Skin-Diseases Books

I have battle acne since I was 13 now 26. I was expecting to know everything about acne and I was wrong! really great information especially for adult woman. I read this book in two days very easy reading and informative.

This book is very well-written and informative. I learned so much about acne and found a few things to try on myself. After multiple trips to beauticians and dermatologists, I found a regimen that had me looking much better in a couple of weeks! I'm impressed and have shared the book with my three sisters. I wish she would have covered the role of acne in pregnancy and nursing more thoroughly; that would have been an improvement. Also, it is a little outdated on the products available, but as soon as the book was printed it was outdated, so that didn't affect the review. I feel this book is well worth the price.

I LOVED this book. Lydia uses tons of references and provides the reader with varying opinions on acne. She readily admits that there isn't one universal cure for acne and her research is extensive. I recommend this book to all of my clients who suffer from acne. There is a comprehensive bibliography as well where you can find books with more in-depth information.

This book is a no-nonsense, common-sense approach to learning about which kind of acne you have, and then finding the most effective treatment options for YOU. The author wades through all the marketing hype and consults hundreds of doctors and dermatologists to give you accurate, unbiased information about a variety of OTC/prescription products and virtually all treatment options currently available. She describes the common level of effectiveness for each product and tells you how to use it correctly (you may be surprised!).

One of the best things about this book is that the author understands what you're going through: to get rid of her own adult acne, she went to several different dermatologists and ended up taking Accutane. She knows your frustration, embarrassment, and despair; her tone is one of empathy.

The information I learned from this book has made a huge difference in my complexion. After 12 years of moderate acne and having tried the gamut of OTC/prescription treatments to no avail, my skin has now been consistently clear for six months, ever since I started one of the treatment plans recommended in this book. Sometimes I can hardly believe it myself when I look in the mirror.

Before reading this book, I had never thought of using more than one product, and -- this is key -- using them in the right concentrations at different times of the day. If you're curious, I use Ecco Bella's Leave-on Invisible Exfoliant & Blemish Remedy (low-pH 2% salicylic acid) each morning, and Earth Therapeutics' Clari-T Acne Serum º5 (5% benzoyl peroxide) at night.

Good luck, Reader! Don't be embarrassed to check out this book from your local library (or buy it here on Amazon) -- your skin and your self-esteem are worth it.

** Update, Nov. 17, 2008: My skin has been clear for 10 months! I was in a LUSH store a few weeks ago, and the sales associate was telling me about one of their facial masks and said, "Oh, but this one's for people with acne, and you obviously have clear skin..." And I looked at her, shocked, and responded, "No, I really DO need that mask! I use zit medicine every day!" It just goes to show you that 1) the treatments in this book work, and 2) you are your own harshest critic.

After finding myself trying several OTC programs which didn't work, I stumbled across this book. I had no idea that I had been using BP all wrong! FYI, BP is not a spot treatment for pimples with white showing. I also had no idea that salicylic acid products had to be of a pH between 3 and 4 to be most effective. I wish the author would have tested more salicylic acid products for the appropriate pH. Only a couple of the ones she tested had the requisite pH. I would have much rather had a large list of products with the recommended pH than a large list of products without it. Also, I agree with a previous reviewer that pictures would be most helpful, especially in describing the formation of acne and what the different kinds of acne look like. Overall, I found that this book is a good introduction to the world of acne, but definitely not a place to stop learning.

This has been an excellent reference book for myself and my colleagues in a busy Derm practice.
There is no way to learn it all or see and this reference comes in very handy when you get a tough case.
It is a bit expensive but this seems to be the nature of anything that is sold to doctors.

This book is essential to my medical practice and it was great to get so fast and at a good price!

The text is a wonderful reference for pictures of covered conditions, the only side note being a lack of good coverage for ethnic skin (there is a another book covering just that) and the photographs are in most cases showing advanced or extreme examples. Overall, a great book to have on hand in primary care.

