Archive for July 2018

July 20th, 2018 by Dr. Hannah Sivak

As you may know, it is possible to “engineer” DNA, i.e. to modify the genetic material that makes bacteria, plants and animals, what they are. DNA is modified all the time, right now in some of your cells as they divide and the complex enzymes that direct DNA duplication make a small mistake here and there. This is called a mutation. Most of them will go unnoticed. They happen in your skin and you may get a “sun spot” here and there because UV energy damaged DNA and the mutation was not corrected properly by the other enzymes in charge of fixing the mistake. These mutations are not directed by…

July 18th, 2018 by Dr. Hannah Sivak

We know that genetic information is carried by our genes in DNA, and by the RNA and proteins resulting from the DNA-carried information. But glycans also carry information in processes like cell growth and apoptosis, folding and routing of glycoproteins, cell-cell interactions and cell adhesion and migration.

July 12th, 2018 by Dr. Hannah Sivak

Eczema. Is there anything you can do? Your skin is rashy, red and itchy. And this is not the first time. What is going on? Anything you can do to fix it? Is it caused by an irritatnt (like alcohol or sodium lauryl sulfate) or by an allergen (balsam of Peru, idebenone)? You may not be able to “fix” eczema, because it has to do with the way your immune system responds to stuff. Inflammation is a symptom, and you are the detective in charge, if you are a good detective you will be able to control your eczema. Is it irritation? Maybe you are using a disinfectant with a…

July 1st, 2018 by Dr. Hannah Sivak

Is it too early to think about how your skin will look when you reach 80? Maybe, but to me it feels just like yesterday when I was a teen at the beach trying to get as brown as possible (it was considered cool), and even better if I could get my nose and cheeks to peel off. In your teens, you worry about acne, and as soon as acne is under control (if you are lucky), you start noticing fine wrinkles (their arrival probably accelerated by the benzoyl peroxide in the anti-acne products you used). Your pores look definitely larger and you start worrying about how your skin is…