Your immune system is designed to fight bacteria and disease. But when you have an autoimmune disorder, your immune system mistakenly attacks your healthy cells, making you sick. These attacks can occur in various areas of the body: Common autoimmune disorders include rheumatoid arthritis, Type I diabetes, lupus, celiac disease and multiple sclerosis. While all these disorders have an impact on different organs or tissues throughout the body, some autoimmune disorders affect your skin directly. For instance, skin conditions such as scleroderma, psoriasis, dermatomyositis and epidermolysis bullosa are all autoimmune disorders. Like many medical conditions, treating autoimmune skin conditions sometimes requires trial and error. When our patients are dealing with these conditions, we work closely with them to determine whether the treatment is working or …

Everyone loses 50 to 100 hairs per day—but some of us are losing way more than that. While hair loss is somewhat expected for men as they grow older, it’s also quite common in women, according to the American Academy for Dermatology. And the causes are varied: Genetics, aging, hormones, stressful events, nutrition and certain medications or diseases can contribute to hair loss. While some people are comfortable with baldness, most people prefer to keep some hair on their heads. But the good news is that just because you experience hair loss doesn’t mean anybody has to know about it. Dermatologists can often help you determine the cause of your hair loss and help you develop a solution to reverse the condition and help you …

When Kim Kardashian made news with her “vampire facial,” the procedure actually wasn’t new. Microneedling therapy, also known as skin needling, has been around for many years but is currently enjoying a renaissance. And although microneedling devices are now available for home use, trying to undertake the procedure on your own carries significant risk. Why use microneedling? Microneedling is a minimally invasive procedure that stimulates collagen growth. A mechanical pen, its head filled with tiny needles, is rolled over the skin and as it vibrates, it delivers microinjections, penetrating the skin many times over the course of a few seconds. The needles are used to create a controlled skin injury. For decades, dermatologists have successfully used this procedure to treat facial scars and promote collagen …

So you thought pimples were just for teenagers? Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. People can experience acne at any age, and some studies show that the incidence of adult acne is on the rise. In our practice, we regularly see patients who are frustrated with flare-ups of adult acne. Luckily, there are some hassle free ways to manage and eliminate adult acne. Resolving the problem starts with understanding what may be causing adult acne and then determining the best treatment path for your particular situation. What causes adult acne? Pimples can affect anyone, but women are more likely than men to experience acne as adults. That’s often because of the hormonal changes their bodies experience on a monthly basis and during menopause, and sometimes as …

As we age, our bodies change. And many of us end up with unwanted fat that seems almost impossible to lose. Sometimes, even with a healthy lifestyle of eating nutritiously and exercising regularly, stubborn fat still lingers. While surgery may be able to fix the problem, it’s a drastic step and can be risky. Many of our patients want to lose unwanted fat naturally and just need a little help. They are often interested to hear about CoolSculpting, the only FDA-cleared, non-surgical fat reduction treatment of its kind. The technique uses controlled cooling to eliminate stubborn fat in the areas that bother you the most—and the results are lasting. We all have a certain number of fat cells in our bodies. When we gain weight, …

By Dr. Corey Hartman As we age, our skin changes. And everyone’s skin is affected by sun, wind, stress, gravity and possibly bad habits. It’s common for skin to become rougher, more transparent and less elastic as we age. But there’s good news: There are steps you can take to help your skin stay supple and fresh-looking, even as you continue to have more birthdays. My patients have benefited from following these four steps to reversing the aging process and keeping your skin clear and smooth: When you are choosing products for your skin care routine, look for items that are complementary to your skin type. And definitely use common sense. For instance, if you have dry skin, don’t choose a product that will make …

At Skin Wellness Dermatology of Alabama, we see many patients who are interested in lash extensions to make their eyelashes look longer, lusher and darker. But we also see loads of patients who have problems—both aesthetic and medical—with their lash extensions. Extension Problems First of all, if you’ve seen many people with lash extensions, you’ve likely seen some botched jobs. There are a lot of bad lashes out there, such as the ones where you can see the glue glopped onto the lashes, or the ones that simply look obviously fake. The whole point is to make the long, dark lashes look like they’re actually natural, so these jobs have missed the mark. In addition to lash extensions that just don’t look right, many actually …