Caring for one’s skin is all about taking care of one’s self. It is not considered an indulgence but more of a necessity. The main goal of having a skin care routine is to maintain the skin’s function at its best, with no irritation or any signs of skin disease.

The FDA issued Advisory No. 2021-1543 warning the public to avoid purchasing the said skincare products because of failure to undergo through the agency's registration process. Without undergoing proper registration and validation, FDA cannot assure the public on the products quality and safety.

Does wearing make-up ruin your skin? Back in the day, dermatologists were known to be against make-up or any form of cosmetic camouflage since many products then—think 80’s to early nineties —would cause a slew of unwanted effects such as acne, contact dermatitis, and hyperpigmentation. Instead, we would promote healthy natural looking skin sans any cosmetic product.

Shingles is caused by Herpes Zoster Virus (HSV), which is also the virus that causes chickenpox. Shingles occur in people who already had chickenpox at one point in their lives. When a patient is healed from chickenpox clinically, HSV goes into a “resting” mode or latent mode in the neurons.

There had been a lot of people (including doctors) who interchange a cream and an ointment. Knowing the difference between the two can help the patient and clinician decide on which preparation would benefit their condition more.

Herpes simplex is a viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV), a type of DNA virus. It can be classified into two, namely: HSV 1 associated with oral infections, while the HSV 2 causes mainly genital infections, but in recent times, each type can infect any site.

Board-certified dermatologists are known to be the leading experts when it comes to skin, hair and nails. While this is true, dermatologists are also aware and recognizable of sexually transmitted infections, which refer to a variety of infections that can be acquired and transmitted through sexual contact.

Retinoids are Vitamin A derivatives. Use of retinoids results to the most sought-after reversal of skin aging. How? By organized differentiation and proliferation of skin cells. Think of it as like an organic fertilizer for plants—once applied to the soil, the leaves and fruits will grow faster and with a better quality.

Genital warts are the most common Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) globally. They are caused by particular types of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and may be passed on through direct skin-to-skin contact with someone who has HPV on their skin during genital, oral or anal sex.

The topic Skin Care on a Budget is very interesting and tricky. Budget is always relative. What is affordable to you, may not be affordable to me. To make your budget work, I will also give advice on how to spend wisely. I have seen thousands of patients over the years and the following are my thoughts as a board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist.

Because food is at the heart of Filipino culture, dietary restriction comes up as a frequent question during consults with the doctor. Much of our cuisine is flavorful, comforting, and tend to be on the greasy side. No wonder that after a trip to the doctor, we’d be told to cut down on certain foods to improve our health.