1.What are the three most common American plants that cause a contact dermatitis?
Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac, all members of the plant genus Toxicodendron, are the three most common plants that cause contact dermatitis in America.  Captain John Smith was the first to report an allergic disease in America related to these plants.  Approximately 85 percent of the population will develop an allergic reaction to poison ivy, oak, or sumac if exposed to them. Treatment includes prevention by wearing long sleeve shirts and pants, using skin protectant creams such as Poison Ivy Block before being exposed to the plants. Washing with a strong soap or Technu which washes off the resins of the plants after exposure to the plants can be helpful.. Hyrocortisone 1%, Sarnol HC or Aloe Cort Cream in addition to over-the-counter oral benedryl can also relieve the itch.

2. How many pores on the human face?

Answer: 20,000. These pores can be openings for sweat, oil and hairs. What can be done be done about the reducing the size and the amount of oil that is produced? Clinac O.C. is a new product by Ferndale that absorbs oil from the face. Facial cleansers, facial toners and acne masks can also refine the pores and remove excess skin that may clog the pores.

3. Can you catch leprosy in the United States?  

Answer: Theoretically yes, because there are people in the United States with Leprosy. However, in the Southern California Leprosy Clinic there are no case reports of people catching leprosy from family members who have come to the United States with leprosy from other countries. There are a few cases of leprosy in Texas and Louisiana where Armadillos, which can harbor the M. leprae bacilli, may have spread to disease to humans. The incubation period for leprosy is 5-20 years. Washing your hands with a cleanser or soap before eating and after using the restroom is always a good habit.

4. How many new skin cancers are there in America each year?

Answer: 700,000; 500,000 are basel cell carcinomas, 150,000 are squamous cell carcinomas and 50,000 are malignant melanomas.  Many of these can be avoided by wearing sunscreen.