Why do I have a rash?
Skin rash is one of the most frequent reason to visit an allergist. There are hundreds of rashes, There are millions of causes of the rash. It is important to understand what makes your skin healthy. Then you will know how to get rid on the skin problems.
The amazing fact is – our skin is the largest single organ we have. It consists of many layers that attach to each other in order to create elastic but a very sturdy protection of our organism.
Skin has many awesome functions:
- As a barrier it is capable of protecting us from intrusion of fungus, bacteria and toxins
- It serves a ‘immune sensor’ function – immune cells that sit right under upper layer can recognize every particle that comes in contact with our body, that is how we ‘identify’ our surroundings and react to contact substances
- Tactile and sensory nerves are located in skin – they assess the environment and body position, ensure our balance and safety. These signals are transmitted to the brain and processed into special responses
- Skin regulates our temperature. Special pores are capable of releasing sweat and that is how we cool down. Tiny skin blood capillaries are capable of closing up redirecting blood centrally – that is how we warm up.
- There is a lot of normal ‘helpful’ bacteria that lives on the skin – these little ‘bugs’ are our partners protecting us from invasion of real pathogens – harmful bacteria and fungus
- Skin synthesizes vitamin D – the special cells melanocytes are capable of making this important vitamin under the direct sun rays.
- Skin is our beauty! It is recognized and assessed by human psychology as the attribute of a healthy and beautiful person.
Why is it important to know what our skin does and how it is made?
Skin is actually smart. If it is healthy, it can protect itself (and your whole body) from many external damages. Naturally, skin is also bactericidal - it produces factors that kill bacteria and viruses on spot within minutes. That is why it is so important to keep a natural barrier. Antibacterial soaps are wrongfully promoted by the industry - they are responsible to the skin loosing such a powerful protective layer!
Skin must be fed from inside and outside. Your skin will not look good if your diet is not balanced with collagens and fats. Cracks and eczema start developing if the layers of the dermal cells do not have sufficient oils. Just like a leather chair, skin must be moisturized and protected with the correct care. Using too many chemical wipes and cosmetic products can damage the fragile stem cells that renew the skin.
Which rashes do you treat in the clinic?
Many things can go wrong with skin. Dependent on a specific problem, you will know how to take care of it better if you understand what makes normal skin healthy.
Allergist and Dermatologist are specialists trained to recognize many skin diseases such as cancer, infections, and psoriasis. Rheumatologist can take care of the skin conditions related to rheumatic disorders such as lichen, lupus and Café Au Late. Allergists specialize in rashes caused by foods, contact cosmetic reactions and dermatitis due to metals and medications.
Here are some of the conditions that we treat in our office:
- Reaction to gluten. There are many types of rashes that can appear due to immune intolerance of gluten – starting from Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) and going into pretty much any “unexplained” rash and even hives.
- Hives. It is also called allergic urticaria, which can be due to exposure to any type of allergen.
- Eczema. Atopic dermatitis and eczema can be caused by the foods and environmental allergens.
- Contact dermatitis to chemicals. We evaluate and treat rashes that are due to household cleaning chemicals, soaps, shampoos, creams and anything that comes in contact with skin. It can be tested! Read about our patch test.
- Contact reaction to hair products – hair dyes, straighteners, foams and anything that hairdressers may use. We make custom patch test from specific brands that were used or you are planning to use to find the brand that is right for you and will not cause a reaction.
- Contact dermatitis to metals and dental materials. While nickel is one of the most common offenders, we see allergic reactions to many components of tooth fillings, crowns and restorative materials. One of the most common reactions is to the dental braces – children may develop swollen bleeding gums, ulcers and eventually – rash all over the body. We receive small pieces of these materials and can safely test with custom dental patch test to find the safe material that dentist can use.
What is that rash???
Skin infected Herpes zoster virus on the arms
Finding the culprit for the rashes is not an easy thing, it may take more than one appointment and few different tests. We believe it is a better approach than to use steroids and steroidal creams – these do have significant side effects such as skin thinning and skin discoloration, especially for people with darker skin color. Oral steroids can cause many serious immediate (mood and sleep problems) and long-term (diabetes, glaucoma, blood pressure issues, obesity etc.) side effects. Dr Kushnir uses every possible natural treatment to safely restore and regenerate skin, which always works eliminating the problem or significantly improving condition.
We believe in whole body treatment – skin is only one organ that fully depends on all other body systems; skin conditions usually are a reflection of the body functioning and heavily depends on nutrition, stress and metabolism.
Is Dr Kushnir a dermatologist?
Dr Kushnir is a Functional Doctor. She has extensive dermatology and natural skin spa methods. She has created many remedies that work miracles removing age spots. She uses ancient herbal remedies that are known in Chinese and Indian medicines to cure skin imperfections.
Dr Kushnir can diagnose hundreds of different rashes and prescribe needed treatment. We refer to the best local dermatologist if our patients need additional services we do not provide:
- Biopsy
- Skin cancer diagnosis and treatment
- Psoriasis treatment
- Mole removal
- Cosmetic skin surgery
Our skin treatment plans include the whole body remediation, including diet and lifestyle changes. Healthy skin means healthy body!
