Although many people are sequestered at home these days, skin cancer does not stop growing! Please do not wait to have a skin biopsy performed if you have a suspicious lesion. Our medical building next to Porter Hospital is cleaned and disinfected daily. WE ARE OPEN FULL TIME and use precautionary measures. Call us at 303-744-1202 – Dr Swinehart

This very distressing disease can be treated with surgical procedures in our office under local anesthesia in many cases. for a consultation, please call us at 303-744-1202. WE ARE OPEN!

Our dermatology center and research center are dedicated to providing expert care through all circumstances. All staff and patients are monitored daily. we practice hand washing, wear gloves, and use hand sanitizer. call us at 303-744-1202 if we can help!

The Colorado Medical Research Center is conducting a clinical trial with a new investigational medication for treatment of vitiligo. In order to qualify, you must have vitiligo on both the face and body/arms/legs. For further details, please call the CMRC at 303-744-7000.

We are looking to hire an experienced medical assistant for our Dermatology practice to assist with Dermatologic Surgery, MOHS surgery, and pharmaceutical clinical trials. You may call 303-744-7000 (Tom Swinehart), or send your resume’ to cmrc@pcisys.net. Hope to hear from you!

In early January, we successfully transplanted hundreds of follicular units containing one, two, and three hairs into the front of a balding scalp. Today, upon exam, a number of these grafts were already growing! This technique can be employed for both male and female hair loss. For a consultation to discuss alternatives for treatment of hair loss, please call us at 303-744-1202!

The lesion on this patient’s hip was biopsied three years ago and at that time it was not cancerous. However, it kept growing and  bleeding, and a recent biopsy revealed a malignancy. The tumor was removed via MOHS surgery.

Dec. 12&13 – La Junta

Dec. 16,17,18,19-Denver

Dec. 20 – Goodland

Christmas week: in Dec. 23,24,26,27

New Years’ week: in Dec. 30 & Jan. 2 and 3

Happy holidays!

To Whom It May Concern:

I am a 75 year old woman who grew up in Florida, basking in the wonderful sunshine for the first 18 years of my life, swimming on the high school swimming team and loving the ocean and the beach. We never even heard of “sunscreen”. Now I live in Colorado, but ten years ago bought a condo in Florida on the East Coast and once again began basking in the sunshine, and “living” on the beach and in the ocean, again without “sunscreen” (my favorite lotion was “Hawaiian darkening oil”). BUT now I have numerous skin cancers. So what am I doing about them?

I am allowing Dr. Swinehart to remove them by Mohs treatment.

I have had four people that I know personally or are friends or family of people I know who have died from skin cancer. It is very sad to hear the story the 31 year old woman who left a wonderful caring husband and five young children. It is very sad to see a young man that swam on the high school team with me, die and leave his wife and grandchildren at 63 years old. It is very sad to see the young sales lady at my favorite boutique in the little town in Fla. die leaving her husband, never having even had children yet. It is very sad to hear of the 40 something young man who merely thought he had back trouble, die leaving his wife and three children. These are each people whose last two years of life or less were filled with horrible pain, secondary illness caused by chemotherapy and radiation, and life that was hopeless and horrible. These are four cases I personally have connection to who have died either because they were misdiagnosed or because they waited too long to do anything about their skin cancer.

So why ignore it or wait? If you know that you have a skin cancer and need the Mohs treatment, get it done as soon as possible. I have had five done, and am expecting as I write this letter to have another one done. There is really nothing to it; some local anesthetic, pleasant music, a few stitches, a bandaid, and later some stitch removal. With the first two, the scars have completely disappeared, and the next three are fading as time passes.

Why wait? You have nothing to lose but your life!

Come and try our exciting floral fragrance containing plumeria, pikake jasmine, osmanthus fragrant, rose, and gardenia, and be transported to Hawaii!

We now have a new therapy available for surgical scars! for details please call us at 303-744-1202!

