Dr. De Wet is a top Dermatologist in Stellenbosch who specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of all skin, hair and nail disease.
Common skin conditions include but are not limited to:
What is eczema?
Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition that causes itchy, dry and flaky skin. Another term for eczema is “atopic dermatitis.”
What are the symptoms of eczema?
Eczema can look different in people of different ages and different skin types:
How can I treat my symptoms at home?
Use unscented thick moisturising creams and ointments for dry skin.
Avoid triggers that can exacerbate eczema, such as:
What is the medical treatment for eczema?
Using regular moisturisers and avoiding triggers may not be enough to control your eczema.
The medical treatments for eczema include:
About half of children with eczema grow out of it by the time they become adults.
Can eczema be prevented?
Babies who have a parent, brother or sister with eczema have a higher risk of getting it, too.
In these babies, using moisturizing creams or ointments (starting right after birth) might help prevent eczema during the first year.
Contact dermatitis is a rash caused by your skin reacting to a substance it has come into contact with. You may need patch testing to identify the causative substance. A steroid cream or ointment will usually clear the rash. However, the long-term treatment is to avoid contact with the agent that’s causing it.
There are two types of contact dermatitis – irritant and allergic.
Irritant contact dermatitis
This is caused by direct contact with a substance which irritates the skin. It most commonly affects the hands.
Irritant substances:
Allergic contact dermatitis
This occurs when your immune system reacts against a specific substance (allergic skin reaction).
Many substances can cause an allergic contact dermatitis. Common ones include:
Read more about plants causing skin reactions. Seasonality also has effects on skin sensitivities, so celebrate Spring with these tips!
What is acne?
Acne / pimples develop when pores get clogged with dead skin and oil, and bacteria build up.
Skin then gets inflamed and can turn red and swollen.
How is acne treated?
Doctors can treat acne using different types of medicines.
Most acne medicines require a prescription.
Your doctor might suggest:
Medicines you put directly on your skin – these can be gels, creams, or lotions.
Medicines you take as a pill – these include:
Will my diet affect my acne?
Some studies have found that acne seems to be more common in people who drink a lot of milk. But more research is needed to understand the link between the types of foods people eat and acne. Read more on adult female acne.
What is psoriasis?
Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin condition that causes parts or all of your skin to become red, thick, and flaky.
The flakes on top of psoriasis are usually silver or white and thick.
What are the symptoms of psoriasis?
Is there a test for psoriasis?
Your doctor or nurse should be able to tell if you have psoriasis by looking at your skin and by asking you questions. In rare cases, doctors take a small sample of skin to check if psoriasis is the problem.
How is psoriasis treated?
Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) means that you sweat much more than normal. Excessive sweating occurs even when you are not hot, anxious, or exercising.
Why do I sweat so much?
Excessive sweating in the armpits, hands, feet and creases is treatable and is not necessarily associated with underlying disease.
Other causes include spinal disease, anxiety, heart problems and some cancers. It is worth discussing concerns with your doctor.
What can you do to help reduce excessive sweating?
Treatment options include
Contact us today about how we can assist you with Hyperhidrosis treatment in Stellenbosch.
What is vitiligo?
Vitiligo is a condition that causes patches of skin (and sometimes hair) to turn white or lose its colour.
What are the symptoms of vitiligo?
The main symptom is skin that turns white or loses its colour.
Will I need tests?
Possibly. Vitiligo often happens along with other autoimmune problems, so your doctor might order blood tests to check for those other problems.
How is vitiligo treated?
Treatments help return normal colour to the skin. The options include:
Do your best to avoid getting a sunburn or suntan.
If you are bothered by the way your skin looks, you can use special cosmetic products to make the skin changes less obvious.
In 10 to 20 percent of people, vitiligo goes away on its own. But in most people, the condition gets slowly worse, affecting more and more skin.
Read more on whether indoor tanning is healthy for my skin?
What is rosacea?
Rosacea is a skin condition that causes redness and pimples on the cheeks, nose, chin, forehead, or eyelids.
Most common in adults ages 30 to 60.
What are the symptoms of rosacea?
Rosacea affects the cheeks, nose, chin, forehead, or eyelids. Symptoms include:
There are some things that might make redness on the face worse. Examples include:
How is rosacea treated?
Treatment for rosacea has 2 parts – to control symptoms and to prevent flare-ups.
Treatment involves both:
The skin can be infected with bacteria, viruses, mycobacteria and fungi.
Skin can also be infested by parasites such as scabies, lice and other organisms.
Your dermatologist will be able to distinguish between these different infections by performing a skin scraping to evaluate under the microscope or by sending a sample for a culture.
The treatment of these infections will be dictated by die identified organism and by medication susceptibility studies.
What’s hyperpigmentation?
A term that describes skin that appears darker. It can:
While increased pigmentation usually isn’t harmful, it can be a symptom of another medical condition.
Types of hyperpigmentation
There are several types of hyperpigmentation, the common ones being melasma, sunspots, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
What causes hyperpigmentation?
A common cause of hyperpigmentation is an excess production of melanin. Melanin is a pigment that gives skin its colour. Several different conditions or factors can alter the production of melanin in your body.
Certain medications can cause hyperpigmentation. Also, some chemotherapy drugs can cause hyperpigmentation as a side effect.
Pregnancy changes hormone levels and can affect melanin production in some women.
Excessive sun exposure can also cause an increase in melanin.
There are many other causes for darkening of the skin. It is best to consult you dermatologist for a clear diagnosis.
How is hyperpigmentation diagnosed and treated?
A dermatologist can diagnose the cause of your hyperpigmentation. They will request your medical history and give you a physical examination to determine the cause. In some cases, a skin biopsy can narrow down the cause.
Treatment should be discussed with your dermatologist.
How is hyperpigmentation prevented?
It’s not always possible to prevent hyperpigmentation. However, you can protect yourself by:
Avoid using over the counter products to lighten the skin without consulting your dermatologist as some of these medications may cause irreversible pigmentation on your skin.
Dr. Johann de Wet is a top dermatologist and skin specialist in Stellenbosch who also specializes in the treatment of adult female acne. His dermatology services and skin cancer treatment in the Cape Winelands extends from Stellenbosch to Somerset West and Cape Town.
Conditions such as Hyperpigmentation, Eczema, Contact Dermatitis, Acne, Psoriasis, Hyperhidrosis, Vitiligo, Rosacea and Skin infections are all treated in our Stellenbosch Dermatology practice.