Wilmington Doctors

Is Any Damage Done to the Skin During the Fat Freezing Process?

With the freezing technique, if the fat is frozen, what's happening to the skin? Isn't the skin frozen? Damaged? Why doesn't the skin die?

Coolsculpting does not damage the skin during treatment. Fat cells are more susceptible to cold and are destroyed at higher temperatures that skin cells are. This difference in freezing temperatures allows the fat cells to be destroyed without damaging the overlying skin.  The skin is also protected by a gel pad during the treatment. 

Rosalyn George, MD

Wilmington Dermatologic Surgeon

Will the Bump from the Injectable Filler I Had Done Yesterday in my Forehead Reduce?

I had a filler injected into a deep crease in the centre of my forehead yesterday. I now have a rather worrying bump there instead. Will this bump reduce as time passes? If so how long should this take. The plastic surgeon used a filler that should be "topped up" annually.

Many patients will feel lumpiness after injection of dermal fillers due to swelling and sometimes  small hematomas under the skin. In a vast majority of cases this will resolve in 1-2 weeks. If there a visible lump, redness, or pain I would recommend contacting the doctor that did the procedure so it can be evaluated. If they used a hyaluronic acid filler like Juvederm or Restylane they can use Hyaluronidase to dissolve the lump.

Rosalyn George, MD

Wilmington Dermatologic Surgeon

Nail Fungus or Melanoma, How Can You Tell the Difference?

I saw my big toe nail today during a pedicure and noticed that part of it is blackish greenish in color. I have a history of melanoma insitu and wonder if I am over reacting to simple nail fungus or could this be Acral lentiginous melanoma?

With your history of melanoma in situ I would recommend you see a dermatologist to ensure that this is not a melanoma, however there are some clinical cues that may be helpful. Typically melanomas will show pigment not only within the nail, but also around the nail bed. This is called Hutchinson's sign. The greenish color you describe sounds like it could be a bacterial infection caused by Pseduomonas, but since melanoma doesn't always follow the textbooks it is still a good idea to have it checked.

Rosalyn George, MD

Wilmington Dermatologic Surgeon