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Psoriasis

General Information. Psoriasis is a skin disorder that causes skin cells to multiply up to 10 times faster than normal. This makes the skin build up into bumpy red patches covered with white scales. They can grow anywhere, but most appear on the scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back. Dr. Liana Abramova and her staff specialize in the diagnosis of psoriasis and will help you understand and manage the condition effectively. Call Dermatology of Virginia in Fairfax at (703) 828-7128 and schedule your appointment today

Irritant Dermatitis

General Information. Irritant dermatitis occurs when a substance damages your skin’s outer protective layer. Certain substances include solvents, rubbing alcohol, plants, nickel, etc. Repeated scratching of the affected area can cause infections. Dr. Liana Abramova and her staff specialize in the diagnosis of irritant dermatitis and will help you understand and manage the condition effectively. Call Dermatology of Virginia in Fairfax at (703) 828-7128 and schedule your appointment today

Allergic Dermatitis

General Information. Allergic dermatitis is a red, itchy rash caused by direct contact with a substance causing an allergic reaction . This commonly happens when coming into plants such as Poison Ivy or Poison Oak. It can also happen when you are in contact with substances such as formaldehyde, airborne sprays, and certain personal care products. Repeated scratching of the affected area can cause infections. Dr. Liana Abramova and her staff specialize in the diagnosis of allergic dermatitis and will help you understand and manage the condition effectively. Call Dermatology of Virginia in Fairfax at (703) 828-7128 and schedule your appointment today

Rosacea

General information: Rosacea is a very common skin disease. If you have it, you live with good company. Many well-known people that you may know live with rosacea throughout their lives: our former president Bill Clinton, the British royal family including Prince Charles, Princess Diana, and their children, to name a few. Dr. Liana Abramova and her staff specialize in the diagnosis of rosacea and will help you understand and manage the condition effectively. Call Dermatology of Virginia in Fairfax at (703) 828-7128 and schedule your appointment today.

What are the Signs and Symptoms? It often starts with a tendency to blush easily around the nose, cheeks and slowly spread to the forehead, chin, ears, and even upper body like chest and back. It can also present with acne-like breakouts, visible blood vessels, skin thickening, bumps, or eye redness and irritation. Rosacea has 4 subtypes, including Erythematotelangiectatic (redness with visible blood vessels), papulopustular (redness with acne-like pimples), phymatous (thick and bumpy skin), and ocular (redness and irritation of eyes and eyelids). Rosacea is a chronic condition without a known cure. Flare-ups can occur even with treatments. Like acne, rosacea can leave a lasting emotional, social, and psychological impact on affected people if not understood or managed appropriately.

What causes Rosacea? Millions of Americans are living with rosacea. Most are fair-skinned, from Celtic or Scandinavian ancestry, in family with rosacea/acne. No one knows for certain the true causes of rosacea but scientists have postulated many theories which range from inheriting genes for rosacea, having overreacted immune system, having a mite living on the skin or a bug infecting the intestines, to abnormal involvement of a protein in the skin.

General info on Rosacea Treatment: Rosacea can be correctly diagnosed by examining the skin and eyes. Different forms of rosacea need different types of treatment. There are many ways to keep rosacea under control but none to cure it completely. Treatment options range from topical creams and medicated wipes for mild cases to photodynamic therapy or laser for more severe cases.

Atopic dermatitis (Eczema)

General Information: Atopic dermatitis (Eczema) is a very common skin disease in children but rare for adults. It can cause dry, scaly and oftentimes itchy skin that can occur on face, forehead, cheeks, and scalp. The itch can induce rubbing or scratching the skin, which can lead to skin thickening or infection. Our dermatologist specializes in the diagnosis of eczema and other skin conditions. She can help you or your child develop a long-term treatment plan to control eczema and reduce flare-ups.

