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.

California Bans Tanning for Teens

“The Young and the Tanless” caught my attention a couple weeks ago as news coverage highlighted California’s ban on teenage tanning bed use. The Golden State has become the first to outlaw anyone under the age of 18 from using tanning beds. There are 30 states that have laws in place that restrict tanning for minors. Current South Carolina law states that for anyone under the age of 18, a parent must give permission in person and that protective eyewear must be worn.

I wholeheartedly support California’s new legislation and would love to see more restrictive policies here. I know it’s homecoming season for most high schools and colleges, if you or your child are thinking about going to a tanning bed to keep your summer color longer – don’t! The World Health Organization has placed tanning beds in its Group 1 Carcinogen Category along with cigarettes and plutonium.

If that doesn’t cause you to rethink tanning beds, consider that the American Academy of Dermatology has research showing that people who have used indoor tanning have a 75 percent higher risk for developing melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among women ages 25 to 29.

I read that Los Angeles County has shockingly more tanning salons than Starbucks coffee shops and McDonalds restaurants. A quick Google search shows that similarly Greenville is not hurting for tanning choices. As an alternative to tanning, please consider using a spray tan. Many salons offer them as a substitute to harmful tanning beds. Or come visit our office, my staff and I can give you guidance on tanning lotions, bronzers and keeping a radiant, and more importantly, healthy glow through the fall.

Allergies and Your Skin

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America recently released their 2011 list of “The top 100 Fall Allergy Capitals.” Not surprising to those of us living in the Upstate, several southeastern cities made the top 20, including Columbia, S.C. Our hometown of Greenville, S.C. came in 31^st, just above Charleston at 32^nd.

Experts predict this fall to be one of the harshest allergy seasons yet. Severe weather throughout the summer including flooding and an active tropical storm season have increased ragweed levels and produced higher quantities of mold spores.

With this allergen alert, it’s important to take steps to manage your allergies and to adjust your skincare regime accordingly.

Tips:

• Drink plenty of water and moisturize frequently to ward off the effects that antihistamines can have on your skin.

• Keep your eyes, nose and lips from becoming chapped or red by using tissues with lotion, aloe or vitamin E.

• Switch to hypoallergenic moisturizers and make-up.

• To fight redness, use a bronzer with brown instead of red undertones and look for concealers with a green or gold base.

• Avoid matte textures which make dry skin look drier. A little shimmer will give your skin a rested and dewy appearance.

• Blue eyeliners and mascaras will brighten the whites of your eyes, making you look more rested.

To see the complete list of all cities included in the “The top 100 Fall Allergy Capitals,” visit the link below:

http://www.aafa.org/pdfs/Public%20LIST%20FALL_2011%20v2.pdf

Antioxidants 101

We constantly hear buzzwords like antioxidants and free radicals in the news. They have us drinking more green tea and buying products with labels that claim to contain the marvelous compounds, but what are they?

It’s a little strange to think of our bodies rusting, but as we age a similar process of oxidation affects body tissues. Free radicals form in the body as oxygen interacts with certain molecules and trigger a chain reaction in the skin that damages its structure and weakens it on the cellular level. Antioxidants are our bodies’ defense against cell damage. They protect cells and promote healthy aging as they equip our bodies with the ability to fight free radicals caused from such factors as sun exposure, pollution, alcohol and stress.

Antioxidants can be taken orally as vitamins or delivered topically. They work under the skin's surface by fortifying the body’s natural repair systems and preventing new damage. Some antioxidants have been shown to reverse some of the discoloration and wrinkles associated with aging and over exposure to the sun.

Remember that even though a product may claim to contain useful antioxidants, it is difficult to know what quantities are in some antioxidant-based products. To be effective as a topical treatment, they need to be in high concentrations and formulated properly to remain stable. Common names to look for are coenzyme Q10, alpha-lipoic acid and retinoic acid. If you are considering using an antioxidant for your skin, we can talk about which products are best for you.