Dr. Alan M Dattner, MD, Author at Holistic Dermatology • Page 24 of 30 Archive

Think you know about chocolate and acne? Think again… More on natural acne treatment.

Posted on December 2, 2013 at 9:01 am.

Natural acne treatment is complex, and there are a number of factors determining what will cure your acne, as compared with someone else’s.

Here’s one issue: there have been a number of studies regarding acne that have confused rather than clarified the understanding of what to recommend for acne problems. One of the biggest confusions comes because acne sufferers differ in what causes their acne: this is not a single condition with a single cause.

Studies on acne and chocolate have been done because there are many people who, over the years, have observed acne outbreaks after eating chocolate. For some of those people, eating chocolate occurs when they also binge on sweets or eat poorly and leave out vegetables from their diets. These factors are often left out of studies.

One key study on the effects of feeding chocolate bars, versus similar-tasting bars without chocolate, was published by Dr. James Fulton in 1969. The study observed no difference in acne in those who ate the chocolate versus the placebo bars, and concluded that chocolate had no effect on acne. Thus, an entire generation of dermatologists was trained to believe that chocolate had no effect on acne based on this and other studies. That study is now considered to be flawed in its methods, and its conclusions not valid.

Clearly, there are some people who break out from eating chocolate, some people who beak out from binging on chocolate, and others who seem to have no outbreak. Some may be additionally aggravated by the milk products, sugars, or oils in milk chocolate, or be eating the chocolate to deal with stress or depression, any of which factors could aggravate acne.

So, the relationship between eating chocolate and acne is not a simple matter, and should not be dismissed with a simple statement, but rather be evaluated in the larger context of the overall habits and responses of the individual. If there is a suspicion of a relationship (between a particular food and an outbreak), and you want to treat acne naturally, without drugs, chocolate should be stopped, and re-added later to see if it causes outbreaks.

To your health,

Dr. Alan M. Dattner, MD

Holistic Dermatology & Integrative Medicine

9 Beauty Foods for Natural Skin Care: Broccoli!

Posted on November 25, 2013 at 9:34 am.

Written by Dr. Alan M Dattner, MD

Here’s an article published by iVillage in which I was quoted:

To your health,

Dr. Alan M. Dattner, MD

Holistic Dermatology & Natural Skin Care
New York, New York

As always, the content of this blog is for information and education purposes only, and should not be used to prevent, diagnose or treat illness; please see your physician for care.

Want Beautiful Hair? Never do these two things.

Posted on November 18, 2013 at 10:00 am.

Written by Dr. Alan M Dattner, MD

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I want to tell you about some of the fascinating things about hair care I learned as I review my notes from the American Academy of Dermatology Conference recently.

At a really interesting seminar on hair disorders, speakers covered basic biology, rare disorders, and common conditions affecting the hair. The hair shaft, made up of strands of protein, is covered by a “cuticle” of overlapping scales which protect and hold together the shaft.

Over-Brushing

Activities such as over-brushing removes the scales making up the cuticle and allows the shaft to come apart, making the shaft frizz and become weak. Scratching the scalp or hair has the same effect. The result is broken hairs and the impression that hair is not growing. Some conditioners and combing products are available with special lubricants
which reduce friction and reduce the removal of the cuticle scale.

Heating Wet Hair

Another way to damage the cuticle layer is to wet the hair and then heat it with a curling iron or a hair dryer that
is too close. The overheated water turns to steam inside of the hair shaft, forming tiny gas bubbles which cause the “cuticle” to burst off. It was really fascinating to see this close up with a scanning electron photograph showing a lot of bulges from the gas bubbles forming in a wet, heated hair. Hair treated this way looks frizzy, smells burned,
and breaks easily.

Be gentle with your hair and it will look good and serve you well.

To your health,

-Dr. Alan M. Dattner, MD

Holistic Dermatology & Integrative Medicine

As always, the content of this blog is for information and education purposes only, and should not be used to prevent, diagnose or treat illness; please see your physician for care.

Carpe Cold: Seize the Cold

Posted on November 17, 2013 at 10:00 am.

Written by Dr. Alan M Dattner, MD

While I generally deal with holistic dermatology, I have lots of experience with integrative medicine as it relates to the immune system. During cold and flu season, I tend to avoid flu vaccine. So, over many years of working long hours in my practice, I have perfected my method for cold and flu prevention and care.

The moment I become aware of a lowered resistence–a sneeze, a tired feeling, an ache in my head or neck–is the moment a cold or flu can be prevented with a regimen of natural remedies. If I wait a bit and don’t catch the symptoms until several hours or a day after that moment, I may not be able to prevent the illness, but I can lessen its severity and duration.

