Katrina Bassett, MD

Total body photography (TBP), done by photographers who specialize in mole mapping, is a technique that I use to follow patients with DNS. I refer my patients for special photography at the University of Washington, then have them bring their photos with each follow-up and I compare the photos to the patient's skin for new moles. TBP has been shown to detect changes in the shape and size of moles. I have found TBP in conjunction with dermoscopy (using a hand held tool that helps one look up close at moles) helpful in monitoring my patients with DNS. You could ask your dermatologist if total body photography is an option for you. Unfortunately, is rarely covered by insurance.

Some specialty pigmented lesion clinics, usually in the university setting, combine total body photography with digital dermoscopy. Doctors have the ability to take photographs of the dermatoscopic image and follow it over time.   You could also see if there is a clinic at the university in your area that specializes in pigmented lesions and/or uses these techniques.

This is a really interesting question that I hadn't heard before. I'm not a collagen synthesis expert, but did a little research to try to answer your question. A Pubmed search shows that in in vitro and animal studies, topical minoxidil (the active ingredient in Rogaine) does inhibit collagen synthesis, but the mechanisms behind why this happens or how this collagen inhibition affects hair growth are unclear. However, I was unable to find any reports in the literature of minoxidil causing actual clinical wrinkling of the skin in humans. I have never see wrinkling caused by Rogaine in my clinical practice.  Hope this helps.

An easy way to use less product and prevent dripping under the eye is to put one drop in the cap and dip the applicator in. Often, one drop is plenty for both upper lash lines.

In my experience, pain after shingles, or post-herpetic neuralgia, is very tough to treat. While Botox doesn't help, there are other treatments such as gabapentin or Lyrica which are sometimes effective. These treatments can be discussed with a board-certified dermatologist or even your primary doctor.