Moisturizers? Check. Face wash? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Exfoliator? Check. With all these things, you’d figure you’ve got everything your new skincare routine needs. However, at Dermatologists Consultants of Frisco, we highly recommend integrating the use of a facial serum into your new year skincare resolutions. 

Facial serums aren’t widely considered a skincare staple. However, its paramount to have one as a source of nutrition and nourishment for your face’s skins. Facial serums are lightweight moisturizers that integrate a higher concentration of active ingredients like Vitamin C and Hyaluronic acid. In fact, because of serum’s high ingredient concentration, they can offer more targeted treatment to a number of skin issues.

Truth be told, you’ve might pay a pretty penny to get your hands on some high-quality facial serum. However, we’re not saying it’ll cost an arm and a leg either.

Since your skin is the largest organ, we believe no expense should be spared for its maintenance. In skincare, we can sincerely say, “Preventing is always better than curing.” Taking good care of your skin rewards you in the long run.

Below are a few of facial serum’s benefits:

Perfect Wrinkle Remover and Brightens Dull Skin

As you age, your skin wrinkles and loses the youthful radiance it once possessed. One way to help your skin’s battle against Father Time? A facial serum. They have a reputation for being an excellent anti-aging remedy. Importantly, most of these products’ formulae integrate golden micro-reflectors that illuminate the skin and stimulate cell renewal. Thus, restoring and preserving the skin’s youth

For the serum to work perfectly, apply it to clean skin both in the morning and in the evening.

Helps Eliminate Dark Spots

Exposure to UV radiation leads to dull skin and dark spots. These dark spots need to be handled with the utmost seriousness – just like any other skin infection. At DCF, we advise consulting with your nearest dermatologist to find out the right serum-based facial products for your ailment.

Doubles Up as an Exemplary Moisturizer

It is important to point out that facial serums are applied after cleansing, but before moisturizing - especially for water-based serums. In fact, the step-by-step process to washing your face:

• Cleansing
• Applying serum
• Eye cream
• Moisturizer
• Broad Spectrum sunscreen

Facial serums have concentrated active ingredients that are absorbed deeper and faster by the skin. Despite being labeled “serums, they’re an excellent complementary moisturizer – not a substitute though.

Facial Serum versus Moisturizers

Is facial serum a type of moisturizer? A very common question. The answer is actually yes, and no. Serums integrate many moisturizing ingredients such as Ceramides and Hyaluronic Acid. However, the fact that it has these ingredients, does not make it a traditional moisturizer. In the world of dermatology, creams and lotions are typical moisturizers because they are substantially richer in moisturizing ingredients and they create a good barrier on the skin that keep all the good stuff in.

So, if you're in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, book an appointment at DCF (a premier DFW dermatologist), to find out which facial serum works best for you.

For more information, contact us.

Among all your organs, your skin is the largest. It shields your body from the elements, regulates body temperature, and fights bacteria. Like other organs, it's susceptible to cancer. Annual skin cancer diagnoses in the US exceed those of every other cancer combined.

When caught early, most cases of skin cancer are curable, which is why your dermatologist appointment should be among your top priorities.

Dermatologists are doctors who specialize in treating conditions affecting the skin, nails, and hair. These doctors receive three years of medical training related to skin care after completing medical school and an internship. Most dermatologists attend to a wide variety of skincare issues, but some specialize in surgery, cosmetics, and pediatrics among others.

In addition to helping detect cancer early, your dermatologist can treat other various skin health problems—psoriasis, acne, hair loss, and hives—and carry out cosmetic procedures such as wart removal and scar removal.

How often should you see your dermatologist?

Visit your dermatologist at least once a year for a full body examination. These annual visits are necessary even if you're healthy and have no history of skin cancer. We at Dermatology Consultants of Frisco recommend more frequent visits depending on the result of the examination.

It's advisable for certain people to visit their dermatologist more frequently. These include:

• People with a history of skin cancer
• People with close relatives who suffer from skin cancer
• People with suspicious growths or moles on their skin
• People who received x-ray acne treatment in their youth
• People with extremely fair skin tones

Risk factors for skin cancer

Age and gender play a role in the risk of skin cancer. Older people are at a higher risk because of how long they have been exposed to UV radiation. But younger people who get frequent sunburns because of continual exposure to the sun are at high risk of getting skin cancer.

The risk of squamous cell carcinomas is three times higher in males than females. Males are also twice as likely to develop basal cell carcinomas as women.

Conditions such as diseases and immune suppression related to organ transplants also heighten the risk of skin cancer. For example, basal cell nevus syndrome and human papilloma virus (HPV) infections increase the risk of developing carcinomas.

Previous treatment for certain conditions sometimes causes skin cancer. Psoriasis treatment involving a combination of UV light treatment, a natural remedy, and psoralen increases carcinoma risk. Same goes for radiation treatment.

