There are 2 categories of skin cancer – non-malignant and malignant. Non-malignant skin cancers include Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma. If detected early, these type of skin cancers are not life threatening, and can be removed as an out-patient procedure. Dr. Kaplan performs Mohs Surgery to remove Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinomas right in his dermatology office.

Melanoma is a malignant type of skin cancer. A 2007 study showed that melanoma accounts for up to 3% of all pediatric malignancies, including about 2% of malignancies in those aged younger than 20 years and 0.3%-0.4% of malignancies in pre-pubescent children. The study also showed that melanoma diagnoses are seven times more common between the ages of 10 and 20 years than between 0 and 10 years (J. Clin. Oncol. 2007;25:1363-8).

Furthermore, the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database showed an increased incidence of nearly 3% per year during 1985-2003 in those aged 1-19 years in the United States.

Yet there remains a lack of awareness of the prevalence of melanoma in children, and some physicians, including dermatologists, still believe that children don’t get the disease.

Those who believe that children don’t get melanoma are doing their patients an injustice, and such thinking is largely to blame for the fact that diagnosis and treatment are delayed in 40% of childhood melanoma cases. A review of 13 melanoma cases in children younger than 17 years showed that 85% of the cancers were nodular in type and had a mean thickness of 3.2 mm when diagnosed; 5-year survival was a mean of 59% in the children (J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 2005;53:816-22). The authors concluded that “the lack of awareness and reluctance to diagnose pediatric melanoma can lead to higher incidence of thick melanomas.”

It also is important to keep in mind that childhood melanoma occurs most often in white patients, with only 6.5% of cases occurring in nonwhites, which is a higher percentage than seen in adults. Also, unlike adults, there is a higher predominance of cases in females, with 56%-61% of pediatric cases occurring in girls. Further, the incidence of melanoma is increasing at a faster rate in girls aged 10-19 years than among boys in that same age group, which may reflect the popularity of tanning beds among girls.

In regards to where malignant melanoma lesions appear in children, studies show 20% of cases occur on the head and neck, and 80% occur on the trunk or extremities. The study also showed that younger children tend to get skin cancers on their head and neck; of those aged 1-4 years, 39% presented with head and neck cancers, compared with only 12% of those aged 5-19 years.

Bed bugs are small parasites that feed on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded animals. Adult bed bugs are reddish brown, oval shaped and wingless. They are mainly active at night, and can be seen by the naked eye. They are attracted to their hosts by warmth and the presence of carbon dioxide. And like a mosquito, they inject their saliva, which contains anti-coagulants and anesthetics, into your skin with one tube, while withdrawing blood with the other tube. They feed for about 5 minutes before returning to its hiding place.

Due to the anesthetics in the saliva it injects, you usually cannot feel the bite for some minutes or hours later. Bites are usually raised red bumps or flat welts, and are very itchy. Bedbug bites look very similar to mosquito bites, except they last longer. They also appear in bites of three, similar to flea bites, but they do not have the red dot in the center which is characteristic of flea bites.

Almost 50% of people get no visible sign of the bites whatsoever. For the rest of us, the bites can burn and become extremely itchy. If over-the-counter cortisone creams are not effective, see your dermatologist for a prescription strength cream or cortisone shot for more expedient relief.

In the February 15, 2010 issue of Time magazine, researchers at Rutgers University created a homemade bedbug trap using a plastic cat-food dish, an insulated jug and some dry ice pellets. They reported that this homemade contraption captured the bloodsucking critters in an infested apartment just as effectively as, if not more so than, equipment used by professional exterminators:

Get an insulated 1/3 gallon jug, like the kind sold in camping supply stores. Fill with 2.5 lbs of dry ice, which costs about $1 per lb. Tilt the spout over a cat-food dish. As the dry ice pellets slowly evaporate during the night, the open thermos spout seeps out the carbon dioxide – which falsely signals bedbugs that a breathing, blood-filled meal is nearby. The bedbugs will climb the outer surface of the dish, which you should scuff with sandpaper to give them better traction, then get stuck in its moat, made slippery smooth with a dusting of talcum powder. This is an inexpensive way to determine if you have bed bugs, or in many cases, still have bed bugs. Just an FYI…adult bedbugs can survive up to 12-18 months without feeding.

Everyone has some form of flaking on his or her scalp because of the normal process of shedding the outer layer of skin cells. But if the flaking gets obvious on your hair and clothing, it’s called dandruff. This condition is not contagious, but does have periodic flare-ups.

The medical explanation for dandruff is that it is a mild form of a skin condition called seborrheic dermatitis. This condition is caused by overactive oil glands or, in some cases, by a yeast infection. It can also be hereditary. Certain other factors can also make the dermatitis worse, such as illness, poor diet, and emotional stress. Environmental conditions like cold dry air in the wintertime, as well as over-washing your hair can also lead to dandruff flare-ups.

If your dandruff lasts a long time, or if you have unusually large flakes combined with greasy scaling on either side of your nose, behind your ears, between your eyebrows, in skin folds, or on your breast bone, you probably have a more severe form of seborrheic dermatitis. You should contact your dermatologist to get diagnosed and hear about different treatment options. There are prescription strength dandruff shampoos available as well as cortico-steriod lotions to help reduce flaking. Below are some commonly asked questions about dandruff control:

1. Do dandruff shampoos really help?

Over-the-counter dandruff shampoos can often control mild to moderate dandruff. These shampoos contain various effective ingredients, such as sulfur, salicylic acid, selenium, or tar. Remember to rinse your hair thoroughly so that no shampoo buildup occurs, since this can also cause flaking. After rinsing, apply a conditioner to smooth your hair and make it easier to comb or brush. It may also help to comb or brush your hair before shampooing to loosen the flakes so they’ll wash off more easily.

2. How can I keep dandruff away?

After your dandruff clears up, you should shampoo only as often as necessary and occasionally use the dandruff shampoo to keep it from coming back. Also keep in mind that hair products create buildup that can irritate your scalp and cause flaking. If you use a lot of hair products, and you notice flaking, try to shampoo daily. If the scales do keep coming back, your doctor may recommend that you use shampoos, lotions, creams, or ointments containing sulfur, salicylic acid, or tar to keep it under control.

3. What is cradle cap, and how is it treated?

Cradle cap, which is another form of seborrheic dermatitis, usually occurs in infants during their first month of life. It appears as dry, scaly patches on the baby’s scalp, and it may become a thick, yellow crust. Its cause is unknown. Scaly areas can also appear at the hairline, eyebrows, nose, or ears, and the dermatitis sometimes affects the diaper area or the entire body.

Treatment options vary, such as using an anti-dandruff shampoo, then oiling the scalp with a light layer of petroleum jelly (Vaseline®) to help loosen the scaly patches. However, you should first consult your dermatologist to correctly diagnose the condition and provide treatment options that are right for your baby.