What are the Signs and Symptoms? Atopic dermatitis (Eczema) may appear different in different age groups. In infants, eczema can present as a dry, scaly, itchy patch of skin on the face or scalp where the patients constantly rub or scratch. Skin infections can occur due to skin break-down from constant scratching or rubbing. In children, itchy and scaly patches occur commonly in the creases of the elbows, knees, neck, wrists, and/or buttocks. Overtime, constant scratching makes the affected skin thickened, almost leathery. Bumps, knots, discoloration can occur on the affected skin. Eczema that starts in infancy/childhood tends to improve with time and get milder with age. About half of these affected children will continue to have milder eczema as adults. Eczema rarely starts in adulthood; however, it is most commonly seen in the creases of elbows, knees, neck, and/or face (worse around the eyes). Skin in adult-typed eczema can be extremely dry, scaly, and itchy.

What causes Eczema? Atopic dermatitis (Eczema) can affect people of all skin colors, mostly children but rarely adults as well. Of unknown reason, eczema is more common today than many years ago. Researchers believe that many things including our genes, our immune system, and where we live can cause eczema. For instance, having family members with eczema, asthma, or hay fever, living in a cold, developed country, being in higher social classes, or being a female are thought to increase a child’s risk of developing eczema.

General info about Eczema Treatment: Diagnosis of atopic dermatitis (eczema) will involve a full body skin exam, history of itchy skin, family history of eczema, asthma, or hay fever, and sometimes a patch test to check for skin reactions to minute amount of allergens. The patch test needs to be checked after a few hours, 24 hours, and 72 hours from the initial placement. Treatment can help to control eczema, relieve pain and itching, prevent skin thickening or infections. Dr. Liana Abramova will help develop a treatment plan tailored to the patient’s needs which may include medicine, skin care products, and lifestyle/behavioral changes.

Acne

General information. Acne is the most common skin problem in the United States. If you have the condition, you are not alone. About 40-50 million Americans have acne at this very moment. Acne can occur at any age. Although it occurs most commonly in teens, the number of acne in women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s is rising.

What causes acne? The exact cause of acne has not been completely understood. Hormonal changes and presence of overactive oil glands in our skin could be the contributing factors. Our skin contains pores, many of which we can see with our bare eyes. These pores can get clogged by dead skin cells. Sebum, our natural body oil, can exacerbate the condition by making the dead cells glued together and further obstruct the pores. Bacteria, trapped inside the clogged pores, can overgrow and cause the pores to become red and inflamed. If the inflammation goes deep into the skin, an acne cyst or nodule appears.

Why treat acne? Without treatment, acne can leave dark spots or permanent scars long after it clears. We understand that acne is sometimes a socially sensitive condition. Therefore, appropriate control of acne can help boost one’s self-image and confidence. Never let acne run its course!

What are the signs and Symptoms? Acne can present with one or more of many signs which include whiteheads, blackheads, papules, pustules (pimples), nodules and cysts. Acne can appear more commonly in the face, neck, and upper body. If left untreated for a long period of time, acne can leave dark spots on the skin or permanent scars even after it clears. If you get acne early between 8-12 years of age, be sure to seek treatment from a dermatologist sooner. Permanent scars occur more often in patients with acne nodules and cyst; therefore, treating acne before nodules and cysts appear can prevent scars.

General info about Acne Treatments. A complete history and physical examination precedes any treatment of any condition, especially acne. Once the condition has been correctly diagnosed, you together with our doctor will create a treatment plan based on your symptoms, and use the latest research to determine the most effective therapies for you.

Currently, the cure for acne has not been found. However, to diminish or control acne breakouts, many treatment options are available dependent on the severity of the disease. These options include topical creams or cleansers which can be applied to the skin, oral medications such as antibiotics, retinoids, and birth control pills that can be taken by mouth, or direct intralesional steroid injection, cyst extraction, chemical peels, or laser therapy.

