Dr. Alexandra Zeitany

It may sound obvious to some, but as a dermatologist one of the main things I treat is skin cancer.

Social media often highlights the “glamorous” parts of dermatology, Botox, filler, chemical peels, laser.

Don’t get me wrong, I love cosmetics. BUT the bread and butter of my practice is diagnosing and treating skin cancers. These range from non-life threatening basal and squamous cells to fatal melanoma and Merkel cell carcinomas.

I do it all. Identify the lesion clinically, perform the biopsy, and then do the surgery to treat it. We even have training on how to identify these tumors under the microscope.

Do you know everything your can diagnose and treat? It’s so much more than skin deep!

I have always loved to learn, and working in medicine that passion has served me well! Last Thursday, I worked with to perfect my tear trough filler technique using their newly FDA approved product, Vobella. Over the weekend, I attended the Southeastern Consortium of Dermatology’s annual meeting at my old stomping grounds at UNC Chapel Hill. And tonight, I spent the evening catching up on some of our latest journals.

Medicine is such a rapidly changing field! Make sure you find a provider who is keeping up with those changes so they can give you the most up to date, relevant care!

The number one request for content I’ve gotten since announcing my pregnancy is details on my skincare routine. Ask and you shall receive!

I’m starting things off with my nighttime routine and more details about all of these products will be in my story later today!

- Papaya Enzyme, papaya enzyme and a low percentage of salicylic acid help with acne and oil control while providing chemical exfoliation. But it’s gentle enough you can use daily!
- Revox Line Relaxer, this serum is packed with peptides to help soften expression lines. I apply this to my 11 lines, forehead, and crow’s feet. It’s my Botox substitute during pregnancy.
- Bakuchiol, a pregnancy safe retinol alternative to help increase skin turnover and help with fine lines and pigmentation.
- HA intensifier, this serum contains hyaluronic acid which helps your skin retain moisture.
- Elastiderm Eye Cream, my favorite eye cream of all time. It’s light weight and has mandelic acid to help smooth crow’s feet and extend the life of your Botox.
- Nectifirm Advanced, Revision knows its peptides and this is the best neck cream on the market!

Christmas is upon us🎅
Make sure you ask Santa for glowing Skin this Christmas✨

Dr. Alexandra Zeitany updated their website address.

Back in May, which is skin cancer awareness month, I sat down with Cabana Life to discuss all things sunscreen on their blog.

Go check it out: https://www.cabanalife.com/blogs/news/all-things-sunscreen-with-dr-alexandra-zeitany

Our bodies go through so many changes during pregnancy and the postpartum period. But one change I wasn’t expecting, hair loss! It’s estimated that 40-50% of women experience a specific type of hair loss, called telogen effluvium (TE), after pregnancy.

It is normal to lose 50-100 hairs a day but in TE, women experience increased hair shedding resulting in hair thinning. This typically occurs 3 months after delivery. The good news? It is a self limited process and typically resolves in 3-6 months. But there are some steps you should take if you experience postpartum TE:

1. Confirm the diagnosis. There are many causes of hair loss, some are progressive and irreversible. So make sure you really are experiencing TE by seeing your board certified dermatologist.

2. Skip biotin. This vitamin is known for its benefits to the hair and nails, but the data doesn’t support that it makes a significant difference in hair growth. AND it changes the lab values we use to measure if someone is having a heart attack so the harm outweighs the benefits.

3. Get labs drawn. Make sure your Vitamin D and iron stores are high enough to support hair growth.

4. Start topical minoxidil (Rogaine). Apply the Men’s Extra Strength nightly to promote hair regrowth.

Ni**le irritation is a common complaint in nursing moms. But the cause of this is not always straightforward. If you experience any niple changes, you should always seek the expertise of a board certified dermatologist. Here are some of the most common causes of ni**le changes while breastfeeding:

- Trauma. Breastfeeding is traumatic! Especially before your ni**les develop small calluses that help protect them from the trauma. Use an emollient (like Mama Earth Ni**le Butter) or if you’re prone to eczema something fragrance free (like Vaseline) even with pumping to help lubricate the tissue and minimize injury.

- Allergic contact dermatitis: Just like other areas of your skin, fragrances in your personal care products can lead to skin allergies and rashes. Always use fragrance free products on your ni**les. Avoid bees wax and lanolin as these are common sources of contact dermatitis.

- Eczema: Eczema can occur on your ni**les just like other places on your body, this is especially true if you have a history of eczema or atopic dermatitis. Your dermatologist may prescribe a topical steroid to help reduce the inflammation in your skin.

- Infection: The small microtears from breastfeeding compromises your skin barrier and increases your risk of infection, especially with yeast and staph. Topical antifungals or antibacterials can quickly resolve this, but they require a prescription.

- Vasospasm: Some nursing mothers experience intense pain with breastfeeding, but the overlying skin appears normal. This may be due to vasospasm of the ni**le. The blood vessels constrict and the ni**le becomes white, resulting in pain. This often requires prescription oral medication to control.

- Paget's disease: Very rarely, scaling and redness of the ni**le can be a sign of breast cancer. If you have a rash on your ni**le that lasts more than one month, always make sure to see your dermatologist to have this evaluated.

This is a "no filter" selfie straight out of the shower. Nine months of no injectables (meaning no botox or filler), no lasers, no medical grade chemical peels.

I despise the celebrity movement where stars credit their reverse aging to skincare and lifestyle only. Because let’s be honest, you know they have a great board certified dermatogist or plastic surgeon in their lives. BUT medical grade skincare really does make a difference! And this selfie is proof of that! Don’t get me wrong, I’m super excited for my Botox, but I won’t ever skimp on my skincare!

Hey! I’m a board-certified dermatologist practicing just outside of Winston-Salem, NC. I see patients ages 0-100 and practice medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology.

Finding trustworthy information about hair, skin and nails is really difficult! That’s why I created this account, to provide a reliable resource for all things related to skin science.

I’m also a boy mom and when my life isn’t revolving around dirt and cars, I love traveling (pre-pandemic), reading books, and working out.

I’d love to hear why you started following this account and any questions you want answered in the comments below! 👇🏻👇🏽👇🏿