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Summer Skin Issues: No Fun in the Sun

Summer skin is out there — out from under layers of clothing, out soaking up UV rays, out in the pool and the ocean. As the days get longer and warmer here in Southern California’s land of year-round sunshine, the chance for summer skin issues to flare up rises like the temperature.

Here, from an alert issued by the American Academy of Dermatology, are a few of the summer skin issues you might be facing soon — and how to keep them from putting a damper on your fun in the sun.

You know already about the importance of using adequate, correctly applied sun protection, so we’ll skip that one for now. But remember, a painful sunburn isn’t the only consequence of going without sunscreen. Unblocked UV exposure ages your skin rapidly, causing invisible damage to skin’s underlying resilience. And that same damage triggers skin cancer, which can range from the merely unsightly to the deadly. So slather, slather — preferably using one of the wide range of EltaMD sun protection products we carry.

Acne breakouts are more common in summer, triggered by sweat mixing with oils and bacteria on your skin. The AAD recommends these preventative measures:

• Blot sweat from your skin with a clean towel or cloth. Wiping sweat off can irritate your skin, which can lead to a breakout.
• Wash sweaty clothes, headbands, towels, and hats before wearing them again.
• Use non-comedogenic products on your face, neck, back, and chest. The label may also say “oil free” or “won’t clog pores.”

Our own CDCOP Acne Treatment Kits contain solutions to fight summer skin breakouts, including easy-to-carry wipes for your workouts.

Dry skin can occur even in the hottest, most humid weather, especially as we age. Spending time in icy air-conditioning or in chlorinated pools are two typical culprits. The AAD recommends showering in lukewarm, not hot, water and applying a non-greasy moisturizer frequently during the day. A tinted, moisturizing foundation with UV protection, like Revision’s Intellishade, can be just the thing for looking and staying cool, moisturized, and protected.

Folliculitis is a truly annoying summer skin problem. Occurring when the follicles (pores from which body hair grows) of the skin become irritated or infected, folliculitis causes itchy, red bumps that look like little pimples. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends:

• Immediately after your workout, change out of tight workout clothes like biking shorts, and shower.
• Stay out of hot tubs and whirlpools if you’re unsure whether the acid and chlorine levels are properly controlled.So many people get folliculitis from a hot tub that there is actually a condition called “hot tub folliculitis.”
• Wear light-weight, loose-fitting clothes when it’s hot and humid.

To learn more about how to prevent other summer skin issues, see the full article from the AAD. And it goes without saying that we at Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena are here to help you with prevention products and a full range of dermatology services to keep the fun in your summer!

Cosmetic Treatments After 60: We’re Not Your Grandma’s Grandmas

Cosmetic treatments are popular with people of all ages, but especially so as we reach the AARP years. Anti-aging treatments, surgical or not, have always drawn older patients, of course. The motivations are multiple: the desire to retain or regain youthful looks to attract others and to boost personal confidence, for example, or the need to compete with younger professional colleagues (this one is a particularly strong motive for men, a growing segment of cosmetic patients).

Now a cosmetic surgeon is positing a completely new reason why older adults are drawn to cosmetic treatments: our grandkids.

In an interview with Lisette Hilton at Cosmetic Surgery Times, Dr, Edwin Williams, immediate past president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, says he’s seeing a trend of patients in their 60s and 70s who are moved to seek rejuvenation treatment by kids saying the darnedest things.

“I think it’s the result of Facetime with grandchildren. They’re more motivated by grandchildren, than by occupation,” says Dr. Williams.

The comments only kids can make, like, “Grandpa, you look tired,” Or “Grandma, why do you look sad?” are one factor.

“There was a guy in my office about three months ago. He was 73. You just wouldn’t expect a 73-year-old guy to come in and want his eyes done, right?” Dr. Williams says. “He said my grandson said to me, ‘You look sad all the time, Pappy.’”

Other factors fueling the trend are social media. Pictures on Facebook and smartphones show every sign of aging. Attitudes about cosmetic surgery have also changed. Twenty years ago, 70-year-olds really didn’t really think about cosmetic surgery. It wasn’t mainstream. But now it is, Dr. Williams says.

Today’s grandmas and grandpas, in other words, aren’t your grandparents’ grandparents. Dr. Williams calls them “glammas and glampas” — grandparents not afraid of glam. He notes that older patients have more reasonable expectations of cosmetic treatments than those under 60 do. They are more likely to be grateful for subtle, natural improvements, rather than holding out for miraculous transformations.

According to the Cosmetic Surgery Times article,

Patients 65 and older make up 7.5% of total surgical cosmetic procedures and 10.7% of nonsurgical procedures, according to 2015 American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) statistics. The most popular nonsurgical procedures in the oldest age group are botulinum toxin injections, hyaluronic acid filler treatments and chemical peels.

At Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena, we welcome potential glammas and glampas to explore these and many other nonsurgical cosmetic treatments. If your grandkids are asking pointed questions during Sunday dinner or those Skype or Facetime sessions, contact us today for your complimentary cosmetic consultation!

Top 5 Places to Celebrate Mother’s Day in Pasadena

Mother’s Day is right around the corner! In order to make sure your mom has the perfect day, Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena compiled this list of the top five places to celebrate Mother’s Day in Pasadena. Whether you want to take your mom shopping or treat her to a nice meal, this list includes great places to celebrate. Don’t forget our spa services also make great gifts your mom is sure to love! Contact Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena to pick out the perfect spa service for her.