Steps to take at the pivotal moment:

stop whatever you’re doing. Take a nap if possible. If not, rest your eyes for a few minutes.
take a very hot bath, and when you emerge from the tub, bundle yourself up, climb into bed, and let the body “sweat out the cold.” (Be sure not to do this alone, as hot water can increase chance of fainting)
take healthy, regular doses of vitamins A, C, and E
take some echinacea or oregon graperoot
drink hot tea and keep the body full of fluids

Several hours of focused self-care at the right moment can prevent several days of illness, discomfort, and lost work–and it can keep you from spreading a cold or flu to loved ones.

To your health,

-Dr. Dattner

Holistic Dermatology & Integrative Medicine
New York

As always, the content of this blog is for information and education purposes only, and should not be used to diagnose or treat illness; please see your physician for care.

Get rid of acne, eczema, migraines, and fatigue, naturally.

Posted on November 2, 2013 at 9:00 am.

Written by Dr. Alan M Dattner, MD

I recently read an article in the Science Section of the New York Times by Tara Parker-Pope entitled “Telling food allergies from false alarms”. The article focuses on the efficacy of food allergy antibody tests (only one of many kinds of allergy tests there are.) It suggests that people avoiding a number of foods face malnutrition and inconvenience.

The article overlooks the great value in helping patients eliminate foods which trigger a wide variety of conditions, most of which have an inflammatory etiology. Any blood test, be it of antibody reactivity, neutrophil change, or lymphocyte response, may be helpful to point out foods to test for potential clinical improvement by elimination and challenge.

I have seen numerous conditions including acne, eczema, irritable bowel, hidradenitis, migraines, and fatigue improve with food elimination. A physician experienced in multiple forms of food testing can help associate symptoms with exposures, choose appropriate tests, and interpret results. This kind of natural acne treatment is a lot cheaper than prescription drugs.

One things I do agree on is that allergy tests can give a wide variety of food and allergen sensitivities which may or may not indicate the cause of a patient’s presenting condition.

The absolute best way to learn what foods are causing skin or any other problems is to eliminate all possible trigger foods, check to see if the problem clears, and then every few days, add a food back to the diet to find out which is the culprit. The value of trials of food elimination to improve disease should not be overlooked for lack of definitive testing in major centers.

To your health,

-Dr. Alan M Dattner, MD

As always, the content of this blog is for information and education purposes only, and should not be used to prevent, diagnose or treat illness; please see your physician for care.

Saving Money and Saving your Skin in Winter

Posted on October 30, 2013 at 12:47 pm.

Written by Dr. Alan M Dattner, MD

In my holistic dermatology practice, I often help patients whose skin suffers in winter. It is possible to both help your skin and save money doing it. I emphasize this because it requires doing something very simple and at the same time very challenging: changing your habits.

Even more, it requires changing the beliefs behind those habits, so I will try to give some additional information beyond what was in my last blog, to help you make these changes.

If you have ever done dishes or wet work, with your hands in and out of water repeatedly for a while, you know how your skin becomes dry and chapped. This is because you are washing away the oils and the salts which hold water in our skin. In the winter when the air is dry (low humidity), bathing washes out the oils from the skin. The belief that we need a shower, especially a long, hot one, to be clean, to wake up, or to feel alive in the morning, needs a second look if your skin becomes dry and scaly in winter. A washcloth under the arm and in the folds does a very nice job between showers, and does not dry out parts of your skin which do not need washing.

The result is that you:

save hot water,
save on lotion
save oils in your skin,
save money on heat,
save fresh water,
safe electricity

Once you have the routine down, you will save time as well.Of course there will be times and situations where you need a shower or bath. Bathing less often, faster, and soaping less areas which do not need heavy cleansing, will keep the moisture in your skin and save you money as well. I repeat the essence of my last message because I have found,
in my 30 yeasr of practice, that people often have to hear it more than once in order to reduce their bathing. Did you?

To your health,

-Dr. Alan M. Dattner
Holistic Dermatology & Integrative Medicine

As always, the content of this blog is for information and education purposes only, and should not be used to prevent, diagnose or treat illness; please see your physician for care.

Got Varicose Veins? This herb could help.

Posted on October 30, 2013 at 10:00 am.

Written by Dr. Alan M Dattner, MD

Pressure from standing upright creates pressure in the legs and leads to enlarged leg veins. This pressure makes the valves in the veins ineffective, in effect turning the little systems of blood veins in the body into one long vein. This pushes fluid out into the
tissues, causing swelling of the legs and varicose veins.

