Flawless Fridays

Greenville Dermatology would like to wish all of you a Happy New Year, and to celebrate we are launching a new promotion for 2012. On January 20th, we will host our first Flawless Friday. Be sure to join us for $10 off per unit of BOTOX and $50 off JUVÉDERM. Throughout the year, we will continue to bring you new discounts on the last Friday of each month*. Please check our website or call to speak with our staff for more details.

In addition to the monthly specials, all year we will be offering buy one, get one free LATISSE kits. You can learn more about LATISSE from my website by clicking here.

I’m looking forward to a great year and hope you’ll take advantage of these offers. As always I am proud to serve you with the best in skin health, cosmetic treatments and spa services. Trust your skin to the best and be sure to join us for Flawless Fridays.

*Due to a scheduling conflict I will be hosting Flawless Fridays on the third Friday in January, (January 20th) call our office to book your appointment today.

Resolve to Save a Life

Every New Year it’s the same thing. We resolve to get fit, manage debt, stop smoking, recycle more, and drink less. And usually we do a good job until the end of February when old habits start to creep back into our routines. This year instead of making the same perfunctory resolutions, resolve to make a difference in someones life.

Educate a young person about the dangers of skin cancer and malignant melanoma. Melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer is linked to excessive sun exposure in the first 10 to 18 years of life. All it takes is just one blistering sunburn in adolescence to more than double a person's chances of developing melanoma later, and according to the CDC, one third of US teens aged 14-17 had a sunburn last year.

Although children are not commonly diagnosed with skin cancer, it is becoming a more frequent diagnosis in teenagers. Melanoma is the second most common form of cancer for young people 15-29 years old and it is largely preventable. “Dear 16-Year-Me” was just named one of the most shared videos of 2011. It has a powerful message every teenager needs to hear. Please share it with friends and family. And resolve to prevent skin cancer.

Lash Care and Latisse

As we age, our lashes become thinner and shorter. The lash root is extremely delicate and years of daily wear and tear damage follicles and can cause it to stop producing hair. To get the sweeping, full lashes that always seem to get wasted on little boys, give your lashes a little love and consider trying Latisse.

There are several steps you can take to improve the look and health of your lashes. First, stop abusing them. Mascara may make them look fuller and darker, but the rubbing, wiping, and pulling to remove it can damage your lashes – especially if you use long-lasting or waterproof formulas. Sleeping in mascara is also a big no-no. Choose a mascara that will not dry out or overly stiffen your lashes. Never pull or tug on your lashes and if you use a curler, do so before applying mascara.

A good eyelash conditioner can keep your lashes from becoming brittle and breaking. They contain proteins and moisturizers that protect lashes and can help them look and grow fuller.

If your lashes are healthy, but still not long and lush; you have several options. There are volumizing mascaras, falsies, extensions, and even a medication - Latisse. My clients that have tried Latisse have seen remarkable results. It is a topical medication that gets applied to the upper lash line. It works from the inside out by increasing the growth phase of eyelashes. Improvement is noticeable in four to six weeks as lashes become longer, darker, and fuller.

The application takes less than a minute and has few possible side effects. Originally developed to treat glaucoma, it has a very high safety profile. Redness, irritation, and darkening of the periocular skin occurred in less than 4% of users and went away once the patient discontinued use.

A common myth is that it will darken the iris. This is a rare side effect seen in only 1-2% of glaucoma patients who use the medication in its original form, as eye drops, applied directly to surface of their eyes. And only those with green or hazel eyes are at risk. Latisse is applied to the base of the lashes and has never had a documented case of iris darkening in any of its users.

If you are curious about Latisse or would like to have long, youthful lashes again, we will be running a buy one get one free Latisse special for $120.

New Tool in the Skin Cancer Screening Kit

70,000 people will be diagnosed with melanoma this year. The most deadly form of skin cancer, it is without a doubt the most serious diagnosis I make in my practice. Caught in the early stages, it is very curable. Unfortunately, too many are diagnosed once it has spread to other parts of the body. 85% of patients with late stage melanoma will die from it within just 5 years.

Melafind, a newly approved imaging and analysis device is a first-of-its-kind. It emits a penetrating light that travels below the skin’s surface and makes detailed, digital images. A computer then analyzes the depth and shape of skin growths and looks for signs of cancer. The results are compared to an archived database of 10,000 images and a recommendation is made on whether a biopsy is needed.

It is not uncommon for a patient to come in with 10 to 20 body moles. I currently rely on my years of training and experience to visually evaluate their size, shape, and color in determining which, if any, look suspicious and need to be biopsied. Some moles will exhibit easily recognizable signs of cancer; many however are not so obvious.

I am excited about this new, non-invasive technology. The system has proved highly effective in clinical trials. In a study of 1,300 patients, Melafind correctly suggested biopsies on 125 of 127 melanomas. It is not meant to replace biopsies, but to help improve a dermatologist’s ability to identify melanomas and reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies.

I think everyone should be aware of this new technology. I hope to bring it to the Upstate and that it will do for skin cancer what mammograms have done for the detection breast cancer.

Your Skin Flight Plan

November means the holiday travel season is upon us. Whether you’re off to a family gathering or a much deserved getaway, it’s important to remember when flying that the unique pressurized environment of a plane is rather hostile to the human body. In addition to travel fatigue, swollen feet and motion sickness, flying causes severe dehydration.

