Center for Dermatology

The Contact Allergy Testing Clinic helps identify the cause of skin rashes.

A common cause of skin rashes is allergy to materials in the home and workplace. This condition is "contact dermatitis," and the rash may burn or itch. The allergens or products, ingredients, chemicals, or materials that people may be allergic to include:

• Cleansers
• Dyes
• Flavorings
• Fragrances
• Metals
• Preservatives
• Topical antibiotics
• Topical creams and ointments 

To identify the cause of the rash, our specialists can run contact allergy testing (patch testing). Unlike the more common "prick testing" and radioallergosorbent (RAST) tests, patch testing uses no needles and does not require blood tests. The test involves taping allergens to your back. These "patches" remain on for two days before removal. We then read the patches, return them to your back, and then read them again after two more days. If we find the cause of the rash, removal of a responsible allergen from a person’s environment can occur. If cause of the rash is not due to an identified allergen, patients will know their discomfort is not the result of most common allergens.

The Cosmetic Dermatology program helps people achieve a more youthful appearance through the correction of fine lines and wrinkles, removal of unwanted hair and veins, and elimination of age spots. We provide leading-edge aesthetic treatment options. 

The services we offer include:

• Botox treatment, Restylane, and other fillers
• Chemical peels
• Correction of fine lines and wrinkles
• Elimination of age spots
• Laser-assisted hair removal
• Leg vein therapy
• Microdermabrasion
• Photo rejuvenation

The physicians in our cosmetics program are on the faculty of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, a part of Rutgers University, one of the top research institutions in America. Our doctors are active in clinical research and in teaching about all aspects of dermatology. Each brings leading-edge knowledge from the classroom to the exam room.

The Center for Dermatology provides a full range of dermatology services for adults and children. Our physicians offer expertise in medical and surgical dermatology, as well as in the study and treatment of skin cancer and common skin diseases including:

• Acne
• Contact dermatitis
• Rare skin diseases such as
  • Blistering diseases
  • Hair loss disorders
  • Lupus
• Rosacea
• Psoriasis
• Warts

The Melanoma and Pigmented Lesion Center provides treatment and care of melanoma, pigmented lesions, and other skin irregularities. We practice the latest techniques and approaches to identify conditions so that patients can receive the best treatment options available.

Our physicians are on the faculty of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, a part of Rutgers University, one of the top research institutions in America. Our doctors are active in clinical research and in teaching about all aspects of dermatology. Many of our physicians also have national and international recognition for their experience with dermatoscopy, the examination of skin lesions with a dermatoscope, an instrument that uses high-power lenses for close-up views. Dermatoscopy is one of the latest and most accurate methods of managing pigmented lesions.

The treatments and services we offer also include:

• Dermatopathology (the study of skin diseases at a microscopic and molecular level)
• Image analysis
• Screening and management of nevi (skin lesions) and melanoma

Our staff has a commitment to prevention, education, treatment, and monitoring of patients with melanoma, pigmented lesions, and other conditions, as well as to people who may be at risk. The Rutgers Health Melanoma and Pigmented Lesion Center can provide the diagnosis and care you need for skin conditions.

Mohs micrographic surgery is the most effective method for eradicating basal and squamous cell carcinoma, common types of skin cancer, with nearly a 100 percent cure rate. It is the treatment of choice for facial skin lesions and recurring lesions on other parts of the body.

Physicians in the Rutgers Health Mohs Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery program specialize in the procedure. Our doctors are on the faculty of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, a part of Rutgers University, one of the top research institutions in America. Our doctors are active in clinical research and in teaching about all aspects of dermatology and skin cancer. Each brings life-changing knowledge from the classroom to the exam room.

The treatment we provide for many types of skin cancers can be completed within a few hours. Same-day reconstruction of affected skin areas may also be available.

The Rutgers Health Pediatric Dermatology Clinic treats children who may be experiencing unusual conditions of the skin, hair, and nails. Parents or guardians of pediatric dermatology patients may obtain a referral from other doctors to see us, or may choose to make an appointment on their own.

The types of conditions we often see in our clinic include:

• Acne
• Eczema
• Minor skin problems
• Viral rashes
• Warts

We also examine less common types of skin conditions, such as:

• Birthmarks
• Contact dermatitis
• Hair loss
• Hemangiomas
• Psoriasis
• Skin growths

We also perform minor surgical procedures (those that can proceed without anesthesia or under local anesthesia), such as wart treatment, removal or biopsy of skin growths, and certain laser procedures.

