Medical Dermatology

Our Board Certified Dermatologists along with our carefully trained Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants will begin your treatment with expert examination and diagnosis of your skin condition.

A skin biopsy is a quick office procedure that allows for accurate diagnosis. The piece of the affected area is removed and sent to pathology to be examined under a microscope. Once the biopsy report is received, a treatment plan can be individualized for the patient.

BLU-U® Blue Light Photodynamic Therapy Illuminator (LEVULAN KERASTICK and BLU-U PDT) is indicated for the treatment of minimally to moderately thick actinic keratosis of the face or scalp. Actinic keratosis (AKs) are rough-textured, dry, scaly patches on the skin that can lead to skin cancer. It is important to treat AKs because there is no way to tell when or which lesions will progress to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the second most common form of skin cancer.

LEVULAN KERASTICK Topical Solution is applied to the AK. The solution is then absorbed by the AK cells where it is converted to a chemical that makes the cells extremely sensitive to light. When the AK cells are exposed to the BLU-U Blue Light Illuminator, a reaction occurs which destroys the AK cells.

The BLU-U is also specifically indicated to treat moderate inflammatory acne vulgaris. The BLU-U is a unique blue light that kills the Propionibacterium acnes bacteria in your skin. Treatments are simple – you sit with your face close to the light for a short time at a schedule set up by your doctor, approximately a 17-minute session about once or twice per week. The treatments may go on for five weeks or so. It’s safe, it’s not hot, it’s not painful. After some weeks, the blue light can help control your acne.

First physician office in Knoxville, Dermatology Associates of Knoxville, PC is proud to be the first physician office to offer the PHAROS excimer laser, a gentle and painless phototherapy laser shown to be effective in treating difficult to treat conditions, such as psoriasis, vitiligo, and atopic dermatitis.

The PHAROS Excimer Laser is different from cosmetic lasers that are usually associated with pain during treatment and post-treatment downtime for the patient. Instead, the PHAROS delivers a highly energetic but painless beam of UVB light directly to the psoriasis, vitiligo, and atopic dermatitis patches through a hand piece that rests directly on the patient’s skin. It features the most advanced optical technology on the market, including an adjustable spot size and guiding aiming beam, to precisely target only the affected skin and spare the surrounding healthy tissue from exposure. There is no downtime for the patients.

Cancers not requiring Mohs surgery or other noncancerous lesions can be removed in the office under local anesthesia. The affected area is removed and will be sent to pathology to ensure all margins are clear.

Hemangiomas, which are commonly referred to as strawberries, are collections of extra blood vessels in the skin. The name hemangiomas comes from the word “hemangio,” which means blood vessel, and “oma,” which means tumor. A benign growth, skin strawberries vary in appearance based upon the depth of the extra blood vessels in the skin.

Our highly experienced and dedicated team of physicians and nurses cater to the needs of hemangioma patients. Most insurance plans are accepted for treatment and our insurance staff works diligently to help our patients receive insurance coverage.

Scheduling annual skin cancer screenings is important for early detection of melanomas, basal and squamous cell carcinomas.

Phototherapy simply means treatment with light. For treating skin disease, Narrowband ultraviolet B (UVB) light is the most common type of phototherapy. This uses a special machine to emit UVB light at 311-312 nm, which is the most beneficial portion of natural sunlight for skin diseases. Importantly, it also avoids the UVA aspect of sunlight which is very damaging to skin and can accelerate aging and progression towards skin cancers.

Phototherapy is used for widespread eczema or for localized eczema (such as hands and feet) that has not responded sufficiently to topical treatments.