Most of us find a relative humidity of 50% comfortable. In-flight humidity levels register at 10%. Considering that the Sahara desert reaches a just bearable 25%, flight conditions are extreme. Since your skin is your largest organ, when you lose moisture, it shows. To protect yourself and arrive in un-wilted condition, I cannot stress drinking water enough. Not soda, not coffee, not alcohol - water. In a 3 hour flight, the human body loses 1.5 liters of water! I recommend bringing your own, so you can rehydrate immediately and continuously.

Before the flight, in addition to making sure you embark well hydrated, apply moisturizer from head to toe. Most manufacturers have travel or sample sizes so you can bring your favorite moisturizer in your carry-on or purse. You will want to reapply often during your flight. Give your face a quick spritz from a water atomizer or small spray bottle before reapplying moisturizer to get an extra moisture boost. Other good items to have are saline eye drops, antibacterial hand wash and lip balm.

My other piece of advice – keep your hands away from your face. Think about the amount of germs covering every surface. Whatever you may have thought, planes are not deep cleaned after each flight. With thousands of travelers having flown on any given aircraft, it’s too easy to come in contact with unknown bacteria that can result in breakouts and skin problems. Use wipes or sanitizer religiously.

We know that part of the appeal of a vacation is a change in routine, as well as scenery, but do not let that extend to your skincare habits. Pack your regular beauty products. An abrupt change in products can upset your skin’s acid balance and cause an unwanted vacation breakout.

Finally, have a safe flight and a great holiday!

Cut. Color. Cancer Screening?

Your new ally in the fight against skin cancer just might be your hairstylist. Researchers have found that although few hairdressers have been formally trained to spot cancer, many are checking their clients’ scalps and necks for moles and 58 percent have made a recommendation to get one checked.

While fatal melanomas on the scalp are rare, it is an area that is difficult for people to check on their own. Some don’t even realize it is possible to get skin cancer there. Unfortunately our scalps are often ignored when applying sunscreen. If not specially formulated for scalps, sunscreen tends to make hair look greasy. Hair does offer some protection, but part-lines, cowlicks and areas of thinning hair are vulnerable. There are sprays available that offer protection and hats are always a good choice.

If your hairdresser finds a mole, it is important to remember that moles are common. The average person has 10 to 40 on their body and not every mole is cancerous or needs to be removed. The American Academy of Dermatology has published the ABCs of evaluating moles to help you examine your skin. Look for abnormal Asymmetry, Border, Color, Diameter or Evolution.

Checking your skin often improves your chance of finding melanoma early which in turn increases your chance for a positive outcome. So next time you go into a salon ask your stylist to alert you to any moles, but don’t let that replace regular visits to your dermatologist.

Caring for Dark Skin

When thinking about skin care, most people focus on whether they have oily, dry, or sensitive skin and stop there. Just as important as skin type, however, is skin tone. Skin conditions, for the most part, are color blind and will cause problems regardless of whether you have a fair, olive or dark complexion. While light skin is more vulnerable to damage and premature aging from excessive sun exposure, there are several conditions that afflict dark or black skin more frequently and with more severity.

Dark skin is more susceptible to both vitiligo (loss of pigment) and hyperpigmentation. Vitiligo occurs when melanin producing cells are damaged. It affects all skin tones, but is considerably more noticeable on dark skin. If you have this condition there are topical and phototherapy treatments available to re-pigment the skin.

Hyperpigmentation occurs when the skin produces too much pigment. It is usually the result of a pimple, cut, scrape, or burn and can even be caused by cosmetic and acne treatments that are not administered correctly. Sunscreen can keep dark spots from getting darker while they heal. However this can take months. Properly controlled chemical peels and skin bleaching can lighten affected areas.

Ingrown hairs are also a common problem affecting blacks and Hispanics who have curved hair follicles. They result in bumps under the skin and can lead to infections and hyperpigmentation. Laser hair removal has shown to be an effective treatment, but because ingrown hairs look similar to acne, it is important to be diagnosed by a dermatologist familiar with ethnic skin.

Other problems for darker skin are eczema and keloids. According to the National Eczema Society, eczema occurs twice as frequently in people of color. Unfortunately, it is often misdiagnosed leading to a thickening of the skin and pigmentation problems. Topical creams and ultraviolet light therapies are effective once the correct diagnosis is made.

Keloid scars tend to develop more in darker skin. They are different from other scars in that they continue to grow for several months and spread beyond the original injury site. Early treatment can minimize keloid development and includes cortisone injections, pressure dressings, and silicone gel applications. Once formed, laser surgery can be used, but it hasn’t shown to be very effective.

As you can see, it is important to treat dark skin gently. Avoid harsh cleansing puffs and products that contain benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. Look for cleansers made for sensitive or ethnic skin. Darker skin has a tendency to appear "ashy" when not well-hydrated. Moisturize and use sunscreen daily. It is a common misconception that dark-skinned people don’t need sunscreen, in reality they have the highest skin cancer mortality rates.

Healthy skin is worth the effort and a skin care program specifically tailored for dark skin will bring out the best qualities in an ethnic complexion.