Medical Dermatology

In our Medical Dermatology Clinic, our main goal is to help diagnose and treat common, uncommon, and rare skin diseases. Additionally, our medical dermatology clinic evaluates patients who may require surgical or laser services.

We pride ourselves on the ability to treat all diseases of the skin, hair, and nails.

Some of the more common skin diseases we treat are: Skin Cancer, Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis, Vitiligo, Contact Dermatitis, Acne Keloidalis Nuchae, Pseudofolliculitis Barbae, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Alopecia Areata, Hair Loss, Melasma, Excessive Sweating, Warts, and more.

Please see the links for further information and patient handouts

Please note that patient handouts are password protected as they are meant only for current patients.  They also do not represent medical advice and are meant to help guide a discussion with your physician.

Are you not seeing what you are looking for?

Check out patient information on the American Academy of Dermatology’s website here for information on more skin conditions - https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z

Medical Conditions

If your acne is creating scarring or not responding to an appropriate treatment plan after 3-6 months, Dr. Contestable may offer you isotretinoin.  Isotretinoin is very effective for acne, but it is not without side effects.  Unfortunately, there is a great deal of mis-information surrounding this very important treatment for acne. Read More

It’s a real pain – but we can help make it go away!

There are 3 main causes of acne: clogging of pores, hormonal influences, and inflammation.
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Its not really acne, it does cause scars, and it happens on the back of the neck. What is it really?  A scarring hair loss (inflammation attacking hairs). Read More

Acne scarring can be treated with a variety of modalities.  Each patient will need a different collection of treatments to help them achieve their best results.  This is because every type of acne scarring and skin type requires a slightly different approach.

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Rashes after you come in contact with common ingredients, plants, etc. Two main types – Allergic and irritant Read More

Genetics, blocked hair follicles, and smoking are major causes

The most common cyst is the Epidermal inclusion cyst (EIC) – think Dr. Pimple popper and a bump that has a bunch of cheesy material in it.
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Seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects areas of the skin with increased oil production such as the scalp, eyebrows, sides of the nose, beard areas, ears, and chest.  Dandruff refers to seborrheic dermatitis affecting the scalp. Read More

It’s a good thing we all sweat.  If we didn’t, we would not be able to regulate our body temperature.  So some sweating is needed.  Hyperhidrosis (hi-pur-hi-DROE-sis) is abnormally excessive sweating that’s not necessarily related to heat or exercise.  Typically, it is deemed too much if it gets in the way of your normal activities, causes social discomfort, or emotional stress.
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Eczema or atopic dermatitis is caused by a genetic pre-disposition to impaired skin barrier.  Skin barrier dysfunction can be made worse by environmental factors like cold, dry weather, and by personal hygiene habits like frequent hand washing or sweating.
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A typical fungal infection of the skin is caused by a dermatophyte (skin loving fungus).  The most common being athletes foot – or “tinea pedis”.  For the most part they do not cause any major medical issues unless someone is at risk for “superinfection” with bacteria (diabetics, immunosuppressed patients, etc.).  Fungi live all around us, in our shoes, on our pets, on hard surfaces etc. Moist environments or breaks in the skin make getting a fungal infection more likely.
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Melasma, also called ‘chloasma’ and ‘pregnancy mask’, is a common skin condition of adults in which brown or greyish patches of pigmentation (color) develop, usually on the face. The name comes from melas, the Greek word for black, or cholas, from the word green-ish.
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A mole is also called a melanocytic nevus – yeah, we love complex words.  A mole is just an island of melanocytes (cells that make skin pigment) that have grouped together.
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A typical fungal infection of the skin is caused by a dermatophyte (skin loving fungus).  The most common being athlete’s foot – or “tinea pedis”.  For the most part they do not cause any major medical issues unless someone is at risk for “superinfection” with bacteria (diabetics, immunosuppressed patients, etc.).  Fungi live all around us, in our shoes, on our pets, on hard surfaces etc. Moist environments or breaks in the skin make getting a fungal infection more likely.
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Many times, psoriasis can be simply diagnosed, by a Board Certified Dermatologist, by the way it looks and where it is located. Sometimes a biopsy can help, but this is typically not needed. Psoriasis takes many forms and affects any area of the skin and nails. Most patients will have “plaque” type psoriasis which is red, flaky, and well-demarcated (clear and abrupt definition between normal and inflamed skin). Read More
Rosacea causes redness and flushing of the face.  It also typically causes sensitivity of the skin of the face.  There are 4 main types: 1 – Redness, flushing, and vessels – called Erythematoteleangectatic  Rosacea 2 – Bumps and Zits – called Papulopustular Rosacea 3 – Thickening of the skin – called Rhinophymatous Rosacea 4 – Irritation of the eyes – called Ocular Rosacea Read More
Warts are infectious and are passed from person to person or from a person with a wart touching an object that another person then touches. A common way to transmit a wart is by walking without shoes in an area where another person has walked without shoes (and has a wart). It is even more common to spread a wart that you already have from one area of the body to another. Read More

Skin Cancer

Actinic Keratoses (AKs) are pre-cancer spots.  They happen because of accumulated UV damage (sun exposure).  Essentially, UV radiation causes DNA damage which leads to these cells multiplying too quickly – the extra cell growth leads to more dead skin cells on top of the skin – which is why they are scaly.  They represent the pre-cursor to Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) the second most common skin cancer. Read More
Basal Cell Carcinoma is a low-risk skin cancer that typically forms over sun exposed areas.  For the majority of patients the risks of developing a BCC is related to skin color and sun exposure. We think that high intensity or blistering sunburns place individuals at higher risk. Read More

The most dangerous of the common skin cancers.  But not every mole is dangerous.

What is a mole?

A mole is also called a melanocytic nevus – yeah, we love complex words.  A mole is just an island of melanocytes (cells that make skin pigment) that have grouped together. Read More

The second most common cancer there is.  Medium-risk, if left untreated can lead to lots of local destruction, but has a risk of metastasis depending on the type and size. Read More