Dermatologists diagnose allergies and illnesses from external clues

Baby boomers and beach bunnies beware.
“There’s an explosion of skin cancer today from people’s unprotected exposure to the sun over the last 50 years,” said dermatologist James Beckett, M.D.
“After World War II, enhancements in technology and the economy gave people the free time and relative affluence to recreate more outdoors,” he said, “resulting in a higher incidence of sun damaged skin.”
The percentage of time he and fellow dermatologists Peggy Albrecht, M.D., Michael Dacey, M.D., and Leonard Moore, M.D., spend treating skin cancer and pre-cancerous skin problems has risen substantially as unprotected sun exposure takes its toll.
“We find early melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancer and pre-cancerous conditions among outdoor enthusiasts, including surfers and sailors, every year at several free skin cancer screenings offered between spring and fall,” Dr. Beckett said. “Anyone can attend; they’re not limited to the water community.”
“They’re well publicized and usually held at O’Neill’s Surf Shop, Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center, the Annual Memorial Day Long Board Surf Contest and Women on Waves surfing event.”
Avoiding sun exposure is “cheap and easy,” added Dr. Moore. “Wear a hat and tightly woven clothing, and lather sunscreen on the areas you can’t cover up.”
What strength sunscreen works best? “The bigger the better,” he emphasized, “at least 30, and use it liberally.”
Like societal changes, revolutionary new pharmaceutical and technological developments impact and enhance their services. For example, medicines such as Accutane for acne and Acyclovir for herpes and shingles have dramatically improved treatment options.
”Before Accutane, antibiotics were the most potent treatment we had for acne, and they don’t work as well,” Dr. Albrecht said. “Accutane actually arrests the process for months or years. It’s the closest thing we have to a cure.”
Citing “great new horizons in biologics,” Dr. Beckett noted that in February the Food and Drug Administration approved an injectable medication (a fusion protein) for psoriasis, an incurable, genetic disease of the auto immune system. Although it is now “extremely expensive, it’s exciting that new treatments like these are becoming available.”
The group recently purchased a multifunctional laser for cosmetic dermatology procedures, including facial rejuvenation. They also use the laser to remove tattoos, dispigmentation (commonly called age and liver spots), facial spider veins and leg varicose veins.
“There is usually significant improvement after just one treatment, though it can take up to four treatments to get the full result,” noted Dr. Dacey. “Mild inflammation on the treated area is the only side effect, and it resolves in three to four days.”
This year the group hopes to implement use of the MOHS technique to treat skin cancer, a procedure that provides the highest cure rate while maximally preserving healthy tissue.
Dr. Dacey, who is trained in the MOHS technique, joined Dr. Albrecht, Dr. Beckett and Dr. Moore in January. He chose the Santa Cruz Medical Clinic “because the dermatologists here are the most well-rounded with a larger scope of practice than is typical. They provide all aspects of dermatology—medical,
surgical (in office) and cosmetic,” Dr. Dacey said. “They’re also very friendly people.”

As full service, board certified dermatologists, Dr. Albrecht, Dr. Beckett, Dr. Dacey and Dr. Moore treat people of all ages and both sexes for a myriad of skin conditions. These include autoimmune diseases such as alopecia areata (hair loss on any part of the body) and vitiligo (loss of skin pigmentation); viral, bacterial and fungal infectious diseases; and skin cancers. They also perform outpatient surgery in their offices or at local hospitals.