Interested in learning more? Schedule a consultation or call us at 626-793-7790.

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• Be mindful of what you eat and drink.
• Apply SPF before going outside.
• Always take your makeup off before bed.
• Spend more time with your loved ones.
• Visit your dermatologist once a year.

If you are ready to start building healthy skin habits, schedule your annual visit, here.

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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!

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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.

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1. Try an oil-based moisturizer instead of a gel-based moisturizer for the colder, drier months.
2. Massage your face each night with your knuckles to increase blood circulation for more radiance.
3. Make your bed with silk sheets and pillowcases to minimize friction and skin irritation.
4. Exfoliate your lips in order to prevent dry, chapped lips for smoother lipstick application.
5. Wear gloves every time you go outside to protect your hands from the cold, dry winter air.
6. Wear a hat or beanie to prevent hair breakage and damage caused by harsh, cold winds.
7. Always apply body lotion immediately after stepping out of the shower to lock in moisture.
8. Try to air dry your hair instead of blow drying as much as possible to prevent drying out your scalp.
9. Get at least eight hours of sleep every night to prevent tired eyes and dark circles.
10. Drink plenty of water and follow a balanced diet in order to nourish your skin from within.

For more winter beauty tips, contact Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena.

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Did you know that being thankful is one of the most powerful anti-aging ingredients you can add to your daily skin care routine? It’s true. The overall health benefits of gratitude — physical, mental, spiritual — are well documented, and these benefits carry through right down to the cellular level.

Better sleep. More exercise. Stress reduction. A stronger immune system. Better relationships. Each one of these blessings of counting your blessings can show up on your face as clearer skin, fewer stress wrinkles, and a more youthful glow.

Especially this year, when we’ve come through an unusually contentious election season that’s left all of us with a few more frown lines, getting into the habit of appreciation can do wonders to lower blood pressure and restore bruised friendships. We recommend you start right now acknowledging the people and things and situations for which you give thanks. Don’t stop after the last piece of Thanksgiving pumpkin pie is enjoyed (or virtuously declined). Make gratitude a part of your daily personal care regimen, and see the results in your mirror almost instantly. Now that’s something to be grateful for!

At Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena, we give thanks for you, our loyal patients, at this time of year and in every season. We wish you and those you love a Happy Thanksgiving — and we’ll be ready right after the holiday to take your calls for CoolSculpting to freeze away that extra piece of pie!

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Hormonal changes in pregnancy produce more skin oils, which reflect the light and make skin look brighter. A pregnant woman’s blood circulation rate increases by 50%, which can make the skin look rosy and flushed.

But the physiology of pregnant skin isn’t all glow. Here’s a quick guide to some of the changes and challenges pregnant skin can face:

Acne. Unfortunately, the same hormonal changes that cause pregnant skin to glow can also trigger acne flares. On the other hand, some women with stubborn adult acne find that pregnancy actual clears the skin. That’s a good thing for people who use medications like Accutane to control acne, as these can’t be used by women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant because of risks to fetal health.

Stretch marks. As the skin of your abdomen and breasts stretches during pregnancy, you may see pink or red lines of stress develop. Many over-the-counter topical remedies claim to prevent or erase stretch marks, but none has been shown to be medically effective. Moisturizers may make you feel more comfortable as your skin stretches.

Pigmentation changes. You may notice that the central line of skin below your navel darkens during pregnancy. In some women, especially those with darker skin tones, pregnancy causes melasma, a darkening of the facial skin across the nose and cheekbones in a mask-like pattern (thus melasma’s common name, “the mask of pregnancy”). Pigmentation changes during pregnancy are also linked to hormonal fluctuations. Your skin will also be more vulnerable overall to UV damage, so be sure to use a full-spectrum sunscreen and avoid sun exposure.

