What is Medical Dermatology?

Dermatology is a branch of medicine that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of skin, hair, and nail conditions. Common conditions treated by dermatologists include acne, rosacea, eczema, hair loss or alopecia, rashes, and nail fungus.

In Tennessee, dermatologists are available in cities such as Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Murfreesboro, Clarksville, Lebanon, and Chattanooga to provide diagnosis and treatment for these conditions.

Telehealth services have also become increasingly popular for those who need access to a dermatologist but cannot make it in to an office visit. With telehealth services, people living anywhere in Tennessee can connect with a dermatologist from the comfort of their own home or office.

Tennessee TeleDerm is a dermatology practice that provides treatment for its patients in Nashville and across the state of Tennessee. Led by Nurse Practitioner Kristen Stirling, the practice focuses on providing quality care and convenience to its patients. Tennessee TeleDerm offers dermatological services such as skin exams, skin cancer screenings, and treatments for various skin conditions.

By using telemedicine technology, Tennessee TeleDerm is able to offer a more convenient experience to its patients while still ensuring they receive the same quality of care they would receive in an in-person visit. With telemedicine, Tennessee TeleDerm can reduce long wait times and provide faster access to care for their patients.

Whether you are seen in office or by telemedicine, you can trust that you will receive excellent dermatology care.

The Top 10 Skin Conditions Treated with Telemedicine

Save time and enjoy the convenience of dermatology from your home, office, or out of town.

Many common skin conditions can be diagnosed by sight. This makes telemedicine a valuable tool both for patients and the dermatologists who treat them.

A virtual visit is safe and convenient, using modern technology you probably already own – like a smart phone, tablet or a laptop with a web camera. All you need is an Internet connection, which you also already have if you’re reading this. With teledermatology, you speak directly to a dermatologist without the inconvenience of travelling to a medical office. This saves time, too.

A dermatologist can diagnose and recommend a course of treatment for many common skin conditions just by examining the affected area. There’s no need to pull, poke or even touch the skin. A visual inspection is often enough to diagnose common ailments.

Virtual visits to the dermatologist became popular during the pandemic, mainly for safety reasons. But soon patients discovered how convenient telehealth can be. If necessary, your dermatologist may recommend an in-person visit based on any evidence of more serious conditions, but many skin problems are well-suited to treatment via virtual visits.

Here are 10 of the most common skin conditions that can be diagnosed through telemedicine and virtual care:

Physical acne scars are caused by collagen buildup

 

Acne

Pimples and blackheads are obvious even to the untrained eye. Your dermatologist can evaluate the severity in a virtual visit and recommend a treatment plan. This can range from changes in your skin care routine to diet and prescriptions for medications. Your dermatologist will contact the pharmacy you choose for preparation of your acne medicines. You receive acne care from the comfort of your own home.

Applying cold cream to eczema can reduce swelling and itchiness. Call Tennessee Telederm for more help dealing with eczema this winter.

 

Eczema

An itchy rash on the arms and the back of the knees may be eczema, although the rash can appear anywhere. About 10% of the US adult population will develop eczema at some point, reports the American Academy of Dermatology. Your dermatologist can identify eczema through a video visit or from photographs that you take of the affected area and upload to the dermatologist’s website for evaluation. It’s a simple process. After a diagnosis, your dermatologist can prescribe medicated creams to relieve the itching and discuss basic changes to your hygiene routine, including switching to another brand of soap, for example, and avoiding skin contact with detergents and household cleaning products.

 

Hives and Rashes

Hives and Other Rashes
Red welts (hives) and skin rashes are the body’s response to an allergic reaction, typically from food, medication or an irritant in the environment. Your dermatologist during a telemedicine visit can identify hives and rashes from a visual inspection via photographs or video. You’ll often be asked to answer a series of questions about recent contact with any plants, or changes in diet, habits and living conditions. This is designed to pinpoint the cause of the hives or rash. Because hives and skin rashes are notoriously itchy, a telemedicine visit from the comfort of your own home may be ideal for children suffering from these conditions.