Photodynamic Therapy and Phototherapy
These two procedures involve the use of light in the treatment of skin diseases. Phototherapy uses ultraviolet (UV) light to treat disorders such as psoriasis, vitiligo, severe eczema, and a certain type of skin cancer called cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Patients come to our office to receive phototherapy treatments (narrow band UVB or PUVA) usually 2-3 times per week, while standing in a phototherapy booth. Although dermatologists generally recommend avoiding exposure to UV light, these skin problems may actually be helped by light treatments in many people. Since so many different skin conditions can look alike and each patient has different skin types, the UV treatments are designed to treat the specific condition in that specific patient unlike commercially available UV light, or “tanning” which should never be used.

Narrow UVB Phototherapy
Narrow UVB Phototherapy is a treatment for skin eruptions using artificial ultraviolet light. The initials UVB stand for the type B ultraviolet, the part of sunlight that gives one sunburn. Carefully controlled, it is an extremely effective tool for several serious skin diseases.

PUVA
PUVA is a combination of psoralen (P) and long-wave ultraviolet radiation (UVA) that is used to treat several severe skin conditions. Psoralen is a drug that makes the skin disease more sensitive to ultraviolet light. This allows the deeply penetrating UVA band of light to work on the skin.

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is also called photoradiation therapy, phototherapy, or photochemotherapy. It involves using drugs, called photosensitizing agents, along with light to kill cancer cells. The drugs only work after they have been activated by certain kinds of light. Depending on the part of the body being treated, the photosensitizing agent is either injected into the blood stream or applied to the skin. After the drug is absorbed by the cancer cells a light source is applied only to the area to be treated. The light causes the drug to react with oxygen, which forms a chemical that kills the cancer cells. PDT may also work by destroying the blood vessels that feed the cancer cells and by alerting the immune system to attack the cancer.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is a treatment that is used to accelerate healing. It is also used to regenerate hair loss. PRP is a three-step process in which blood is taken, processed, and then injected into the scalp. 

For best results, consistent treatment is important. Treatments are performed roughly once a month for the first three to four months, and then every three to six months. Results can first be seen within two to three months.

Mohs surgery is a precise method of tumor removal developed by Dr. Frederic E. Mohs. It is the most advanced and effective treatment for the eradication of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma with nearly a 100 percent cure rate. The procedure involves removal of the entire skin cancer layer by layer, while leaving as much of the normal skin as possible. It is the treatment of choice for facial skin lesions and recurrent lesions elsewhere. Many types of skin cancers can be treated and reconstructed on the same day.

Dr. Firoz is a fellow of the American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS) and leads the Mohs surgery team in our outpatient clinic facility.

Shave biopsy or “tangential excision” is a procedure which uses a sterile blade or a curved sterile razor blade to remove a skin surface growth off under local anesthesia. A “curette” does a similar task with a special scraping tool. These are often done to remove a small growth and confirm its nature by sending it for pathologic analysis, at the same time.

We offer the following procedures:

• Laser assisted hair removal
• Laser treatment of vascular and pigmented lesions
• Laser skin rejuvenation
• Dermal Fillers
• Botox Cosmetic Treatment
• Microdermabrasion
• Chemical Peels
• Sclerotherapy

Punch Biopsy is typically used by dermatologists to sample skin rashes or to remove small growths. After a local anesthetic is injected, a biopsy punch, which is basically a small (1 to 4 mm diameter) version of a cookie cutter, is used to cut out a cylindrical piece of skin. The hole may be closed with a suture and heals with minimal scarring.

Excisional Biopsy is the process of removing the entire skin growth with the use of a sterile scalpel. Local anesthesia is injected to the area before the tissue is removed and the wound is repaired using sterile sutures. The skin growth removed is then sent for pathology for diagnostic purposes.

ED&C is the scraping and burning of skin growths which is done for less serious skin cancers, pre-cancers and benign growths. A local anesthetic is injected, and then the abnormal tissue is scraped off with a curette. The area is then cauterized until bleeding stops. This may be repeated if the growth is cancerous. The wound will need to be dressed until it heals, and it usually leaves a small white mark after it heals.

Intralesional Injection is the direct placement of a medication into a problem skin area through a very fine needle. Most often a dilute solution of triamcinolone (Kenalog) is used. Acne cysts, keloid scars, alopecia, psoriasis and chronic forms of eczema may be treated this way. If too much medication is used, a white spot or dent may develop, which is usually temporary.

Cryosurgery is used frequently by dermatologists to treat various skin problems. Liquid nitrogen is sprayed on to the area of skin involved. Light freezing causes peeling, moderate freezing may form blisters and hard freezing may form a scab. It is used for acne, scars, growths, pre-cancerous lesions and some skin cancers.

Acne surgery is the process of removing acne lesions, usually by opening up comedones (blackheads) and pimples by using a needle or small pointed blade and expressing the keratin plug with an extractor.