Your skin has brown patches. Melasma is a hormonal reaction to sun exposure that causes tan patches to develop on the face, often on the forehead and upper lip. Melasma occurs mostly in women. Only 10% of those affected are men. Dark-skinned races, particularly Hispanics, Asians, Indians, people from the Middle East, and Northern Africa, tend to have Melasma more than others. Melasma can be difficult to treat. Visit a Dermatologist so they can provide you with advice on how to treat Melasma. At Contour Dermatology, we offer the best products and procedures, such as, stronger bleaching agents, chemical peels, laser treatments, and sunscreens that will give noticeable results.

Your self-diagnoses are wrong. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that everyone practice monthly head to toe self-examination of their skin, so that they can find any new or changing lesions that might be cancerous or precancerous. Skin cancers found and removed early are almost always curable. It is important to do self-examination to check for suspicious spots or moles, but as soon as you see something suspicious make an appointment to see a Dermatologist right away. If you have nagging skin issues such as baggy eyes, dark spots, or chronic redness that don’t respond to products, it’s best to get professional help rather than self-diagnose yourself. In-office treatments and procedures such as lasers, chemical peels, and injectable fillers can make a world of difference, but you must see a dermatologist to do this.

You have SKIN Break outs. Your emotions have a powerful effect on your skin. Stress can affect your body, including you skin, hair and nails. Have you ever noticed that when you are stressed, you break out more? This is because stress causes your body to produce cortisol and other hormones, which tells your sebaceous glands to produce more oil. Oily skin is more prone to acne and other skin problems. There are many home remedies or activities you can do to prevent stress that causes break outs, but it is best to seek professional help if this is something you are experiencing.

You’ve ever been in the sun. If you have ever visited a tanning salon or been sunburned, even if it was years ago, you need to see a Dermatologist as soon as possible. While everyone should get their moles checked, sun-lovers especially need to make sure nothing abnormal is going on. Identifying cancerous spots early can save your life!

Itching and rashes that won’t go away. Eczema and other types of dermatitis are accompanied by uncomfortable or even painful inflammation, uncontrollable itching and irritation, or flaking skin that will not go away. Be sure you are not allergic to or having a reaction to the products you use, and make sure you use fragrance- and dye-free products, which is really important for all skin types. If you are doing that, but the problem still does not go away, then see a dermatologist. A dermatologist can prescribe medications that may finally take care of these bothersome skin dilemmas.

Contour Dermatology is here to Help. These general guidelines will help you determine when you should book an appointment with a dermatologist or when you should wait. As a rule, when in doubt, do not hesitate to call and ask for a medical consultation to be sure. After all, when you see something suspicious on your skin, it is important that you find out from someone medically trained to diagnose and treat the problem.