Moles, Bumps, and Lumps

General Information. Moles are overgrowths of the skins pigment cells. They often appear as small, dark brown spots and are caused by clusters of pigmented cells. Moles generally appear during childhood and adolescence. Most people have 10 to 40 moles, some of which may change in appearance or fade away over time. Most moles are harmless, but a select few can lead to skin cancer. Monitoring moles and other pigmented patches on your skin is a good way to detect skin cancer early. Dr. Liana Abramova and her staff specialize in the diagnosis of moles and other precancerous lesions and will help you understand and manage the condition effectively. Call Dermatology of Virginia in Fairfax at (703) 828-7128 and schedule your appointment today

Precancerous Lesions

General information: Precancerous lesions are growths on the skin that carry the risk of turning into skin cancer. Some common types of precancerous lesions are acitinic keratosis, moles, acitinic chelitis, and cutaneous horns. Depending on the type, possible treatments include cryosurgery (freezing), electrical surgery, exicision, or laser surgery. Dr. Liana Abramova and her staff specialize in the diagnosis of precancerous lesions and will help you understand and manage the condition effectively. Call Dermatology of Virginia in Fairfax at (703) 828-7128 and schedule your appointment today.

Protect your skin from the sun

Please make an effort to reduce the amount of sun exposure. You don’t have to change your entire lifestyle, just alter it intelligently and take the proper precautions.

Limit your exposure to sunlight during midday between 10 am to 4 pm when the UV light is most intense.
If you have to be out in the sun, please always apply broad spectrum sun screen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or above, wear a wide brimmed hat, long sleeve shirt and long pants when possible.

Skin cancer

General Information. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer that can occur in humans. Every year, there are more than 1 million new cases of skin cancer in the United States. Almost one in five Americans will develop some form of skin cancer in his/her lifetime. The number of new cases is steadily rising, especially among young adults. In addition, people who have had skin cancer in the past are at higher risk of developing new skin cancer in the near future.

There are many types of skin cancer; some of which can be quite disfiguring or even deadly as they invade locally and/or spread to other organs. The majority of skin cancer is generally treatable if detected early and managed appropriately. Therefore, proactive prevention, early detection, and prompt treatment are crucial. Dr. Liana Abramova at Dermatology of Virginia in Fairfax is an experienced dermatologist who can help diagnose and treat various types of skin cancer and create a prevention plan that helps keep your skin healthy.

What is skin cancer? Cancer is a very scary word that is used to describe many different tumors and growths. These tumors/growths can also have many different prognoses. Fortunately, the majority of skin cancer is generally treatable if detected early. A cancer is a disease in which cells are multiplying faster than they normally should. Most cells in a human body are programmed by their genetic codes (DNA) to divide and reproduce in an orderly manner to allow the body to grow, replenish worn-out tissue, and repair wounds. When the DNAs of these cells are damaged and mutated in some way (for instance, by sunrays or ultraviolet radiation in the case of skin cancer), these cells begin to uncontrollably divide, replicate, overwhelm the body’s repair mechanism, and become a cancer. If left untreated, skin cancer will grow larger and deeper, destroy nearby structures, and sometimes spread to other organs. The effects of untreated skin cancer can be devastating.

How many types of skin cancer are there? There are many types of skin cancer. Three main types of skin cancer include basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma which derive their names from the names of the cell types that become cancerous, such as basal cells, squamous cells, and melanocytes. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer, accounting for roughly 75%. Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common form, accounting for about 16%. Melanoma, though rare, is a more serious form of skin cancer.

What causes skin cancer? As mentioned previously, combination of chronic cumulative exposure and intermittent but intense exposure to UV lights (in natural sunrays or tanning beds) can cause significant alteration to the underlying DNA of the skin cells and turn normal basal or squamous cells into cancerous cells. If one undergoes radiation therapy for some unrelated cancer treatment or for other conditions, one is at higher risk for developing skin cancer in the radiation field. People with traumatic scars, certain chemical exposure, some inherited cancer-prone syndromes, and immunosuppressive condition or treatment are more predisposed to develop skin cancer.

Why do I need skin cancer screening? Skin cancer is a preventable and treatable form of cancer, if prevented effectively or detected early. It sometimes takes years to develop a skin cancer after the initial significant sun exposure. For example, most people who had excessive sun burns during their childhood, teenage years or early adulthood were found to develop skin cancer in their thirties and forties. If you think that you have many of risk factors for developing skin cancer mentioned above, you may benefit from an annual skin cancer screening with Dr. Liana Abramova. She can help assess risks, identify problem areas, biopsy when needed and treat.

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