I have owned or used the various editions of Habif's Clinical Dermatology for over ten years in our general internal medicine practice and return to it again and again. I have also used a variety of other Dermatology books brought in by staff - typically the $60 - $80 range books. They are typically o.k. but nothing stands up to Habif and I recommending spending the extra $ for it (in the $125 range). The pictures are big, clear and of typical presentations, the layout logical, the review of basics up front helpful and thoughtfully presented. You will find that this is the one you reach for when you need help.

If you are a medical student doing a derm rotation or plan on entering a primary care residency, this book is THE book to own. I wouldn't have minded having the online edition, but with not knowing when the new edition would come out (and subsequently when the online subscription would run out), it didn't seem to be worth the money.

Everyone in America needs to read this book!! Anyone in America that has a liver problem, from Hepatitis C to liver cancer can get get better from taking this product. We have been to Dr. Berkson's office, and he is a marvelous Dr.!! You should have some kind of review to let people know about this book.

If you've heard of alpha-lipoic acid and its being extremely helpful in treating diabetes, liver illnesses, mercury intoxications, or as an anti-oxidant, you may want to know more about it before taking it. This book, by Burt Berkson (MD, PhD) is an excellent answer to your worries. Berkson describes how he got to be interested by alpha-lipoic acid, it's safety record ("FDA"-approved in Germany for 50 years), it's uses, and, perhaps most interesting, his views on medicine.

Not only does Dr. Berkson come across as a very competent and compassionate physician, especially in regards to lipoic acid, on which he is America's leading expert, he is also an outspoken critic of what he correctly sees as problems in modern American medicine. In the first chapter, he describes how he almost ended his career when he saved the life of a dying patient against the wishes of his boss, and how he would do it again. No insurance policy and few doctor's visits can provide the benefits of his invaluable candor, which serves to immunize his readers with a large and healthy level of cynicism about medicine as it is practiced in the United States today.

One thing that this book does not contain is advice on what dosage of lipoic acid to ingest. This may be a sign of great wisdom; in Germany, where Dr. Berkson worked at the Max Planck Institute, and where lipoic acid has been on the market for decades, neurologists who exclude a potential heavy metal poisoning in their patients are not regarded with the sort of wonderment that mermaids and unicorns otherwise garner. Those with a heavy metal problem can suffer some extremely unwelcome and perhaps permanent side-effects if they take the sort of dosages that others easily tolerate. By not giving any advice on this subject, Dr. Berkson certainly isn't giving any bad advice on this subject.

I heartily recommend this book.

Dr. Berkson has put his research and findings into terms that all can
understand. I had hepititis and recovered, but suffered from minor
liver malfunctions which triggered constipation and poor digestion of
fats. Merely the addition of Alpha Lipoic Acid has helped restore my
liver function and aleviated my problems. I've gained much usable
information from his book about preventing heart disease, a family
problem....I am thankful that I have finally found a supplement that
has helped me with those continuing liver related problems.

As a two time cancer survivor, I wish I had found this book 10 years ago and I might not have had to go through all I have. The author is a wonderful physician and writes in a manner that is clear and understandable. The material is so important for anyone to maintain a high antioxidant status for overall health. Thank you, Dr. Berkson.

If only the author had used twenty pages to say what he has said in whole, long, 155 page book. It is too laborious to get essential facts- like optimum dosage for example is nowhere to be found easily, if at all. He knows his stuff, but must it take so long and why no summary page? Also it is a one size fits all- how do people survive all the diseases he outlines without this potion?

This book provides extremely useful scientific based knowledge regarding general health and specifically skin health as it relates to nutrition. Many references are provided and no "too good to be true" gimmicks are thrown at you. Very refreshing in a time where many books are linked to a money grab of some sort, or false information. I am not completely done the book yet but have already gained much useful information.

From a woman who has had adult acne for over 30 years...bravo! This book contains the remedy...and it's in our hands as they go from our plates to our mouths!

