General skin/dermatology 

Skin is our first impression and most importantly, it protects you from the potentially damaging influences of daily life.  

We all want our skin to look and feel it’s healthiest.  But there are times that we end up with rashes, acne or conditions that need some extra help.  

Could you give me a quick lesson about what our skin is made of?

In a nutshell, your skin has three layers.  The very top layer is called the epidermis, this is the skin that you see.  Keratinocytes (which are also in hair and nails) make up most of the epidermis.  Melanin is produced in this top layer and it determines how much pigment we have in our skin.  Melanin is also our natural protection from the sun’s UV rays.  

The next layer is the dermis and it has collagen and elastin to give your skin its strength and elasticity.  This is where sweat glands, hair follicles, blood vessels, nerve fibers and oil glands live.  Below the dermis is the subcutis which is basically a layer of fat cells.  

In this section of the website I will give some info on the more common skin conditions and things you can do to treat and maybe prevent them.  We all have times where we need to attend to our dry skin, acne flare or know some tricks for the stubborn wart on our kids - or maybe even how to help a sunburn!  Hopefully, I can help shed some light on a few of these annoyances.