The doctors at ZENA Medical specialize in skin cancer screenings. We provide the most comprehensive full body skin checks. We check your mouth, ears, scalp, between your toes and every inch of your body. Our skin cancer and melanoma screening protocols are based on the USC Comprehensive Cancer Center which is a leading melanoma research institute.

By having a head-to-toe skin exam we can find pre-cancerous lesions, melanomas and other skin cancers before they have a chance to grow into a bigger problem.

Our office is unique. When a patient schedules a "Full Body Skin Exam," a minimum of 30 minutes is allotted in order for your doctor to perform a thorough, detailed exam, instead of just a quick glance-over. Patients don a gown so that we can examine all areas of the body.

If any suspicious lesions are identified, skin biopsies can be performed during the same visit. Other issues can usually be addressed during the same visit, such as rashes identified during the exam, acne and rosacea, dry skin, and skin aging issues because we know your time is precious and valuable.

Acne is a disease of the oil (sebaceous) gland and the cause of acne is multi-factorial. It is not simply that your face is dirty or that you eat chocolate. It is environmental and genetic.

Our philosophy has found that acne is a curable problem if tackled early and aggressively. Curing acne is not just applying the right creams. Addressing acne with a multi-pronged approach has proven to be the most effective way to cure this frustrating and complicated problem.

The doctors at ZENA Medical have created a proven method to cure acne with a four-pronged approach. It requires:

1) a customized topical regimen
2) surgical extractions
3) lasers
4) oral medication (because acne is an internal disease as much as an external disease).

Depending on the severity of your acne, isotretinoin (Accutane®) may also be used. Each acne patient is unique and provides a different set of problems that require attention. We specialize in identifying what each patient needs and develop a customized treatment plan to address the problem thoroughly, thus achieving an acne free face. We believe that a few pimples are not acceptable – we want our patients to be totally acne free. With our combo therapy and very hands-on (literally) approach we can eradicate this disease and help you feel confident.

Accutane

Depending on the severity of your acne, isotretinoin (Accutane®) may also be used. Isotretinoin is an oral retinoic acid that is the most potent and effective medication for the treatment of acne. It acts on the follicles to prevent plugging and shrinks the sebaceous glands to decrease oil production. This medication requires routine blood work and pregnancy tests as it can cause birth defects. Please refer to the Isotretinoin handout for further details.

Accutane is an extremely effective medicine utilized to cure acne. Most offices prescribe Accutane daily for 6 months and then treatment is terminated. However, Dr. Zena customizes each client's dose to limit the side effects while still achieving optimum results. In fact, some patients may require a very low-dose of Accutane to cure their acne.

Accutane is considered the "big-guns" of acne treatment, mainly because the drug is regulated by the FDA for pregnancy prevention. However, there are very few side effects of Accutane. The main side effect is dry, chapped lips. The other more severe side effects are all very rare and are typically dose-related. This means that the more Accutane a person takes, the higher the chance a side effect will occur. However, low-dose regimens are almost completely side-effect free and totally safe.

Physicians that prescribe Accutane to their patients are required by law to participate in the iPledge Program. The purpose of this program is to ensure patients taking Accutane are not pregnant. Accutane can cause birth abnormalities if taken during pregnancy. The ipledge program involves a set of steps that each patient, their doctor, and their pharmacist must follow for the patient to take Accutane. The best analogy is to think of the iPledge program like the DMV of Accutane. Dr. Zena makes this program easy and fool-proof.

Details regarding how Accutane is prescribed and the iPledge Program will be discussed during your visit.

There are several common “rashes” that we treat on a regular basis:

Psoriasis
Rosacea
Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis)
Seborrheic Dermatitis
Fungal Infections like Tinea Versicolor
Athlete’s foot

These common skin disorders can be annoying and also cause alarm if the right diagnosis and treatment is not rendered.

As board-certified dermatologists we take special interest in the cutaneous disorders and their pathophysiology. We understand the disease process and help educate our patients on the source of the condition and work to eradicate it.

We also know that some of these conditions are chronic in nature and come and go. We are dedicated to taking the time to teach our patients how to take care of their skin on a daily basis with preventative measures and help control the disease process.

We don’t simply prescribe a cream and leave it at that. We believe patient education empowers you to manage the condition and be in control of your body.

AUTO-IMMUNE DISORDERS

The skin is a highly immunogenic organ. Throughout our life we can develop auto-immune disorders in our tissues including the skin.

Some of these disorders are severe and can affect other organ systems while others are localized and mild.

As board-certified dermatologists we are trained to recognize these medical conditions and treat them with the latest evidence-based protocols.