I tried everything to cure this pesky ailment, except accutane. I had always noticed dietary influences, but everytime I tried to talk with a doctor about diet and nutrition they acted like I was insane. This book provides the real deal truth and science about all the influences that create this dibilitating condition.

Since applying the information in this book, my condition has been reduced by 95%...this is manageable! Many thanks to the authors!

I'm in my late 20s and have tried so many beauty products with no success. I always thought my acne was caused by stress but now I realize it was also my poor diet. I've been taking the vitamins and eating the foods recommended by the authors for a couple of weeks and I can definetely see the improvement in my skin.

Wow! This book throws a lot of data, facts, and clinical trials at you. Some may say it is disorganized. However the feeling I had coming out of reading the book was an unwavering faith in how diet is related to Acne that I previously only suspected. And with that - a new-found conversion, no-TOTAL COMMITMENT to change myself 180 degrees and to beat the pharma and cosmetic industry that feeds off this illness. A strong commitment needs a strong conversion as the seed and this book is the catalyst. Wish I found this sooner. 5 Stars and bravo!

I've never written a review, but I feel I must because this book was amazing! I'm a 29 yr old woman who's always had acne but it was getting worse, esp around that time of the month. I've tried every product and nothing worked except for birth control, so I knew it was hormonal. I decided to try natural holistic path. So I started accupuncture for hormones and bought this book. Coincidentally my accupuncturist gave me many of the same food recommendations in this book, cut sugar and dairy, limit carbs and red meat. Focus on fiber, whole grains, fish,healthy oils and lean meat. I always believed what you eat doesn't affect acne, but IT DOES! After 3 months I noticed a big improvement in my skin and I believe it was the acupuncture AND diet. Now 6mo. later I'm the clearest I've been in a long time. I've cut down on acupuncture and am hoping to wean off completely. I am sticking to the diet though because it works. It goes into depth on how everything you eat can affect your acne. And the information backed up by proven studies. It's gets scientific, but it's broken down so you can understand. It's honestly one of the most powerful books I've read.

His method really did work to clear up my acne but my skin was also very dry no matter how much moisturizer I used. I've had moderate acne for about 15yrs and have tried everything like most other people. Right now I'm using just a basic cleanser (Cetaphil) and pure grapeseed oil as a moisturizer and drying agent and it's working out okay. I read about in Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair by Falconi which I highly recommend for natural skin care ideas. (Also you can get most of the info on Kern's website.)

Everything in this book, which basically explains the "clear skin" regimen, is available on Dan Kern's website (acne.org) for FREE, making this book a pointless purchase in itself.

That said, I have had some results with the "clear skin" regimen explained in the book, just not as good as others. Some things I've noticed after using the regimen:

PROS:

1) If you have never used benzoyl peroxide (2.5%) before, you will most likely get good results overall. You might even end up with a clear face, back, wherever.

2) You will appreciate Kern's empathy to the cause of acne elimination. Acne is very much an emotionally painful affliction, and empathy (not belittling) is sometimes the most important thing an acne sufferer needs.

3) When you are ready to begin the regimen, you can opt to visit Kern's website, which offers the regimen products (2.5% benzoyl peroxide, cleanser, moisturizer) at reasonable prices.

CONS:

1) Contrary to Kern's opinion, I personally have experienced my acne grow resistant to benzoyl peroxide (both 2.5% and 5% variations - 10% is too harsh). In my experience, the effectiveness of benzoyl peroxide waned after a few months, no matter how much of it I used.

2) Your skin can get seriously dried out by daily benzoyl peroxide use even with the "mild" 2.5% variation, especially since Kern eventually wants you to use about an ounce of it on your face. I used adequate-moderately heavy amounts of moisturizer after the benzoyl peroxide application, but personally there was just no escaping the dryness and peeling despite me having oily skin. Using less of the 2.5% treatment didn't help either.