 

Shingles

These painful blisters are caused by reactivated chickenpox virus. If you had chickenpox as a child, the residual virus can trigger a shingles outbreak years or even decades later in life. Vaccines against chickenpox can reduce – but not completely eliminate – the risk of developing shingles. The virus causes the skin to blister in long strips, often around the torso.

In the blister stage shingles are extremely contagious, so a telemedicine consultation with your dermatologist is the best plan of action. A visual inspection of the affected area is usually sufficient to identify shingles. Treatment involves antiviral and pain medications.

An outbreak of shingles is a serious skin condition that can be dangerous if it spreads to the face, especially near or around the eyes. Talk to your dermatologist right away if you experience symptoms of shingles.

 

Impetigo

This highly contagious bacterial skin infection mainly affects young children. Either Staphylococcus (staph) or Streptococcus (strep) bacteria is the cause. Impetigo can often be diagnosed and treated with a telemedicine visit from home, which is a great advantage in preventing the spread of the infection to other children. Prescription antibiotics are the common treatment for Impetigo.

Stop hair loss and regrow your hair by seeing a dermatologist in Tennessee.

 

Hair loss

Women and men can be affected by hair loss, for a variety of reasons. Diagnosis can begin with a teledermatology visit. An in-office follow up may be necessary to run a blood test that can rule out a hormonal imbalance as the reason for hair loss. Your dermatologist can use telemedicine to identify more common causes of hair loss, including male pattern baldness and scalp ringworm, which is not a worm at all but a fungal infection that can cause itching and spotty hair loss.

Scalp ringworm is highly contagious, which makes a telemedicine visit even more useful. Treatment involves oral medicines and medicated shampoo to eliminate the fungus. Your dermatologist can issue these prescriptions directly to the pharmacy of your choice, so there’s no need for an office visit.

Psoriasis flare up - itchy skin condition

Psoriasis

This skin disease causes red, itchy scaly patches, most commonly on the knees, elbows, trunk and scalp. Psoriasis is a common, long-term (chronic) disease with no cure. It tends to go through cycles, flaring for a few weeks or months, then subsiding for a while or going into remission, according to The Mayo Clinic. Roughly 7 million U.S. adults live with psoriasis. The condition can be readily managed through telemedicine visits, from the initial diagnosis to follow-up care. Photos or video are often enough to diagnose psoriasis, though in some cases you may need to make an office visit to your dermatologist. Once a treatment plan is in place, including any medications, going forward your condition can be monitored with virtual visits.

 

Rosacea

This skin condition presents as a reddening of the face, sometimes causing the formation of pimples. A video visit with your dermatologist is usually all that’s necessary to make a diagnosis. Symptoms are typically treated with prescription medications, which can be ordered for you. The dermatologist may also send information over the Internet about managing your rosacea

 

Cold Sores

Cold sores, also known as fever blisters, are a common viral infection. These fluid-filled blisters may be painful to the touch and leave a crusty scab after bursting. Cold sores usually go away after a week or two without leaving a scar. Meanwhile, they are unsightly and uncomfortable. A virtual visit is often enough for your dermatologist to identify cold sores. Treatment involves prescription medications and avoiding close contact with other people, as the viral infection is highly contagious (another good reason for telemedicine – keeping people safe).

The convenience and safety of teledermatology make it an attractive option for diagnosing many common skin conditions. Just as you would during an in-person visit, it’s important to provide complete information and share with your dermatologist any other health conditions you may have, even if they are unrelated to a skin problem.

A mans back with moles to represent getting a skin cancer screening

 

Skin Cancer

Teledermatology was originally conceived as a way to diagnose melanoma among people in rural communities and isolated areas that lack access to a dermatologist. Once people discovered the convenience of telemedicine, especially during a public health crisis, virtual visits for skin care really began to take off. Skin cancer is the most common melanoma in the United States, the CDC reports. Effective treatment begins with early detection.