Itching and rashes. If you have sensitive skin, pregnancy may make you more — or less — susceptible to irritation. Ongoing or pre-existing skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis may get worse, get better, or stay the same during pregnancy. (The interactions among the body’s complex systems are subtle and complicated; everyone is different.) Two itchy issues can affect pregnant skin in particular. Itchy, red palms and soles of the feet can be a sign of chlolestasis — a potentially serious complication that requires immediate medical attention. You may also develop an itchy, raised rash that begins in stretch marks on your lower abdomen. Called PUPPS (pruritic urticarial papules and plaques), this condition usually develops in the third trimester and is most common in first or multiple pregnancies. PUPPS is not dangerous, but the itching is severe; a dermatologist or your OB can help you find relief.

Allergies. Existing skin allergies may be made worse or, paradoxically, alleviated by pregnancy. Because pregnant skin can develop sensitivities and allergies to products you had no problem with in the past, choose hypoallergenic and fragrance-free skin care products, soaps, and shampoos.

The good news is that all of these challenges to pregnant skin can be addressed with help from your doctor. Most usually resolve with delivery, or very soon after. For stubborn melasma, acne, stretch marks or other pregnancy-related conditions like spider veins or skin tags, your dermatologist has a wide range of treatments available.

If you’re pregnant, congratulations! Contact us at Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena and we’ll help you guard your glow!

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Think of your skin — the largest organ of the body — as a sandwich. The top piece of bread, the part closest to the surface, is called the epidermis. The filling of the sandwich, below the epidermis, is the dermis, a strong and flexible layer made up of proteins called collagen and elastin.

This dermal layer, which accounts for 90% of your skin, is crammed with nourishing blood vessels as well as nerves, hair follicles, and oil and sweat glands. The bottom piece of bread, your skin’s inmost layer, is subcutaneous tissue — mostly fat, with blood vessels and nerves running through it.

What we think of as our skin is actually that outer section, the epidermis. It’s in the very thin layers of the epidermis that our skin’s seasonal cycle — which lasts about 28 days — takes places. Brand-new cells are born in the lowest layers of the epidermis, and work their way to the surface as they grow. By the time they reach the surface, skin cells have been depleted and are ready be shed like the dry leaves of autumn trees.

Here’s the amazing part. Every hour on the hour, your skin sheds more than 30,000 dead cells — that’s around a million lost each day to shedding or washing. The shed cells make way for newer cells working their way to the surface. That’s the natural process of exfoliation.

As we get older, though, or when we’ve been careless about protecting our skin from damaging UV rays, that cycle can be interrupted or thrown out of whack. Skin cancer occurs when damaged areas allow mutant cancerous cells to grow faster than healthy cells, for example. A more common problem is when the skin turnover cycle slows down and becomes sluggish, which can happen as we age. New cells don’t form as quickly, and dead cells cling to the surface. The skin takes on a dull, rough, dry appearance, with fine lines and areas of darkened pigmentation from sun damage becoming more apparent.

You can give nature a hand by maintaining and even jump-starting the process of exfoliation. Here are some suggestions:

Use a mild exfoliating cleanser on your face and neck daily. SkinMedica’s AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser uses a combination of gentle fruit-based acids to wash away dead skin cells and improve overall tone and texture. Avoid using harsh scrubs or cleansers containing plastic beads, as these can damage already fragile skin.

Use an exfoliating shower gel (and a loofah or rotating cleansing brush) all over, once or twice a week. Be sure to keep all scrubbers clean and free from bacteria, and use an allover moisturizer after exfoliating and while your skin is still damp from the shower or bath.

Wear sunscreen every day! You know we have to throw this in, but it’s especially important when you use exfoliating cleansers or other mechanical exfoliation treatments.

Treat yourself to a professional facial and/or a peel on a regular basis. At Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena, our full range of spa services combine expert gentle exfoliation with deep moisturizing and other nourishing treatments.

Try microdermabrasion, dermaplaning, or an IPL FotoFacial to give your skin a jumpstart. These mechanical forms of exfoliation — which should be performed by licensed aestheticians and laser nurses in a medical setting to assure your skin’s health — strip away the skin’s dead and damaged outer layer, and stimulate the circulation and collagen formation that build healthy new skin cells and underlying structures.