Patients are needed who wish to participate in a clinical trial of a new investigational topical medication for psoriasis! for details, call the Colorado Medical Research Center at 303-744-7000 today!

This type of skin cancer originates from the lower portion of the epidermis (basal layer). It most commonly arises in areas of heavy sun exposure, including the nose, ears, lips, eyelids, forehead and face, and the V of the neck. Although the metastatic potential is low, this cancer can invade very deeply, down to the bone. Frequently, several MOHS stages are needed in order to clear the tumor. Early on it may resemble  acne, an ingrown hair, or an insect bite to the patient. If you have a “sore that does not heal”, please call us to schedule an exam!

This is a photo of:

A) Squamous cell carcinoma

B) benign mole

C) Basal cell carcinoma

D) Insect bite

This lesion demonstrates the irregular pigmentation and borders often featured in a melanoma. However, a definitive diagnosis can ONLY be made via a skin biopsy, and not  via dermoscopy or a photo. “Dysplastic” means “abnormal appearing”, and removal of this lesion would certainly be advisable  because of its strong resemblance to a malignant melanoma.

This is a photo of:

A) a benign mole

B) a dysplastic nevus

C) a malignant melanoma

Answer to follow tomorrow… 

This photo demonstrates a new treatment for severe actinic (sun) damage on the back of the hand:

This patient had a painful sore inside his ear canal that would not heal. A biopsy revealed an invasive squamous cell carcinoma, potentially able to invade deeply into his brain or metastasize. This lesion was successfully removed by MOHS surgery.

Best to use a solid stick for the face, in order to avoid sunscreen getting into your eyes. A spray is best for the body, for quick and complete coverage. Any SPF over 29 should be OK!

Do you have chronic itching? The Colorado Medical Research Center is conducting a study with a promising new medicine for itching of unknown cause, enrolling new patients now! For details, call us at 303-744-7000

What do I look for during a mole exam?

First is the appearance – in some cases a cancer is obvious at first glance.

Second is the history, or change: bleeding, crusting, itching, enlargement, darkening, uneven borders, pain, or change in texture;

Third is a patient’s sixth sense – sometimes, one has an intuition about an abnormal mole.

Of course, there is no substitute for an examination by a Dermatologist! Please call us at 303-744-1202 for a consultation!

Did you drive all the way across town, only to see an assistant but not the doctor? At the Colorado Dermatology Center, if I am in town, you will see me! Call us at 303-744-1202  for an appointment. We are not part of a chain or national organization!

At the Colorado Dermatology Center, you will have the opportunity to see a Board-Certified Dermatologist rather than an allied health professional each time! please call us at 303-744-1202 today!

Most wrinkles can be greatly diminished or improved with a combination of deeper peels, dermal grafting, and dermabrasion – no laser required! To schedule a consultation, please call us today at 303-744-1202!

Hair transplantation utilizing the FUE, or follicular unit extraction technique, has one major problem: the tiny one millimeter punch often fails to follow the exact angle at which the hair shaft exits the skin. As a result, the hair bulb below the skin is often damaged or transected, and of course these hairs will not grow after reimplantation. The FUE technique can also leave hundreds of small round “shotgun” scars on the back of the scalp. In contrast, the standard and time-honored technique of follicular unit grafting often produces superior results! For details, please call the Hair Loss Clinic of Colorado at 303-744-1202 to schedule a consultation!

Chemical injections, and fat freezing, can often yield lumpy, uneven, or non-permanent results. The gold standard for fat removal in any area of the body remains Tumescent Liposuction, performed in the office under local anesthesia. Call us today for an appointment at 303-744-1202!

The best hairlines are achieved during hair transplantation with single hair grafts, dissected one by one under magnification. The theory of “donor dominance” makes this successful: the genetic program in each hair follicle is transferred from donor to recipient area, thus ensuring its continued growth! To schedule a consultation, please call us at 303-744-1202!

