May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and to celebrate we will be giving out FREE Sun Smart Skin Safe bracelets on Monday May 7th. These are fun silicone bracelets that start out white in color, but change color to blue when exposed to ultraviolet light from the sun. This way, you can have a fun visual reminder to protect you and your family’s skin all the time. And the fun doesn’t end when the sun goes down. These bracelet glows in the dark too!!

We normally sell these in the office as a fundraiser, 4 for $10 – donating the full $10 to non profit organizations that either promote skin cancer research or education. On May 7th, the bracelet is yours for FREE – but voluntarry donations to the cause are of course welcome.

We have been searching for a way to help you protect yourself from the sun when you are outdoors, wearing a helmet.  I am very happy to share with you an amazing product called Da Brim.  This “hat” will attach to any helmet – giving yu broad brim protection wherever life’s adventures may take you.

Protecting yourself from the sun is a great way to decrease your risk of skin cancer!

Just slide the Da Brim™ helmet visor over the top of your sports helmet, tighten the strap, and in seconds you’re ready to tackle the pavement, trail, snow, water, or the climb.

• UPF 50+ Sun Protection
• Rugged and durable to meet the needs of those who demand the best
• Easy attachment in seconds - See our installation videos
• Air flows freely through helmet vents, promoting cooling
• Patent-pending low profile design allows for secure attachment
• No modification to your helmet and no sticky adhesives
• Works with headlamps and hydration packs
• Removable
• Interchangeable among helmets
• Contoured brim with longer back provides added neck sun protection
• Flexible
• Water repellent
• Floats
• Reinforced brim edge for stability at higher speeds
• No more baseball caps that wick moisture and produce a poor fit when worn under your helmet.  Da Brim™ fits on the outside of your helmet allowing a proper helmet fit and full-brimmed shade.
• Designed with different helmet styles in mind to provide good fit and coverage

Thank You For Voting Us Best Dermatologist on Long Island!

The best dermatologist on Long Island is important for people who need some help feeling comfortable in their own skin. From acne to irregular moles, a dermatologist is there to make sure everything on is smooth on the surface. We bring you this years winners for Best Dermatologist on Long Island.

Long Islanders Voted Dr. Jeffrey Ellis from Belaray Dermatology in Plainview Best Dermatologist on Long Island!

Belaray means beautiful, and that’s how Jeffrey Ellis’ patients feel when they walk out of his office. Dr. Ellis’ goal is to provide comprehensive compassionate care for adults and children in a timely manner. Belaray provides specialized skin care for patients of all ages, from general dermatology, like acne treatment, to surgical dermatology, like scar revisions and even medi-spa esthetic services.

There are many treatments available for patients with psoriasis.  One option that we offer our patients with psoriasis affecting a significant portion of their skin is phototherapy. 

What Is Phototherapy?

Present in natural sunlight, UVB light is an effective treatment for psoriasis. The UV energy penetrates the skin and helps the psoriasis to clear.

In our Plainview office, we offer narrow band ultraviolet light treatments. Narrow band phototherapy releases a smaller range of ultraviolet light to the skin.  This treatment may be safer,  help to clear psoriasis faster and produces longer remissions than broad-band UVB. It also may be effective with fewer treatments per week than broad-band UVB.

Light treatments are often combined with other topical and/or systemic agents to enhance efficacy.  These combinations can both increase efficacy and may allow for lower doses of the systemic medication to be used.

More information on phototherapy can be found here.

We wanted to introduce our patients to our newly redesigned business card.  With smart phone in hand, this QR code will bring you to http://belaray.tel From here you will be able to quickly and easily call us, schedule an appointment on-line, map our office, etc.  We hope you have as much fun using our QR code as we have had designing it.

If you have a smart phone and have not yet used QR codes, visit your app store and do a quick search for readers.  These QR codes are quick, useful, fun and showing up in more and more places!

QR Code design and consultancy provided by azonmobile.com

We have been nominated as one of 15 dermatologists out of all of Long Island by the Long Island press “Best of…” list.  I want to thank all of you who had voted to get us nominated.  If you have a few minutes to spare, please vote! It would be appreciated.  You are allowed to vote once per day.  Here is the link to cast your vote.

Treating eyelid cancer often requires coordinated care between a Mohs surgeon and an ophtlamic plastic and reconstructive specialist.  Working side by side, Drs. Jeffrey Ellis & Rachel Ellis specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, and reconstruction of eyelid skin cancers.

The eyelid region is one of the most common sites for nonmelanoma skin cancers.  In fact, skin cancers of the eyelid, including basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) account for five to ten percent of all skin cancers.

Jeffrey Ellis, MD is a board certified dermatologist fellowship trained in Mohs Skin Cancer Surgery.  Mohs surgery permits the meticulous excision of skin cancer while sparing normal tissue.  The procedure takes place in the office, under local anesthesia and offers the highest possible cure rate.

Rachel Ellis, MD is a board certified ophthalmologist fellowship trained in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgeyr.  She specializes in functional and cosmetic eyelid reconstruction following Mohs surgery.

Drs. Rachel and Jeffrey Ellis offer patients with eyelid cancers a unique and convenient service.  Reconstructions can often be done immediately following Mohs surgery on the same day, in the office.

Photo from left to right: Assemblyman Dave McDonough, R-Merrick, CCMAC co-founder and Executive Director Colette Coyne, Dr. Steve McClain,  Eli McClain, Dr. Amy Slear, Dr. Jeffrey Ellis, & State Sen. Charles Fuschillo, R- Merrick

State Sen. Charles J. Fuschillo,, R-Merrick, and the Colette Coyne Melanoma Awareness Campaign (CCMAC) partnered to  sponsor a free skin cancer screening program at Wantagh Park this past Thursday to help protect residents from skin cancer

CCMAC worked with Dr. Jeffrey Ellis & Dr. Amy Slear of Belaray Dermatology, Dr. Steve McClain of McClain Labs, and doctors from Stony Brook Hospital Dermatology Service to provide free screenings at Wantagh Park.

A total of 164 visitors were screened, with 1/3rd requiring referral to a dermatologist for a suspected skin cancer. One in five people will be diagnosed with some
type of skin cancer in their lifetime. Malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer, is the fastest growing cancer in America, claiming one life every hour. People of all ethnic backgrounds and races can get skin cancer. One blistering sunburn during childhood or adolescence more than doubles melanoma risk later in life.

Identifying and treating a melanoma early can be a life saving event. You can find more information about how to do a self-skin exam and what to look for here.

We wanted to thank CCMAC and New York State Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. for putting together the wonderful skin cancer screening event at Tanner Park this past week.  In total, 151 visitors received a free skin cancer screening.  1 out of every 3 were referred to a dermatologist for a suspicious lesion; 4 of which were potentially malignant melanoma.

Identifying and treating a melanoma early can be a life saving event. You can find more information about how to do a self-skin exam and what to look for here.

Hats are one of the best ways to protect your face from ultraviolet radiation.  They are reliable, cost effective and fun to wear!  Sometimes a good hat is hard to find – so we wanted to make it easy.  No excuses!  We have several styles and colors to choose from.  Available in Baby, Child, Youth, and Adult sizes.

All children’s hats are $25, and all adult hats are $40.

At the end of the season, we will be donating a proportion of sales to the Colette Coyne Melanoma Awareness Campaign