If you have active acne, very sensitive skin, or skin with a tendency to form keloids, you should talk with your dermatologist before beginning any exfoliation process. At Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena, we’re happy to help you choose the exfoliation treatments and products that are right for your particular skin type and condition. Contact us today before the leaves begin to fall!

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Just for fun, here’s a classic late 1930s short film featuring glamorous actress Constance Bennett’s skin care ritual. Bennett was the highest paid actress in Hollywood at her peak, and was best known for the Topper films in which she starred as a high-society ghost alongside Cary Grant. In this short film, which is making the rounds again on social media, Bennett takes us through a “simple” routine that includes cleansing cream, “stimulating cream,” a mask, “glow base” makeup, powder, cream rouge, and lipstick — all applied around a morning bath drawn by her maid, on the way to make breakfast for her young son.

Your everyday morning skin care routines probably don’t include a long, luxurious bath (with or without a maid to draw it), and your skin product and makeup choices are more than likely very different from those of the 1930s. But the basics remain the same: cleansing, treating, moisturizing. One important step missing from Bennett’s routine — because no one knew the debilitating effects of UV radiation back then, and tanned skin was just beginning to come into popularity —  was sunscreen, a step no morning skin care ritual of today can do without. Fortunately, there’s a UV protection product for every skin type and lifestyle.

Today’s morning skin care rituals also benefit from combination products like tinted moisturizers, makeup with built-in SPF protection, and all-in-one daily treatment products like SkinMedica’s TNS Essential Serum. You may not have the glamorous luxury of Constance Bennett’s mornings, but with care you’ll have healthy, beautiful skin that lasts a youthful lifetime.

Need recommendations of products tailored just for your morning skin care rituals? Contact us!

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1 That sunscreen might not be working as well as it needs to.

Yes, we repeat our sunscreen message even more often than you need to reapply sunscreen itself. That’s because no other part of summer skin care (or year-round skin care, for that matter) is more important in preventing both skin cancer and premature aging. But of course sunscreen that doesn’t do its job — which is to provide you with broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection — might as well be no sunscreen at all. A recent Northwestern University study found that nearly 40 percent of the top-selling sunscreens on the market don’t meet American Academy of Dermatology standards, mostly due to overstating SPF or lacking sufficient water resistance. Prices for sunscreens can vary by a whopping 3000 percent, the study found. Your best bet? See your dermatologist for the best sunscreen for your skin and your budget.

2 Even if your sunscreen works, you may think you don’t need one.

We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again: everyone needs sunscreen, every day. Studies show, however, that people with dark skin — African Americans and Latinos in particular — are far less likely to use sunscreen on a regular basis than light-skinned people. They’re also far less likely to apply sunscreen to their children or teach children the importance of UV protection. It’s understandable, because most of us associate sun damage with sunburn — the visible reddening and peeling light-skinned people experience. But UV damage occurs just as often among dark-skinned people, with melanoma survival rates much lower because cancer is not often identified early enough. In people with dark skin, signs of skin cancer may more likely appear where they are least noticeable — on the soles of the feet, under the nails, on the scalp. If your skin is dark, please remember to use sunscreen and other UV protective measures on yourself and your children, and to schedule an annual skin check.

3 Blister care is part of summer skin care.

As the American Academy of Dermatology notes, summer is prime blister season. We wear sweet new sandals without breaking them in, or go for a hike or a run in ill-fitting shoes, or scorch our bare feet on hot sand or concrete. And blisters aren’t just for feet. Anywhere we experience chafing — from tight clothing, or sweat, or wet swimsuits — can see blisters form. “If you do get a blister, be patient and try to leave it alone,” says Dr. Anthony Rossi, a professor of dermatology at New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “Most blisters heal on their own in one to two weeks. Don’t resume the activity that caused your blister until it’s healed.”

For advice on these or any summer skin care issues, contact us today!

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