3) Lastly, your clothes will bleach through benzoyl peroxide use, period. It's nice to have less acne, but when you notice your favourite clothes getting discoloured (ruined) in the process, it's almost not worth it in the end. Also, wouldn't you want to have clearer skin while wearing your favourite clothes? Sure, you could wear something under your clothes, but I personally found this to be an extra discomfort on top of my dried out face.

---

Still, I urge those who haven't used 2.5% benzoyl peroxide to try out the "clear skin" regimen. But instead of buying this book, I think you're better off buying the regimen treatment products on Amazon, or on Kern's website.

I urge you though to have realistic expectations with the regimen, as it may work at first but disappoint you afterwards.

Dan's skin care regimen is the only thing that has worked for my acne - I tried everything from Proactiv to oral medications like Acutane. I've been caking on makeup for most of my life, since age 13, but now I finally can leave the house without it. Yes, I still break out a little before my monthly period, but otherwise, I'm all clear.
Dan Kern should win an award for his method, he is truly helping people, and not one of these Guthy Renker infomercial companies out for money. No celebrity endorsements needed; the clear skin regimen just works. I wish I had found it years ago.

Happily, Dan Kern is not a corporation looking for profit: he's just a guy who had bad skin and found a way to manage it. [...] I bought the book as a small thank you to Kern for being nice enough to provide the info for free. If you buy products thru his site, he gets a kick-back -- and if you don't, that's ok, too. For this reason, he deserves the support. Kind of like shareware for books. And his easy if not always fun regimen has been working so far, so kudos.

I didn't read the whole book. I just went to web site acne.org and followed the program. Acne is now gone. I suffered from Acne for over 20 years and tried many treatment programs from Accutane, Retin-A, Microdermabrasion and a few others. Dan Kern's treatment program was the first treatment program that actually work for me in the long run.

The cheapest and fastest way I know how to check out the program is to order 1 tube of the 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide (from Dan's Web Site) and try it for 1 week following Dan's instructions. Yes, if you goto the web site, Dan also wants you to get a Cleanser and a Moisturizer. All products are needed but I believe the key product is 2.5% benzoyl peroxide gel from his web site Acne.org.

I strongly believe if you have Ance, using the 2.5% benzoyl peroxide gel with Dan's instruction, you will have a 95% chance of seeing improvement in less than a week.

The phrase "Beauty is more than skin deep" takes a whole new meaning. Eva Ritvo, a South Beach psychiatrist and Debra Luftman, a Beverly Hills dermatologist write a new prescription to beauty in The Beauty Prescription.
Their holostic approach to a beautiful you through the Beauty-Brain loop will give women a novel avenue to discover the most beautiful "you" possible. Do not forget to bring your beauty buddies along for this adventure.

I have been buying this book for friends and sending a note suggesting that they read it with their young daughters. It's an energizing take on beauty's ability to radiate from the inside -- with a refreshingly honest allowance for the fact that girls and women want to look as good as the advertisements that surround them. Unlike the ads though, this book's formula for beauty is a true, realistic formula for success. The values these two doctors prescribe will enhance any girl's self-esteem and teach them how to develop their own, attainable definition of what it means to be beautiful.

I don't spend a lot of time on these issues, as I have my hands full managing kids, household, career, marriage - I purchased this book at the recommendation of a friend who had found it very valuable, and whose opinion I find trustworthy - I'm so pleased and grateful to have read it, which I did cover to cover - I found the authors engaging, candid, genuine, and their book informative, accessible and inspiring - most importantly, I found the book credible and feel the authors really know of what they speak - the book is informed by their life experiences as wives, mothers, physicians and friends and I found so many of their messages uplifting. A book I will be recommending and sharing with my community of friends. Job well done, and a great service to women everywhere, Debra and Eva!!!

When I first picked up the book I figured that I would thumb through it, read the sections that appealed to me, and forget the rest. I started at the beginning and read it all the way through. The stories were captivating and the ingredient information was especially helpful. The premise of the book is new and refreshing. This book made me feel more optimistic and motivated about myself and my direction in life. It is wonderful to acknowledge how we are all beautiful in our own way.

