As spring and summer entice the sunshine and warm weather, short sleeves or sleeveless tops and spaghetti straps are the favorite fashion. Yet some people prefer long sleeves and sweaters year-round because they feel self conscious about their arms.  Due to the social climate of southern California, patients come to our clinic ...

Teens and adults suffer from acne due to hormone fluctuations and stress. Some feel diet may play a role. These factors stimulate sebaceous glands that causes the oil production that the P. acne live on. Most patients have tried a variety of over-the-counter acne remedies before they get to our clinic.  Acne can range from mild ...

During my first rotation in family medicine, we had a patient present to the clinic with a random collection of symptoms that seemed to come and go with no particular pattern. She had been experiencing sweating, dizziness, nausea and shock-like sensations around her chest. A work-up was done for a pheochromocytoma but all the labs came back ...

It was recently brought to my attention that a popular health clinic is targeting (pun intended) cosmetic patients. Target Clinics, which provide convenient healthcare to numerous patients, are now offering certain cosmetic services. Listed on the Target Clinics website under services known as ''cosmetic prescriptions consultations,'' the clinics ...

Editor's note: This blog post was written by Niki Bryn, APRN, DCNP, a member of the NP Society of the Dermatology Nurses' Association. Coolsculpting is an innovative method of noninvasive fat removal. Coolsculpting, with the trade name Zeltiq, was developed at Massachusetts General Hospital by two dermatologists, Dieter Manstein and Rox ...

On Facebook last week, we shared a reader question: ''Would any of you kind folks happen to know anything about transferring from Florida to Arizona as a nurse practitioner? There is a prescribing requirement that states 'you shall submit written evidence of 45 contact hours of education in pharmacology or clinical management of drug therapy ...

Last week, we followed the landmark Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act, which allowed one of the most debated pieces of recent legislature to stand. It is expected that the new ruling will allow an additional 17 million people to qualify for Medicaid. On Facebook, we asked our NP and PA followers to share their opinions of the passed ...

I often wonder if all providers really find it important to let patients know what to expect. I always ask at the time of consultation, and certainly before I begin a procedure, whether the patient has any questions. Yes, to remove a mole or skin tag you will feel discomfort (it is attached, right?). No, injections are not pain-free but we do take ...

Neocutis is a Swiss skin care and pharmaceutical line that harnesses the power of PSP (processed skin cell proteins, a proprietary ingredient). These products are used to promote skin rejuvenation, to provide post-procedural skin care and to provide general care for sensitive or irritated skin.  Each product in this line was developed after ...

Do your patients report that they hide their hands when they meet someone they want to impress? That they don't enjoy wearing their favorite rings because they draw attention to the aging appearance of their hands? Aging and excessive sun exposure lead to the weathering of once lovely hands. Our skin thins due to collagen and elastin loss and ...