Atrophic acne scarring What is it? Atrophic scarring is a common and unfortunate result of pimples. There are 3 types of atrophic acne scarring: ice pick, boxcar, and rolling. These scars can have a significant impact on an individual’s quality of life. Treatment for atrophic scarring may vary depending on the type of scar we are treating. In saying that, we would highly recommend combination treatments to achieve the best outcome from treatment. Book with our Dermal Clinician on HotDoc for an assessment of your acne scarring.  When it comes to treatment your dermatologist or dermal clin ..read more

Do you suffer from excessive sweating, have to change your shirts multiple times a day or just from sitting doing nothing you get sweat patches? ….Then we could help you! Hyperhidrosis also known as excessive sweating can be a very debilitating condition. It can affect people’s confidence, hygiene and also not to mention washing clothes more often! Hyperhidrosis occurs when over-active sweat glands release a volume of sweat that is significantly more than the body’s normal requirements for cooling. There are two types of hyperhidrosis: Focal Hyperhidrosis (sweating confined to a particular are ..read more

You might have heard about different types of Vitamin A discussed in the cosmetic world. Terms such as “retinol, retinoid, retinoic acid”. These are all types of Vitamin A that can play different roles in within our skin’s structure. Generally speaking Vitamin A –containing products accelerate our skin cell turn over; which essentially means they are helping to exfoliate our skin. These various types of topical vitamin A forms differ in their: penetration rates/depths, where the vitamin A has been derived from, % strength Over-the-counter formulation vs doctor-script-only strength So, which ..read more

Atopic Dermatitis is a skin condition that usually develops in early childhood and is more common in people who have a family history of the condition. The main sign is a red, scaly and itchy rash that typically appears in the elbow creases and behind the knees but it can also appear anywhere! Sometimes it can be an acute attack and topical steroids or even just some moisturizer can help keep it at bay, but if these do not work this is when we can look at biologic injections! What can help eczema? The itch can sometimes be unbearable to the point people can’t sleep and the rash itself is just ..read more

Have you noticed bald patches appearing on your scalp or just general thinning of the hair? You may have Alopecia Areata, also known as autoimmune hair loss, where one or more round bald patches appear suddenly, most often on the scalp. Alopecia Areata can affect males and females at any age. It starts in childhood in about 50%, and before the age of 40 years in 80%. Lifetime risk is 1–2% and is independent of ethnicity. What causes alopecia areata? Alopecia areata is classified as an autoimmune disorder. It is characterised by immune cells flooding the area around the hair follicles. The ..read more

What is UVB Phototherapy? It is treatment with shortwave ultraviolet radiation. Here at Hope Dermatology, we use Narrow band UVB. The whole body can be treated at once or just the hands and feet, depending on the doctor’s prescription. Removal of clothing is required depending on the area being treated and goggles must also be worn to protect the eyes. Patients stand in a specially designed chamber containing fluorescent light tubes that deliver UV light. The settings of the treatment will be determined by the dermatologist during your initial appointment and will be adjusted appropriately ove ..read more

In this stressful time of COVID-19, all of us are doing the right thing and keeping our distance and washing our hands. Due to the massive uptake in hand washing and hand sanitiser use in both the public domain and in health care worker (HCWs), we as dermatologists are seeing more and more cases of hand dermatitis. A very common question we get asked is “How do I keep my hands healthy with all this hand washing?” Dr Hope Dinh was asked this question by her previous dermatology nurse who is now ICU-nurse as her nurse wanted to post the response and help out fellow ICU-nurses around the country ..read more

Have you been suffering with the chronic itching of hives or are areas of your body covered in plaques of psoriasis? There is more that can be done than just topical steroids that you have probably been using for years and years with it only to really manage your condition. Topical steroids are good for acute attacks and for some do the job, but for others it just doesn’t seem to clear the psoriasis. That’s where biologics come in! Biologics can treat psoriasis but also hives or HS (Hidradenitis Suppurativa). YAY! What are Biologic drugs? Biologics, biologic therapies, or biological response m ..read more