Sidecca

If your mom loves everything retro and girly, a gift from Sidecca will bring a smile to her face!

Lula Mae

For a mom of wit and whimsy, Lula Mae offers the very best accessories and home decor.

Acorn

A custom arrangement of succulents from Acorn makes a unique and thoughtful present.

Bistro 45

Take your mom out for dinner and drinks at Bistro 45, a New American and French restaurant.

Eatery

Enjoy a unique dining experience at Eatery, where there is a new food theme every month.

Sunscreen and Your Guy: How to Get Them Together

Sunscreen, as you know because we keep telling you, is an indispensable part of keeping your skin healthy, beautiful, and younger-looking. And the reason we keep repeating the sunscreen message is that it’s literally a matter of life and death. Unprotected exposure to UV rays is the leading contributor to skin cancers of all kinds, but particularly to melanoma, the deadliest form of this common cancer.

But another thing we know and you know is that men fight using sunscreen even harder than they fight asking for directions — which is why rates of skin cancer overall, and melanoma in particular, are generally higher in men than in women.

Recently at the lifestyle website Aleteia, a man dared to cop to this deadly habit, and to offer some suggestions about how to get your guy to use sunscreen. Carey Dyer ‘fessed up this way:

It’s not the concept of sunblock that we don’t like. We realize (on some level) that avoiding skin cancer is actually a really good thing, after all. The truth is, we men aren’t fond of the slathering. Women rub all manner of goops and creams all over their bodies on a daily basis. For guys, even if it’s for safety reasons, rubbing something greasy on our skin feels like we’re putting on makeup. So instead of acquiescing to the invisible protection of sunscreen, some men choose the fashionable summer outfit of long-sleeved shirts, complete with a wide-brim head covering that rivals the one worn by Curious George’s “Man with the Yellow Hat.” Or we go without.

Dyer got some advice by crowdsourcing female friends, and came up with these 7 tips to make a better match between sunscreen and your guy:

• Offer to apply it for him.
• Remind him of the benefits.
• Place the product where he won’t forget it.
• Find a non-greasy option.
• Ask him to consider others.
• Recommend a multi-use product.
• Finally, there’s the “ask forgiveness, not permission” option, as a last resort: “I use a spray version with which I can catch the back of his neck before he can say no,” says Mary Ball. “It’s like shooting at a wasp’s nest. Spray and run!” (Read more about each suggestion here.)

At Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena, we see the results of UV damage to unprotected skin every day, as our physicians diagnose and treat skin cancers of all types with specialized tools such as Mohs’ surgery. But we’d much rather head off skin cancer before it begins, with intelligent sun protection. We carry a full line of the most effective sunscreen products, formulated to meet the needs and preferences of every woman — and man. Contact us today for a recommendation, or stop by and bring your guy!

Skin Care Labels 101: Read Your Way to Great Skin

Skincare labels can be deceiving. The information on the jar or bottle of that night cream, anti-aging serum, or daily moisturizer is, in many cases, more marketing hype than product fact. Today, when so many skin care issues cross the boundary between aesthetics and medicine, it’s important to be an educated reader of skincare labels, so you can avoid making problem skin worse.

Here are some important points to keep in mind when reading skin care labels, as outlined in an American Academy of Dermatology release this month:

Nobody’s accountable. With the exception of sunscreens and products that contain ingredients available only by prescription (such as higher percentages of retinol, for example), there are no regulations with regard to the language of skin care labeling. Whether purchased in your local drug store or grocery or ordered from a high-end manufacturer, most skin care products are not required to tell you the truth about what they contain — or even to tell you what they contain, at all.

You can have a nasty reaction to products labeled “hypoallergenic” or “for sensitive skin.” The Food and Drug Administration has no regulatory authority, as we noted, and there is no guarantee that what works for someone else’s sensitivities will work for yours. Most manufacturers use these skin care labels for products with a milder formulation that avoids known irritants, but you should always test new products first on a small area of skin — and for a longer period than a day. Some sensitivities do not show up for weeks or even months.

Natural? So is poison ivy. That’s a reminder from Board-certified Dermatologist Dr. Rajani Katta of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She continues, “And even if a natural ingredient is good for your skin, some products may combine that ingredient with additives or preservatives that could be harmful.” Remember allergies here, too. If you have hay fever, products containing chamomile may trigger sensitivities. Food allergies may mean avoiding products containing such all-natural ingredients as nut oils and berry essences.

Unscented and fragrance-free may be stinky to your skin. Skincare labels that use the term unscented may just mean there’s a chemical fragrance blocker added to cover the smell of ingredients. Fragrance-free simply means no ingredient has been added for the purpose of fragrance alone; the product may still contain ingredients used to moisturize or as antioxidants, for example. If you are sensitive to fragrances, be sure to test a sample — with your nose and on your skin — before buying or using.

These are just a few of the reasons it pays to choose skin care products distributed by your Dermatologist, which are selected for the optimum health and beauty of your skin. At Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena, we offer products whose benefits are backed up by scientific testing. Contact us and we’ll help you navigate the intricacies of skincare labels — and treat any reaction you might have to a carelessly labeled product.