Genetic risk factors like inherited conditions and a personal or family history of skin cancer increase your risk of developing skin cancer. So can lifestyle choices such as smoking and excessive UV exposure due to spending a lot of time outdoors in the sun.

Your dermatologist will take into account all the above risk factors and advice you on the proper steps to take to decrease your chances of developing skin cancer.

When to schedule an emergency visit

Dermatological emergencies are rare, but it's important to know them because they are potentially fatal. Examples of such emergencies include bacterial and viral infections.

Bacterial infections such as erysipelas and cellulitis warrant an immediate trip to your dermatologist's office. Erysipelas is a Streptococcus pyogenes infection of the superficial dermis, and cellulitis is a Staphylococcus aureus infection of the deep dermis.

The herpes simplex virus causes eczema herpeticum, which often occurs on the face around the eyes. In extreme cases, the condition can lead to severe conditions (e.g., hepatitis, encephalitis, and keratoconjunctivitis) or even death.

In case of any severe symptoms on your skin, call a qualified dermatologist in the DFW area immediately.

Good skincare can be challenging during the winter months, especially for those with conditions that leave their skin dry like psoriasis and eczema. The primary reason for this? The big drop in humidity which robs your skin of moisture.

Here are a few winter skincare tips endorsed by us, Dermatology Consultants of Frisco. Coupled with a dermatologist's advice, working a couple of these tips into your winter skincare routine could do wonders for you.

Invest in a Humidifier

If the lack of humidity really dries your skin out, then putting some humidity back into the air is a no-brainer. That's where humidifiers come in: they keep the air most -- hence the name.

When shopping for one, be aware that you have two options: warm mist or cool mist. Warm mist humidifiers have better moisture saturation, while cool mist humidifiers are quieter and better able to filter out impurities. The choice really depends on your needs, but go with warm mist for better overall moisture if you're not sure.

Moisturize Often

Of course, another way to combat the effects of low moisture is to apply moisture directly to your skin. Get yourself a high-grade moisturizer, and use it often. A little bottle or tube that can go with you everywhere is perfect -- especially on days where you have to spend a fair amount of time outside.

Look for a moisturizer that isn't greasy and spreads easily. Keep an eye out for brands that advertise themselves as specifically designed for sensitive or irritable skin.

Stay Hydrated

Don't just spend all your time focusing on keeping your skin itself moist; internal hydration is also very important.

Dry skin affects your body's ability to retain moisture, so you're going to feel dehydrated faster and more often than you would during warmer weather. Be sure to drink plenty of water during the day. On workdays, keep a water bottle handy if possible, and refill it during your breaks.

Be Careful With Showers

It may not seem like literally soaking your body in a bunch of water could exacerbate dry skin, but if you're not careful about how long your showers and baths are, they could indeed do just that.

Hot water strips oils off of the skin, and in low humidity our skin needs to hold onto the little oils it still has. Avoid hot showers and baths; opt for milder temperatures.

You should also avoid stepping outside shortly after you've showered or bathed. If your skin is still damp when you get a full dose of frigid winter air, you'll find that it chaps much more easily.

Stay on Top of the Thermostat

It's basic science: the higher the temperature in your house, the more moisture is going to be removed from the air.

For that reason, you should keep the thermostat at the lowest setting that you can tolerate, and just throw on a few more layers to keep warm instead. Obviously, you want to exercise some moderation; giving yourself frostbite won't be good for your skin either. Experiment with different settings until you find the sweet spot.

For 7 years, our team has been working non-stop to help deliver state of the art medical and dermatologic care at our Frisco and Denton, Texas, locations.  Dr. Weisberg and the providers work tirelessly during the day with our excellent team of medical assistants, front office, billing specialists and practice manager to deliver effective and customized care to our thousands of patients who have visited us since we opened our doors.  After hours, Dr. Weisberg continues to excel and spend considerable time devising ways to improve care and efficiency, some of which are obvious to our patients, but others that happen behind to scenes to improve the way we deliver care.

It is with pride and joy that we announce that we have been selected as "Best in D" by D Magazine for 2014.  How do they come to this conclusion?  Great question!  They ask thousands of physicians the following question:

"Which doctors would you trust with the care of a loved one?"              

The physicians, who are verified, are allowed to list up to 3 physicians in each category and we are honored to be picked for Dermatology!

We don't take this lightly.  It means we have lots of physicians who trust us to provide care for their patients.  Some of these physicians have been referring patients to us for 7 years, some who may have started more recently, and others who may have already visited us for their personal care or the care of a family member.  This immense trust that has been afforded to us by physicians (and patients) is our most precious gift along with our awesome staff.

Thank you north Texas.  You can rest assured we will continue to work to find ways to improve and become even better in the future.  We plan to be part of the community for a long time to come and believe this is just the beginning of a great journey solely afforded to us by the trust of our patients and our physicians.

Thank you!

Dr. Weisberg