Surgical scars may, in some cases, be rendered less noticeable if treated within 4 to 6 weeks of the operation. Topical measures, including chemicals, may be beneficial if applied immediately after surgery. For details, please call us at 303-744-1202!

Tired of those unsightly spider veins? Sclerotherapy, via injection in the office, remains the gold standard for treatment. The use of hypertonic saline avoids the risk of allergy, and it is generally less expensive and less painful than lasers. For details, call us at 303-744-1202!

Most, if not all, lasers are set to penetrate to a maximum depth of 100 microns (one-tenth of a millimeter), but many acne scars are one to two millimeters deep – ten to twenty times deeper than a laser can penetrate.

The gold standard for treatment of deeper acne scars has been, and remains, a combination of punch elevation, dermal grafting, and wire brush dermabrasion.

A picture is worth a thousand words! To schedule a consultation, please call us at 303-744-1202.

Many studies have shown that aging changes such as wrinkles, uneven pigmentation, precancerous spots, and facial spider veins are the result of long-term exposure to ultraviolet (invisible) light. Dry skin, however, plays little or no role in permanent wrinkling – so use your sunscreen before you moisturize!

Sunscreens are rated by their ability to prevent sunburn. If you normally burn in 30 minutes in midday, midsummer, the use of an SPF 29 sunscreen would mean that you would not burn for 14.5 hours ( 29 x 0.5 = 14.5 ). A sunscreen stick used on the face will prevent burning of the eyes; sprays are much more convenient than lotions for use on the body or for hard – to- reach areas. You may prevent a future skin cancer!

Actinic (= sun-related) Keratoses (= rough, scaly spots) are precancerous spots that in up to 10% – 15% of cases can turn into squamous cell carcinoma. This type of tumor can potentially spread (metastasize) to the surrounding skin, lymph nodes, or other organs of the body. Other skin cancers treated at our center include basal cell carcinoma, Bowen’s Disease (carcinoma in situ), and malignant melanoma.

MOHS  Surgery is now the standard of care for treatment of many types of advanced skin cancers. The skin cancer is traced out microscopically, layer by layer, under local anesthesia, until clear margins are obtained. Once the cancer is clear, the area can be repaired with sutures or with a skin graft.

Do you have  a suspicious spot or mole? Let us examine it as soon as possible!

Dr. Swinehart attended the recent international convention of the American Academy of Dermatology in Orlando, Florida. Half of the attendees were foreign, recognizing that American medicine is the best in the world! Dr. Swinehart took courses in Melanoma, MOHS surgery, skin cancer, chemical peels, acne scars, wrinkles, surgical repairs, quality control, and new medications for psoriasis, actinic keratoses, and other skin conditions. Call us for details!

Instead of using an expensive filler that disappears in six months, why not use your own dermis and fat to fill up those areas?  This tissue, taken from under the skin behind your ears, can, in many cases, provide permanent correction of deep wrinkles or acne scars. For a consultation, call us at 303-744-1202!

Have you ever wanted to erase those lines on your face?

With a variety of methods, we can “fill up the valleys” and “smooth down the ridges” utilizing laser-free techniques. Call 303-744-1202 today for a consultation!

Warts are growths induced by the human papilloma virus, or HPV. They can be treated with liquid nitrogen, by cautery, or by various prescriptions – call us at 303-744-1202 for more details!

ordinary moisturizers(even pricey ones) simply grease down the skin – but ammonium lactate/lactic acid creams and lotions actually remove dead skin before moisturizing it. For details, call us!

Dr Swinehart is the principal investigator in a new psoriasis study that will be starting soon. The study will be testing an investigational oral medication for treatment of moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis. For further information concerning the study, please call the Colorado Medical Research Center at 303-744-7000, M-F 9AM – 5PM.

