21-May-2008
World Congress of Dermatology

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Home > Other Treatments > Persistent Scales & Facial Spots

Persistent Scales & Facial Spots

Acute Keratoses

Keratoses are characterised by red patches of skin, which soon become covered with dry, silvery scales. Beneath the scales the skin is inflamed.

Solar Keratoses are caused by excessive exposure to the sun causing scaly or crusty bumps arising on the skin surface.

Efudix

Efidix or 5-Fluorouracil cream is a potent cream used to treat solar keratoses and occasionally Bowen’s disease. It is not a treatment for invasive skin cancer.

You must avoid the sun while using this cream. Wear a hat whenever outdoors and be careful of the sun shining through the windscreen of your car when driving.

During the first week of application you may notice little change, however in the second week many red spots will start appearing on your skin. These can be itchy and sometimes tender. This is an expected end result of the cream. By the end of treatment, lesions should be extremely red and angry. Many may be crusted. This is the expected end point of treatment.

PDT (Photo Dynamic Therapy)

Treatments with the Photoderm Laser can safely and effectively remove dilated veins and red blemishes on the face and neck. Some pigment spots may also be removed with this laser. Small red spots will usually disappear after one treatment.

The treatment of facial veins will depend on the area to be treated and more than one treatment may be required. These can be arranged about two months apart. Anesthesia is not required. Downtime is none to three days.

Glycolic Peel

A Glycolic Peel is an all natural skin rejuvenation treatment based on alpha hydroxy acid which is derived from sugar cane.

It works by loosening dead skin cells and removing thick, dry and scaly skin which in turn reveals the smooth, more younger looking skin that was previously hidden underneath.

The Glycolic Peel also affects the deeper layers of skin by boosting collagen and elastin that assist in the reduction of fine lines and wrinkles.

This is a customised program of several treatments and does include a home care regime.

TCA Skin Peels

Light and medium depth peels use the chemical TCA (Trichlora Acetic Acid) to create their peel. TCA is a non-toxic chemical that has been used to perform skin peels for over 30 years. TCA peels have the additional advantage of creating a fresh natural appearing complexion, while preserving the normal skin colour. They are often referred to as “freshening peels”.

Erbium Laser

The Erbium Laser is an advanced treatment for aging and sun-damaged skin. Eyelid lifts, wrinkle removal and rejuvenation of the skin is elegantly and most safely achieved with this latest technology. Weathered and blemished layers of skin are peeled away with precise control of the laser, giving your skin a smoother, softer, healthier and natural appearance.

The Erbium Laser provides a safe, bloodless and relatively pain free method of restoring skin. There is less post-operative redness and swelling than other skin resurfacing methods and it also provides rapid healing with most patients fully recovered within 7 – 10 days.

For the first few days after the procedure the treated areas are kept moist with ointment and dressings. It is important after treatment to protect the skin daily with sun block.

Make-up can normally be applied again after the first week.

Dr Paul has used this laser technology since its outset and has lectured at several international conferences on laser treatment.

Cryosurgery

Cryosurgery is a treatment used to treat precancerous and sometimes benign conditions of the skin.

The treatment is applied with a special gun, which allows the accurate dispensing of Liquid Nitrogen at 197 degrees below zero to the treated area of skin.

The treatment will sting when applied and for some minutes afterwards. Following this the skin will usually blister. This happens sometimes within minutes after the treatment but usually not until the following day. Leave the blister alone as it forms a sterile cover for the healing wound.

The lesions usually heal within 10 – 14 days.

When properly applied Liquid Nitrogen can produce cure rates for skin cancer of up to 90%. It is not suitable for all skin cancers, some of which may have to be treated with other methods, such as excision.