Reversing gravity by elevating the legs is a great natural treatment. Another natural treatment is the use of horse chestnut extract, which contains multiple bioflavinoids including a flavinoid called escin. Horse chestnut products are standardized based on escin concentration, as this is considered to be the active ingredient. It has multiple beneficial effects. The other bioflavinoids present in the extract work synergistically with the escin.

As a bioflavinoid, ascin strengthens the capillaries and blood vessels. It prevents leakage of material through the capillary walls by supporting the layer of cells that form the inner lining of the blood vessels. That reduces the amount of leg swelling from leakage of fluid. It also has constrictive effects on the vessels.

Elevation of legs and horse chestnut use are just a few of the ways to support leg varicosities. Since there are other steps to take, possibilities of slowing the process if action is take early, and dangerous consequences if clots form in
these vessels, it is important to get evaluated by your physician when leg vein problems begin.

To your health,

-Dr. Alan M Dattner, MD

Holistic Dermatology & Integrative Medicine

As always, the content of this blog is for information and education purposes only, and should not be used to prevent, diagnose or treat illness; please see your physician for care.

Want to avoid a stroke? Avoid these two foods.

Posted on October 28, 2013 at 9:36 am.

Written by Dr. Alan M Dattner, MD

A number of recent reports show a dramatic rise in strokes in young and middle aged Americans. That included one report of a 51% rise in strokes in males 14- 34 years old (K Doheney Health Day). Causes were not found in the study, but explanations offered included increased obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, salt consumption, and recreational drug use.

I suggest that anything that increases fibrin formation and clotting within the blood vessels, is a possible culprit. Increased high temperature cooked foods, sugar, and other substances which lead to the process known as “glycation” may be factors in this change.

If you want to lower your risk for having a stroke, avoid eating sugary and fried foods. (Oh, and this may help clear acne naturally, too.)

To your health,

-Dr. Dattner

Holistic Dermatology & Integrative Medicine

Want to avoid a stroke? Don’t eat these two foods.

Posted on October 25, 2013 at 9:21 am.

Written by Dr. Alan M Dattner, MD

I suggest that anything that increases fibrin formation and clotting within the blood vessels, is a possible culprit. Increased high temperature cooked foods (fried foods), sugar, and other substances which lead to the process known as “glycation” may be factors in this change.

If you want to avoid an increased risk of having a stroke, avoid or eliminate sugary and fried foods from your diet. (Oh, and doing this can also help treat acne.)

To your health,

-Dr. Dattner

Holistic Dermatology & Integrative Medicine

What Food You Might Eat to Prevent Alzheimer’s?

Posted on October 21, 2013 at 9:00 am.

Written by Dr. Alan M Dattner, MD

Well, not exactly curry…

Some of the best features of natural, unprocessed remedies made from plants is that they are often less toxic and less expensive than pharmaceuticals. However, as an integrative physician and holistic dermatologist, I believe in using the medicine that is best for each individual patient at each individual time.

Some of the best medicines that exist and are being developed are naturally occurring remedies which are strengthened through pharmaceutical concentration. For example, a friend of mine developed a highly concentrated form of blue-green algae in the form of a pill which may be beneficial for fighting virile strains of the flu.

An exciting development from researchers at New Delhi Jamia Hamdard University in India: they have successfully used cucurmin–extracted from turmeric and turned into nano form–to control and cure cirrhosis of liver in animal model experiment. The experiment has been shown to reverse severe damage to the liver. Human trials are starting and researchers hope for major breakthroughs.

The university studies and develops traditional methods of treatment and medicines, “We have all come across references to turmeric’s healing powers in history and mythology. So, we decided to check its efficacy. It was found that when used in large doses, turmeric wasn’t particularly useful. But broken into nano particles, it worked wonders. It even reversed cirrhosis which is incurable,” said S. Ahmad, vice-chancellor of Jamia Hamdard.

Curcumin extract is an antioxidant that helps revive dying cells. As a repairing agent, it can regenerate cells that have begun to break. The experiments on animals have proved that it has no toxic effect. “The trouble with traditional medicines is that not enough studies have been done to prove their efficacy. Neither do we know how their utility could be enhanced. We are trying to fill in the blanks. In this case, the result has been fascinating and we are confident that the human trials will be successful as well,” added Ahmad.

I am excited that this and other experiments like it could pave the way for treating diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s!

To your health,

Dr. Alan M. Dattner, MD

Holistic Dermatology
New York, New York

As always, the content of this blog is for information and education purposes only, and should not be used to prevent, diagnose or treat illness; please see your physician for care.

Board Certified Dermatologist

Holistic Dermatology & Integrative Medicine