For medical education- NSFE. This patient had a fleshy, grape-sized growth right in the crease of her inner thigh (this is called the inguinal area). Since it is sessile, almost pedunculated (terms we use to describe its shape) it can easily be removed by numbing the base and using sharp serrated scissors, much like I […]

This patient of mine came in for a total body skin check. During this examination, I noticed numerous blackheads on the back. Blackheads are open comedones, follicles/pores that have dilated and are filled with keratin/ skin cells. They can be extracted using a comedone extractor as you see here, but often when they are larger […]

Here I use a punch biopsy instrument, 3mm diameter, to “punch” a hole into the top of a superficial epidermoid cyst, so that I can squeeze out most of its contents and remove the entire epidermoid sac. Small closure with sutures, and scar should not be noticeable, hidden in a neck crease. source

Here I explain the difference between blackheads and milia, which are both common benign growths that occur in all ages but are particularly prevalent in teenagers (those under 18 years old), as well as the elderly (6th and 7th decade). source

For medical education- NSFE. Cyst excision on the back today. This is a common epidermoid cyst, what many people call a “sebaceous cyst”. Many people with oily completions, and a history of acne are prone to them, but they are fairly common and can occur in anyone. It’s not medically necessary to remove these bumps […]

For medical education- NSFE. Now that I have extracted more blackheads and whiteheads in the last few months than I have in my entire career as a dermatologist (!), I have noticed a pattern. Women tend to present more with whiteheads, aka as closed comedones, rather than blackheads. Maybe this is because we, as women, […]

This patient is the same person with the stubborn blackhead/keratin plug extractions on the nose, just recently posted. THIS is the reason that she came to see me in the first place. She has had a mole on her chin, that was treated with a laser many years ago. She doesn’t like the appearance of […]

Simple blackheads extractions on the face. I often use a little numbing (lidocaine plus bicarbonate and epinephrine) to anesthetize the area a little before extractions because this is much more comfortable for the patient. Also many of you notice that as I numb the skin, I shake my left hand, and this is on purpose. […]

Do you know the difference between a blackhead and a milia? Blackheads and whiteheads are also known as open and closed comedones. They are dilated pores that are plugged with keratin. Whiteheads are closed, meaning there is skin covering the comedone. Blackheads are open, exposed to air. Air oxidizes the keratin, causing it to turn […]

For medical education- NSFE. This patient came to see me because she has “red dots on her hands” that she doesn’t like the appearance of. She is getting married soon, and wants her hands to look beautiful, of course! She has two nevus araneus, also called spider angiomas. These are just small broken capillaries, maybe […]