Skinema, dermatology in the media blog

The 2019 Skinnies Awards: Keloid scars in “Black Panther.”

Wakanda can’t stop talking about the Scar-y Villain featured in the groundbreaking superhero blockbuster.  Do keloids really look that way and are there treatments?  Runner-up is the facial scar featured in another Os-scar Favourite. .  See it all only at Skinema.com...

The 2019 Skinnies Awards: Gout in “The Favourite”

Emma Stone rushes to Queen Olivia Colman’s side when she has a flare of gout.  Winner of the Royal Rash category, learn more about this painful condition whose rate is on the rise. And take a look at runner-up Margot Robbie’s Queen Elizabeth afflicted by smallpox.  See it all only at Skinema.com...

The 2019 Skinnies Awards: Acne in “My Brilliant Friend” and “Eighth Grade.”

Acne strikes again, winning the Teen Skin Stressor award.  Learn why sun is not an appropriate treatment and a new antibiotic that shows promise.  Runner-up is Cloudy Day Sunburn in “Roma.”  See it all only at Skinema.com...

The 2019 Skinnies Awards: Domino’s Birthmark in “Deadpool 2”

What’s the deal with actress Zazie Beetz’ white eye splotch?  Can that be for real in a comic book flick?  Runner-up for this year’s Bold  Birthmark is the purple patch seen in Spielberg’s “Ready Player One.” See it all only at Skinema.com...

The 2019 Skinnies Awards: Beto O’Rourke’s Excess Sweat

Campaigning during the Texas summer brings extra perspiration for this politician.  Learn about classic and new treatments for sweating.  Runner-up for Political Skin in the Game is Judicial Rosacea, see it to believe it.  All only at Skinema.com...

What is the birthmark in “Ready Player One?”

 

 

“Ready Player One,” Steven Spielberg’s take on our pop- and video-game obsessed culture, features something rarely seen in movies:  A heroic character with a facial birthmark.  Usually, birthmarks are used in movies to ID villains.  “The Phantom of the Opera” is a classic example of a benign birthmark used as a sign of/reason for evil.  Yet Art3mis / Samantha, the kickass video-playing rebel, has a large red blotch over her forehead, temple and eye visible in both real life and on eventually her avatar.  FYI, actress Olivia Cooke was not born with a scarlet spot, the mark was applied by makeup/cgi.

The Port Wine Stain birthmark (PWS) is a patch of skin that over-expresses small superficial blood vessels, hence the red to purple color.  Over a lifetime, raised nodules can form in the area, but unlike some other birthmarks there is no risk of converting to skin cancer. PWS may sometimes be associated with other health issues.  Samantha, once done saving the world for more gaming, should undergo testing.  PWS on the face can occur with glaucoma and convulsions, called Sturge Weber Syndrome. In 2018, lasers can reduce the appearance of PWS, though it is medically safe for most to be left alone.  This is why former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, actress Paige Lauren Billiot and singer/actress Tina Turner display their birthmarks.

Of note, early in the film, Samantha’s avatar does not show the PWS.  After her lesion is accepted in real life, she then wears it proudly as Art3mis. Birthmarks are not contagious or dangerous.  By removing the mystique, society may recognize that birthmarks may be chic and unique not a streak that needs to be critiqued and tweaked.  More on celebrity birthmarks at Skinema.com...

The 2018 Skinnies Awards online now at Skinema.com!

This year’s winners and runners-up include the skin issues of major Oscar nominees and media powerhouses. So many questions: What's the story behind the red carpet acne of "Lady Bird" actress Saoirse Ronan and Kardashian Klan member Kendall Jenner?  Carrie Underwood’s mysterious scar: Real or imagined? Would Winston Churchill have pursued treatment for his double chin as relentlessly as he battled the Nazi’s? Is the future of dermatology found in Oscar winner “The Shape of Water?”  What’s the deal behind comedy phenom Tiffany Haddish’s phenomenal birthmark?  Finally, is there finally a treatment for the nasty “Game of Thrones” affliction, Grayscale?  All this and more awaits at Skinema.com!

"Take My Nose, Please!" Documentary Streaming Now

After a successful tour of the film festival circuit, the award-winning documentary and Orchard Films release, "Take My Nose, Please!" is now available for streaming on all platforms.  First time film maker Joan Kron follows two comedians as they consider plastic surgery.  Of the celebrity set, only comedians can have an honest dialogue about beauty and the knife.

The 2017 Skinnies Awards: Emma Stone is Positively Pale

The Skinnies Awards are back at skinema.com! Included in this year's roundup of media skin issues is Oscar winner Emma Stone.  Having survived the real La La Land and remained tan-free, she's our Positively Pale Performer.  Runner-up actor and Justin Timberlake video dancer, Dennis Hurley, has albinism to boot!  See it all only at Skinema.com...

The 2017 Skinnies Awards: Meryl Streep has Syphilis?

The Skinnies Awards are back at skinema.com! Included in this year's roundup of media skin issues is film icon Meryl Streep.  As the real life tone deaf operatic wanna-be "Florence Foster Jenkins," Streep evokes sympathy for the syphilitic socialite. A courageous performance that earns the Derm Damaged Dames nod. See it all only at Skinema.com...