PERFECT SKIN

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Summer is fast approaching. As sandal and flip-flop weather brings regular trips to the nail salon for pedicures, I wanted to give some tips on nail health. Watch the video from the AAD below for tips on nail salon safety. In addition to the great tips found in the video, I instruct my patients to keep an eye on their fingernails and toenails for new growths or discolorations of the nail plate or skin around the nails. Especially if you keep your toenails covered with polish year round, I suggest looking carefully at your nails while you are at the salon after the polish has been removed and before the new polish is applied. Any new dark spots or growths should be evaluated by a dermatologist. Also, ideally, come to your annual skin check visits at the dermatologist without nail polish on so that we can thoroughly check your nails.

Also a word on gel manicures. While gel manicures are very popular due to their increased durability and resistance to chipping, the UV light used to set the polish does cause skin damage and photoaging of the finger and hand skin. This could increase your risk of skin cancer in these areas so apply sunscreen to the tops of your hands or buy sun-protective gloves with the fingers cut off to shield your hands from the UV damage. The gel manicures also result in nail thinning, possibly due to the process of removing the polish. Moisturizing your nails daily with cuticle oil while the polish is on will help prevent destruction of the nail plate when the polish is removed.

Wishing you happy and healthy nails this summer season!

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It's that time of year when many of my patients experience very dry skin and ask me about the best way to manage this at home. It is imperative to use a daily non-scented cream or ointment moisturizer, preferably after bathing. I usually recommend that if the moisturizer is a lotion or is dispensed from a pump, it is too thin to provide adequate moisture during the winter season. So look for moisturizers in a tube or jar this time of year. If a thick cream is not improving the dry skin, try petrolatum (aka vaseline). Also, keep showers or baths short and avoid very hot water as this will further dehydrate the skin. The skin on your hands is particularly besieged this time of year with frequent handwashing, so use an instant hand sanitizer or hand wipe intermittently if you wash your hands frequently and try to moisturize after every hand wash. See the video below from the American Academy of Dermatology for more dry skin relief tips.
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Many patients ask me about the right way to wash their face. A gentle non-abrasive cleanser is best (Dove unscented bar soap is my favorite). It is important to avoid scrubbing the face. Bath sponges and even wash cloths can create too much friction and irritate the skin. After wetting your face, massage in the cleanser with your fingertips, rinse with lukewarm water, and pat dry with a soft towel.  If your skin is dry after cleansing, apply an unscented, non-comedogenic (aka non pore clogging) moisturizer to the face. It is best to find a moisturizer for the morning that also contains sunscreen, preferably SPF 30 or higher. Wearing sunscreen 365 days of the year is an essential cornerstone of good skin care and is the BEST anti-aging investment you can make. For more information on how to wash your face and for cost-effective tips on keeping your skin healthy, watch these videos below from the American Academy of Dermatology:
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If gum or candy get stuck in your or your children's hair this Halloween (or any time of year!), follow these tips from the American Academy of Dermatology to get it out without cutting the hair:

  • Find a jar of creamy style peanut butter or vegetable oil, such as olive oil.
  • Cover the gum completely with peanut butter or oil using your fingers or an old toothbrush. With peanut butter, the oils in the product make the chewing gum base stiffer and less sticky.
  • Wait a few minutes to allow the product to work.
  • Remove the gum from the hair. Vegetable oil is especially useful when removing gum from eyebrows or eyelashes.
  • Wash your child’s hair as normal so your child does not smell like lunch.


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Symptoms and Treatment of Rosacea

Rosacea is a common skin disease affecting more than 14 million people in the U.S. Rosacea often begins with frequent flushing or blushing. The redness may begin on the nose and cheeks, spreading to the forehead and chin. Besides persistent redness of the face, other symptoms include the development of visible blood vessels, swelling, and acne-like breakouts on the face, a thickened, bumpy texture of the nose, and even eye redness and irritation.

Most people that get rosacea are:
  • Between 30 and 50 years of age.
  • Fair-skinned, and often have blonde hair and blue eyes.
  • From Celtic or Scandinavian ancestry.
  • Likely to have someone in their family tree with rosacea or severe acne.
  • Likely to have had lots of acne — or acne cysts and/or nodules.

Although there is no cure for rosacea, it is important for patients to learn what triggers their rosacea (such as sunlight, alcohol, spicy food, heat) and avoid those triggers. The following may also be used to treat rosacea:
  • Medicine that is applied to the rosacea.
  • Sunscreen (wearing it every day can help prevent flare-ups).
  • An emollient to help repair the skin.
  • Lasers and other light treatments.
  • Antibiotics (applied to the skin and pills).

As different types of rosacea require different treatments, and some over the counter medications can actually make rosacea worse, it is important to see a dermatologist. See the video below from the American Academy of Dermatology to learn more management tips for rosacea.
[The text above is adapted from the AAD Rosacea website https://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/diseases-and-treatments/q---t/rosacea]



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Patients often ask me if self-tanner is safe to use. The answer is ABSOLUTELY. Tanning from the sun or indoor tanning beds is extremely harmful to your skin but a tan from a bottle is completely safe. The keys to even coverage are:  apply the self-tanner to exfoliated, dry skin;  apply minimally over the joint areas that tend to absorb more self tanner; and wash hands thoroughly after applying. And of course you must apply sunscreen every day. In fact, there are products that contain both a self-tanner and sunscreen such as Jergens Natural Glow & Protect Daily SPF30 Moisturizer or Australian Gold Faces SPF 45 Sunscreen with Bronzer Plus Gradual Self Tanner. Follow the tips in the video below from the American Academy of Dermatology to get the optimal self-tanner glow!