The Beauty Prescription is an extraordinary book! While it does a remarkable job explaining how to enhance your outer beauty, it is unique on its focus on cultivating the inner beauty waiting to be released in us all. Written by a renowned psychiatrist and a nationally recognized dermatologist, this book is a must read for those who want to maximize their beauty inside and out. I loved this book and enthusiastically recommend it to all of my friends.

Fantastic book, I absolutely love it. Lots of nice pictures,the book was much better than I had expected - a great buy!

The pictures were excellent, each disease also had a differential and there were small bonuses regarding pediatric patients. Book is well organized and easy to read. Perfect for a med student, and even for residents

This is possibly one of the best derm book for student/resident. It's clear, concise, & well organize. Enjoy this book much better than Fitzpatrick. I especially love the appendix that include differential diagnoses per body region.

Excellent book, good pictures. I like the grouping by body part and specific classifications of dermatologic disorders.

This is an excellent book! I'm using it in NP school. It provides a 1-2 page explanation of the skin disorder along with pictures.
thanks

This book provides an accurate reference for someone interested in this subject. It can be too truthful for someone faced with this awful disease. Therefore beware of giving it to a sufferer or carer whom you wish to shield from the facts.

this book was full of good info and good photos of stages of skin problems. This is a must own book for all Southern Californians.

This book is for anyone who has been diagnosed with Melanoma. It is written in a way that is easy to understand. Knowledge is needed with this disease since it is so different from other cancers. I found answers I haven't been able to find from my husbands oncologists. Excellent book!

I got this book because I have moles and wanted to learn more about them and understand the diagnosis and treatment for melanoma.

The glossary and index were very helpful. The best aspect for me was the photos of moles and the chapter on skin warning signs.

Part I of the book starts with recognizing and preventing melanoma. Part II of the book focuses on Melanoma and the treatment. Part III is the less common types along with research.

I found this book to be a wonderful resource as I hit 45. The diagrams are useful as well.

This book was an encellent source for me and my family regarding my recent diagnosis of Melanoma. I read the entire book in one day and refer back to it very often! Highly recommended reading that is on a level everyone can understand.

I can't say enough about this book! It is so easy to understand, yet packed with solid, science-based information. Thanks for a great read!

I HAD ALL, YES ALL, OF MY SPIDER VIENS REMOVED BY A BEVERLY HILLS COSMETIC DERMOTOLOGIST 5 YEARS AGO WITH THE NEEDLE/SALINE SOLUTION FOR MY LEGS AND LAZER FOR MY FACE. ALL OF THE VEINS ARE BACK!! IN THE SAME PLACE, JUST AS BAD. I THINK I WILL SAVE MY MONEY AND NOT TRY THAT AGAIN!!

This is the book I've been searching for! It helped me determine what I needed to do for my problem and find competent professional treatment. It also has a great section on prevention and diet. Finally, I can wear shorts again!

Not only does this book tell you what you should do once you get varicose veins in order to get rid of them but it tells you how to prevent them. Because it is so well written, everyone can understand this book. And everyone should own this book!

For a tiny book, this packs a wallop of information. I work in the medical field and have been searching for answers to my questions about varicose and spider veins for a long time. I was pretty surprised to learn that the doctors and nurses I work with were as ignorant as I was! The next step was the medical library. I searched for a book--and all I came up with were medical texts the size of phone books and filled with medical jargon. Being in the medical field, I understand the jargon but I really didn't want to wade through it to get the information I needed. Then I found Get Rid of the Blues on the web. What I like most about it is that the author did tons of research (from those boring books I didn't want to read!) and boiled it down to a "cut-to-the-chase" primer. Thank you, Mary Johnson, for writing this book. I can't begin to tell you what a difference it's made for me.