Moles may be removed if:

1. There is an abnormal appearance;

2. For recent changes such as pain, itching, bleeding, crusting, uneven shape, or darkening;

3. A suspicion or “sixth sense” on your part.

Call 303-744-1202 for a mole check!

Are you tired of those unsightly purple leg veins? Do your legs look like road maps?Many can be improved or eradicated with SCLEROTHERAPY! Call us today!

Would you like to permanently be rid of your facial lines, creases, sun damage, and wrinkles? We have the answers! Call us today to schedule a consultation, at 303-744-1202

Do you wish to empty those saddle bags and lighten your load? Tumescent Liposuction is the gold standard, under local anesthesia. It is superior to, and less expensive than, freezing, lasers, ultrasound, and chemical injections. Call us at 303-744-1202 to schedule a consultation!

Uneven results, and higher expense, may occur with freezing, lasers, ultrasound, and chemical injections. The “Gold Standard” remains the technique of Tumescent Liposuction – see before and after photos at www. coloderm.com!

Large pores on the nose and elsewhere can be treated with the CROSS technique! Call us to schedule a consultation at 303-744-1202.

“Fat-dissolving” injections are of limited benefit, and can cause uneven or lumpy outcomes. Instead, the fat can be removed in the office via tumescent liposuction. View before and after photos at www.coloderm.com!

Same-day appointments may be possible – call us at 303-744-1202!

These are only generalities – but if a lesion is lumpy or has texture, this implies invasion, and may need a biopsy. If it is flat and scaly, liquid nitrogen may suffice. However, if an existing skin cancer is frozen, the nitrogen may remove only the top; the portion under the skin remains and will continue to spread!

La Junta: Sept. 8&9;Oct. 13&14; Nov. 10&11; Dec. 8&9.
Burlington: Sept. 16; Oct. 21; Nov. 17; Dec. 16. For appts. call 303-744-1202

Many new treatments exist for treatment of dark spots or sun spots, including fading creams, peels, lasers, sanding, freezing, and others – for a consultation, please call!

You could stay up all night reading about purported “treatments” for growing hair, but only three have been proven to work: minoxidil, finasteride, and hair transplantation!

Large pores, on the nose or face, can be treated with the “CROSS” technique, and with punch elevation or punch grafting!

can wrinkles truly be erased? many options and new techniques exist – for a consultation, call us at 303-744-1202!

To treat acne scars, one must first “fill up the valleys”, via dermal grafting, and then “sand down the mountains”, with derma sanding or dermabrasion. For a consultation, please call us at 303-744-1202!

Do you have large pores on your nose or face? We have a number of techniques for treating these – for details, contact us!

MOHS surgery is now the standard of care among dermatologists for treating most skin cancers. With this technique, precise serial frozen sections are utilized to microscopically trace out the tumor until its margins are free of cancer cells, often providing a cure rate of 95-98%. Dr. Swinehart has specialized in this procedure for a number of years, and is a Fellow of the American Society for Mohs Surgery.

Dr. Swinehart will be in Burlington on the following dates:

• May 19-20, 2016
• June 16-17, 2016
• July 21-22, 2016
• August 18-19, 2016

Dr. Swinehart will be in La Junta on the following dates:

• May 12-13, 2016
• June 9-10, 2016
• July 14-15, 2016
• August 11-12, 2016

For appointments please call the Denver office at (303) 744-1202

The Colorado Dermatology Center will soon be starting an acne and skin care clinic in La Junta and Burlington, Colorado. Check our web site for details!

Within the past week, Dr. Swinehart has performed tumescent liposuction for excessive sweating in the armpits, and also on a man to remove excess abdominal and chest fat. See photos in our gallery!

On July 21,2011,  Dr. Swinehart performed a full-face wire brush dermabrasion for acne scars. Dr. Swinehart is the only dermatologic surgeon in Colorado who performs this surgery. Dermabrasion represents the state of the art for treatment of acne scars, and generally delivers superior results to laser treatment.