Your dermatologist can identify suspicious skin lesions during a virtual visit via video or from photos you upload to a secure website. If the condition appears cancerous, a follow-up visit in person will be necessary. Depending on the severity, your dermatologist may remove the lesion with same-day outpatient surgery or perform a biopsy to examine the tissue sample under a microscope for more extensive evaluation. Either way, the process can begin with the ease of a virtual visit.


Choose Tennessee Telederm

Local and expert care, available in the palm of your hand! Tennessee Telederm offers teledermatology visits Monday-Friday to anyone living in Tennessee, from Jackson to Kingsport. You no longer have to call and wait weeks or months for an appointment. We can treat you over telehealth, and if needed, refer you to an in- office provider for further testing. Schedule on our website at tntelederm.com

Summer and Phytophotodermatitis

Phyto-photo what?  Yes, it is a mouthful!  Though this skin condition is not serious, it can put a damper on your summer plans.

Here’s a breakdown:

  • Phyto means plant 
  • Photo means light or sun
  • Dermatitis means skin irritation

Why it happens

Certain plants and fruits — especially citrus fruits like limes — contain psoralen, a substance that can make skin more sensitive to the sun. When psoralen on the skin and UV rays combine, a reaction occurs. This reaction leads to a rash.

Foods and plants that can cause a phytophotodermatitis rash include:

  • Citrus fruits, particularly limes and bergamot oranges
  • Celery
  • Fennel
  • Figs
  • Saint John’s Wort
  • Wild dill
  • Wild parsley
  • Wild parsnips

Lime juice is most frequently the trigger for phytophotodermatitis.  From summer drinks to latin food and marinades, lime juice is a summer staple!  

In Tennessee, phytophotodermatitis is seen in June, July, and August when UV rays are strongest. Summer is also travel season, when people head to tropical locations, which have stronger UV rays.

Who is most affected?

Lighter skin folks are more at risk for phytophotodermatitis, just as they are at higher risk for sunburn.  Prolonged sun exposure and contact with foods containing psoralen, increase the likelihood and severity of a phytophotodermatitis reaction.

What do we most often see in patients?

Patients who spend lots of time outdoors at the beach, lake, or by the barbecue and who enjoyed food and beverages with lime juice.  Chefs, bartenders, and others who work with food have an increased risk of this rash, especially when serving on patios, working at pool bars, etc.

 

Adults can get allergic rashes. Get treatment from the best dermatologist in TN

How to identify it

Phytophotodermatitis presents in a bizarre pattern on the skin.  It may look like smear marks, or a drip pattern down the hand or leg, or some other geometric shape. No two rash patches look the same.

Rash is most common on the hands, wrists, legs, and face. Often the rash is pink in the beginning, like a sunburn, and develops into a brick red color over a few days. Sometimes the rash contains blisters.  

What to do about it

A mild case of phytophotodermatitis may go unnoticed, while other reactions are severe enough that you seek help from a dermatologist. At Tennessee TeleDerm, we treat patients with phytophotodermatitis every summer.  

Here’s what to do if you suspect you have phytophotodermatitis:

  • Use cold, wet compresses when symptoms appear.
  • Keep affected skin out of the sun.
  • Don’t pop any blisters.
  • Keep the skin clean with daily bathing as normal.

Once blisters drain, the affected skin should be gently cleaned and covered with Vaseline and a bandage to prevent bacterial infections. Change dressing daily. Using antibiotic ointment where no infection exists, can delay healing.  

How to prevent it

Preventing phytophotodermatitis is fairly easy.  Washing skin (after cutting limes for example) to remove psoralen containing compounds, is most effective.  When by the pool or at the beach, rinse skin off regularly.  Wipe skin with a wet cloth if cooking or serving outdoors.  

About Tennessee Telederm
If you have a rash and suspect it could be phytophotodermatitis, book an appointment with Tennessee Telederm.  We treat most dermatology conditions including acne, eczema, rosacea, warts, hair loss, and rashes. Whether you live in Nashville, Murfreesboro, Jackson, Clarksville, or Knoxville, we can see you! Save time and gas with a convenient telehealth appointment and get the treatment you need to feel better!