Rapini has incredible skill at distilling the complex and convoluted world of dermpath into this succinct yet thorough book. Not only is it an outstanding introduction to dermpath for pathology and dermatology residents and fellows, but it is an excellent reference to use when attempting to piece together various morphologic features that do not instantly form a recognizable pattern. The differential diagnoses listed at the front of the book make this a great book to keep beside the scope. I agree that the images with arrows and labels make the illustrations much more useful than some other texts. Additionally, the book contains numerous teaching pearls that are helpful for memorization and are very useful for educators to incorporate into their teaching style. "Practical" is the right name for this book.

This is the first derm book I go to when I have a challenging rash. In the inside front cover I have a copy of Ackerman's algorithms which I also frequently use.

The best thing about this book is it's practicality. You see a feature on the glass slide (e.g. neutrophilic spongiosis) and then you go to the first chapter which lists all the conditions associated with neutrophilic spongiosis. Each entry in this list is indexed to a discussion of the disease elsewhere in the book (see below). These features are extremely easy to find and are well-organized. It acts almost like a specialized table of contents/index.

After the first chapter, the book is divided into a fairly standard pattern of organization. Each disease entity reveals short, pithy entries about a surprising number of diseases. From the thin size of the book, I wasn't expecting too much breadth here...but I was pleasantly surprised.

Another feature I find helpful is that throughout the book, there are references to other parts of the book. For example, in the entry on psoriasis, the differential diagnosis not only lists the various histologic look-alikes, but also gives an exact location in the book where that disaease process is discussed. And, as always, the entries are very easy to find.

As expected there is not a lot of depth. For further histologic information, I would recommend Weedon. For further clinical information, I use Bolognia. If you want both in the same book, I would recommend McKee. (I have all three as well as the Rapini book.)

I am a general pathologist with no formal sub-specialty training who has been practicing 5 years in the "real world". I see mainly skin, GI, and GYN in my practice along with breast and prostate. I use Rapini about 2 times a week. I only use it for the dermatitides...not tumors. It's not that its coverage of tumors is necessarily poor...I just haven't used it for that yet. Also, I haven't used the CD-Rom.

This is a must for every dermpath resident, general pathologist and even dermatologist. Easy to carry on, has the most relevant info for the most common skin conditions. It has a different, very intuitive approach to evaluate a biopsy, not only guided by patterns, but also with the clinical features, which are critical to a well oriented diagnosis.
It may look thin, but I can assure you that it will be your first reference book!.

The product with excellent quality and well organised and I hope all ur
product is similar to this book which I think is one of best three deematopatholgy books.
Thanks

I usually prefer the book that had been written by one expert author over than that multi-author ones. This book is divided into 30 chapters. The first one is the most fruitful one. It illustrates 150 diffenetial diagnoses. The headings of these differentails are sorted alphebatically. They include histopathologic parameters such as spongiosis, papillomatosis, acantholysis, ... etc; and also include clinical findings like comedones, painful lesions, ... etc. The author considered that the approach for accurate diagnosis have to be guided, in certain situations, by the clinical information from the start rather that a certain histopathologic parameter, so that the pathologist should be aware about some clinical differentials.

The author explained the meaning of each heading in this chapter. "What is the meaning of spongiosis ?" before mention the possible differential diagnosis. Not only the meaning is given but also the differences between that finding and similar looking ones are justified. The differences between spongiosis and acantholysis are demonstrated before mentioning the diagnositc possibilities of spongiosis.

Each one of the diagnostic possibilites is written with a reference to its location within this book chapters. For example, within the list of differential of spongiosis I found "Pityriasis rosea (2.4)". (2.4) means I can find the details of such disease within chapter 2, heading 4.
The details of pathogenesis, complications, and treatment as well as normal skin histology are not included in this book, the author said that "the reader can readily find this information in some of the major
textbooks listed at the end of this book".

The illustrations are very technically excellent and expressive.
The other book chapters are named as any textbook "Malanocytic neoplasms, Subepidermal vesicular disease, Vasculitis, ...". The details are concise and easy to read.

The included CD contains all the images within the book for their use in electronic presentations.

This book makes the way to be a good dermatopathologist easier.