Dr. William Paronish provides his expert opinion about the use of Latisse for eyelash growth.

He reports that, "Across the board our results have been excellent resulting in a very happy group of patients and side effects have been minimal. Mild irritation is very common the first week but quickly resolves spontaneously."

Dr. Paronish added that "The only reason I've had to stop Latisse so far has been because of darkening in the lateral cheek region that resulted from the lid application of the product which resolved quickly with discontinuation of the product."

Dr. William Paronish is in private practice in Northern Cambria, Pennsylvania. He uses Vivacare's "From Your Doctor" patient education service to provide his patients with access to practical health information to improve clinical care and patient satisfaction.

Depression Increase Risk of Developing Skin Disease

A large Australian study regarding the relationship of mental health and skin disease published in the Archives of Dermatology (Arch Dermatol; 145:896-902) has confirmed that stress and depression can be factors in the development of dermatological conditions.

Using data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, researchers tested their hypothesis that psychological factors can precipitate or exacerbate skin disease. Women between the ages of 22 and 27 at baseline in 1996 were surveyed about physical and mental health symptoms then and on three follow-up occasions. As part of these surveys, women were asked how often they had experienced skin problems in the previous year.

In the generalized estimating equation models, depression symptoms and stress (but not anxiety) were significantly associated with skin problems. The findings of this relationship of depression and stress to skin disease may have considerable clinical implications, including the possible benefits of psychological interventions in the management of patients with skin disease.

Previous studies have evaluated the emotional burden of chronic skin disorders, such as psoriasis.

People with chronic skin disorders should seek care from a dermatologist and openly share the emotional aspects of their lives that may be critically important for managing their condition.

Find a Dermatologist: New Online Dermatology Directory

Vivacare Inc. launched its new Find a Dermatologist Directory with an online listing of over 2,000 leading dermatologists who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of skin conditions, such as acne, psoriasis, skin cancer and aging skin.

People seeking a dermatologist can refer to this directory to find skin care experts in their region.

The find a dermatologist resources is part of the FromYourDoctor service that provides a variety of patient education tools to dermatology practices.