Some of the skin disorders we treat are: Lupus, Mycosis Fungoides, Bullous Pemphigoid, Pemphigus Vulgaris and Scleroderma.

These disorders often require a multi-disciplinary team. We couple our efforts with various specialists like Pulmonologists, Rheumatologists, and Internists to fully treat our patients and make sure all the physicians are coordinated and their goals are aligned.

The most common skin conditions that children experience include eczema, molluscum, other infections and other rashes. Other less common skin conditions in children include chicken pox, ringworm, scabies, warts and hives.

Birthmarks are also a common reason for a dermatology consultation. Birthmarks can range from small areas that fade away on their own to large, disfiguring marks that require treatment or even surgery.

Adolescent dermatology includes one of the most common skin diseases: ACNE. Approximately, 90% of the individuals in the United States are affected by acne in their lifetime. Our dermatologists have many highly effective acne treatments. We have unique, fail-proof protocols to treat all types of acne. See the ACNE section on our website located in the Medical Dermatology section to learn our philosophy about this serious and very common disorder.

Our dermatologists are trained to evaluate pediatric skin disorders and treat them effectively while maintaining genuine compassion and patience with the children and their families.

Skin cancer can be a scary diagnosis depending on the type and location. However, skin cancer is curable if caught early.

Basal Cell Carcinoma Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer. BCCs are sometimes mistaken for a blemish or pimple that occasionally bleeds or just won't heal. BCCs are rarely fatal, but can become disfiguring if allowed to grow. Indoor tanners have a 69 percent increased risk of getting a BCC before age forty.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer. It is typically a scaly, pink bump or patch on sun-exposed skin, and it can grow slowly or very quickly. Most SCCs carry a 1-3% risk of metastasizing (spreading) in the body.

Melanoma Malignant Melanoma is the third most common form of skin cancer and is far more dangerous than BCC and SCC. It typically appears as a very dark, irregularly spot on the skin with fuzzy borders. Melanoma has a high risk of spreading in the body and can potentially have a high mortality rate if not caught and treated early.

Melanoma Facts: 1 in 36 men and 1 in 55 women will develop melanoma in their lifetime. Melanoma is the most common cancer in young people ages 25 to 29. Indoor tanners are 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors. The incidence of melanoma has increased eight-fold in women under age 40 and four-fold in men under age 40 in the last four decades.

Screening The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that everyone sees their physician every year for a professional skin exam. However, if you have a history of skin cancer, then screenings should be done every six months or sooner.

The doctors at ZENA Medical specialize in skin cancer screenings. By having a head-to-toe skin exam performed regularly, pre-cancerous lesions, melanoma, and other skin cancers can be found in time before they have a chance to grow into a bigger problem.

Skin Cancer Treatment Depending on the type of skin cancer diagnosed, most can be surgically excised with a wide local excision or with a special type of tissue-sparing surgery called Mohs Surgery. Other methods to treat skin cancer include: removing cancerous tissue with a procedure called ED&C (electrodessication and curettage) or radiation treatments to the skin. Only in advanced cases of skin cancer are chemotherapy and lymph node removal indicated.

HAIR and HAIR LOSS

One of the most common consultations we perform is the evaluation of hair loss.
Hair loss is a multi-factorial problem that needs a thorough medical examination, detailed patient history and possibly a scalp biopsy (if disease is evident).

Typically, after a complete evaluation we will analyze the reason you may be losing your hair and work to get to the root of the problem. The mechanism beneath your hair loss can be hormonal, genetic, due to salon procedures/styling and many other factors.

Androgenetic alopecia is the diagnosis that is most common form of hair loss in both men and woman. We are accustomed to seeing male-pattern baldness but female-pattern hair loss is just as common. In fact, hair loss in woman can be more debilitating and psychologically damaging because of the social importance we place a woman’s hair in our culture.

We have combed the world’s research and products to offer you the most effective therapies and products for hair loss. We customize each approach for your type of hair loss and your scalp skin.

Our protocol includes:

Direct stem cell nutrition
Prescription topical therapy
Research-proven oral supplements
Procedures to stimulate hair bulb activation

NAILS

Nail disorders are common and vary greatly from basic chipping nails to malignant melanoma of the nail bed. Nails are simply an extension of the skin and as such can present with a host of abnormalities and disorders. We perfom a thorough evaluation of your nail problem and at times a biopsy may be necessary.
There are several nail disorders that require surgical treatments such as tumor growths, chronic ingrown nails, and nail removal after trauma. As dermatologic surgeons and nail experts we can address the range of nail disorders and effectively treat our patients.