. Any infant may grow a hemangioma, but we know they are more common in certain circumstances.  The reasons for this are not clear.  Girls have them more commonly than boys.  They also occur more often in premature babies, or babies with a low birth weight.

Alopecia areata

Alopecia areata is one of the most common causes of hair loss.  This is an autoimmune condition where patches of hair are generally lost on the scalp. Though it can be more widespread or affect virtually any area of the body that has hair including the beard in men or eyebrows\eyelashes.  The condition can afflict a very broad spectrum of the population. Hands-down, alopecia areata is the most common cause of hair loss in children, but it also may affect individuals at any point during their life.

It’s the time of year that we tend to think the warm, sweaty months have left us behind – not so for those with hyperhidrosis.  There is normal sweating, and there is abnormal sweating. Simply put, hyperhidrosis is abnormal sweating.  Our bodies sweat as part of our normal thermoregulatory control.  This is because sweating is necessary in many circumstances to help us dissipate heat energy and therefore reduce our body temperature when we are overheated in environments such as being outdoors on a very hot day.