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Don't bring any unintended souvenirs home from your travels this summer! Did you know that bedbugs can crawl into your suitcase or clothing when you stay at a motel, hotel, hostel, or even a cruise ship?

Prevent bedbugs from coming home with you by following these tips from the American Academy of Dermatology:

1.) Place your luggage on the luggage rack, not the floor or bed. If bedbugs are in the room then can easily crawl into luggage when it is placed on the floor or bed.

2.) Pull back the sheets and check the mattress for signs of bedbugs. Look for specks of blood, shed outer skeletons of the brown bed bugs, or tiny blackish spots.

3.) Check the box spring, headboard, couch, and any other upholstered furniture for signs of bedbugs.

4.) If you see any signs of bedbugs, immediately grab your belongings and ask for another room (not one next door or immediately above or below as these rooms may also be infested with bedbugs).

If you think you may have picked up bedbugs during your travels, you should immediately:

1.) Wash all the clothing that you brought home in a washing machine. Even clothes that were not worn must be washed. Use the hot setting on the washing machine.

2.) After washing, dry all the clothes in a dryer, using the hot setting.

3.) If you cannot wash some clothing in a washing machine, place it in the dryer and run the dryer on the hot setting.

4.)Use a hand steamer (or vacuum) to clean your luggage. According to the National Pest Management Association, a garment steamer will kill bedbugs and their eggs.

The above is adapted from: https://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/diseases-and-treatments/a---d/bedbugs/tips

To learn more about checking for bedbugs, watch the following video from the American Academy of Dermatology:
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The Friday before Memorial Day is designated "Don't Fry Day" by the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention to encourage sun safety awareness and to remind everyone to protect themselves while enjoying the outdoors. As 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime and there is no such thing as a safe tan, I recommend the following steps to prevent tans or burns this weekend and every day in the sun:

-Seek shade and try to limit time in the sun to before 10 AM and after 3 PM.

-Wear Sun-Protective Clothing, as well as a broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses.

-Generously apply SPF 30 or higher sunscreen to all exposed skin, re-applying it every 2 hours and after swimming or sweating.

-I recommend physical sunscreens (those that contain titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, such as the Neutrogena® Pure & Free® Baby sunscreen stick or lotion) over chemical sunscreens.


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For more information, visit http://skincancerprevention.org/. Images above are courtesy of the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention.
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May is skin cancer awareness month. The American Academy of Dermatology reports that an estimated 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. I recommend that patients perform a monthly self skin exam in addition to their regular skin checks with me. I instruct my patients to look out for the ABCDEs of Melanoma. A for asymmetry, or one half of the mole is unlike the other, B for the border becoming irregular, scalloped, or poorly defined, C for color changes, including color that is varied from one area of the mole to another, or a mole that contains mulitple colors including brown and black and sometimes white, red, or blue, D for diameter indicating a mole that is enlarging, especially one greater than 6 mm (larger than the size of a pencil eraser), and E for evolving, meaning any mole or skin lesion that looks different from the others or is changing in size, shape, or color, or becoming symptomatic (ie, tenderness, itching, or bleeding). Also any non-healing sores or new moles found during your self-exam should prompt a call or follow-up to your dermatologist. Early detection is best, as skin cancer that is caught early is highly treatable.

See the video from the American Academy of Dermatology below to learn more about performing a self skin exam.
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Bleach baths can lessen symptoms of  chronic eczema (aka atopic dermatitis) in children and adults. People with eczema are prone to bacterial infections and bleach baths can help reduce the number of bacteria on their skin. Bleach baths can be used 2-3 times per week, or as often as recommended by your dermatologist. Consult with your dermatologist before beginning the bleach baths. If he or she recommends this treatment for you or your child, here are instructions for how to perform bleach baths:

1) Add lukewarm warm water to half-fill the tub. Use regular strength (6%) bleach. DO NOT USE CONCENTRATED BLEACH. Add 1/4 cup of the household bleach to the water. (If you are using a full tub of water, add 1/2 cup of bleach. For a baby or toddler bathtub, add one teaspoon of bleach per gallon of water). NEVER apply undiluted bleach directly to the skin as this would be very irritating.

2.) Stir the water well before soaking to ensure the solution is completely diluted. Soak in the bath for 5-10 minutes.

3.) After soaking, THOROUGHLY RINSE the skin with lukewarm fresh water, which will minimize dryness or irritation from the bleach.

4.) To dry the skin, pat dry rather than rub as rubbing is equivalent to scratching the skin.

5.) Immediately apply any prescribed medications as directed by your dermatologist and/or thick moisturizers.

DO NOT perform a bleach bath if the child or adult has asthma or a sensitivity/allergy to chlorine or if there are numerous open areas or breaks in the skin as this would cause stinging/burning.

If you would like to learn more about this topic, watch the American Academy of Dermatology video on bleach bath therapy below:

Author

Kathryn O'Reilly, MD, PhD

Dr. O'Reilly holds a PhD in cancer cell biology and an MD, both from Cornell University. She completed her internship in internal medicine at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and her dermatology residency at New York University. Although she has a special interest and expertise in cutaneous oncology, she also enjoys treating general dermatology patients, both children and adults.