Everyone should use sun protection including children. If you are planning
to be outside longer than 20 minutes sunscreens should be used. Regular
use of sunscreens can protect your skin from sun damage and reduce risk of skin
cancer. Sunscreens should be applied to dry skin 15-30 minutes before
venturing outside. Re-applying every 2 hours, after swimming or perspiring
heavily will greatly reduce your sun exposure risk. Choose a sunscreen
with an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 15 or higher. Use sunscreens with
ingredients like benzophenones, oxybenzone, sulisbenzone,
titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and avobenzone (Parsol 1789) to protect against
UVA and UVB rays. Both UVA and UVB rays can cause slow cancer.
Sunscreens with PABA and PABA esters only protect against UVB light. Of
course avoiding peak sunlight hours (10am-4pm), seeking the shade, and wearing
protective clothing (wide brimmed hat, sunglasses, long sleeved shirt and pants)
during prolonged periods of sun exposure. Repeated sunburns substantially
increase the risk for melanoma. This is very important to remember with
children. One last thing to keep in mind is that there is no safe way to tan,
not even tanning booths. Tanning booths emit UVA radiation which poses
serious risks to the skin including premature aging and skin cancer.
Typically occurring in the adolescent patient, acne can
occur at any age. Acne develops when sebum (oil) blocks pores and bacteria
grow. A comedone then forms as either a blackhead and whitehead. The
usual body areas affected by acne are the face, neck, chest, back and shoulders.
Acne vulgaris is a severe form of acne consisting of blackheads, whiteheads,
papules (red tender bumps with no head), pustules, nodules (hard bumps under the
skin surface), and cysts (pus filled firm bumps under skins surface).
There is no evidence to suggest that certain foods or stress cause acne.
Treatment depends on the severity of acne. Mild acne may be treated by
gentle washing and benzoyl peroxide. Moderate and severe forms of acne may
require the addition of antimicrobials, retinoids and other types of medications
or treatments. These forms of acne are best treated by a qualified
dermatologist.
Determining whether
you have skin cancer can be very difficult without the assistance of a trained
medical professional. Often skin cancers resemble benign (non-cancer)
appearing skin growths or lesions. There are however a few warning signs
that are associated with skin cancer. Any skin growth or lesion that
crusts, bleeds, doesn't heal, becomes an open sore, has a raised edge with a
depressed center, appears as a shiny bump, is multi-colored, changes in size or
color, or has irregular poorly defined borders requires an immediate evaluation
by a qualified medical professional. Because skin cancers can be most
easily cured the sooner that they are diagnosed you shouldn't hesitate to seek
medical assistance.
Pseudofolliculitis barbae is the medical term
for a condition commonly known as razor bumps. Razor bumps are small,
irritated bumps on the skin that develop after shaving when a portion of hair
curls back on itself and grows into the skin. Commonly seen among
African-Americans and people with tightly coiled hair, razor bumps tend to be
more of a problem for men than women since many men shave daily. Razor
bumps can cause irritation, develop into pimples and ultimately cause scarring.
By using a clean needle to release the imbedded hair shaft it is possible to
treat razor bumps. The only way to completely eliminate razor bumps is to
stop shaving. This usually stops razor bumps from developing, depending on the
severity. Razor bumps will typically return when you resume shaving. Hair
removal products (depilatories) may be used as an alternative to shaving.
However, these products may also irritate the skin and therefore should not be
overused. Laser treatments may be an option. Laser treatment destroys the hair
follicle and reduces the number of bumps that form. This procedure should
be performed by an experienced cosmetic dermatologist.
The following shaving instructions can prevent razor bumps from forming:
Take a hot shower before shaving to soften the hair and open the pores. Use a
thick shaving gel. Don't stretch the skin when shaving and always shave in the
direction your beard grows.Use the fewest razor strokes possible. Rinse with
cold water. Use a after shave lotion.
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The best source to obtain information is
directly from a dermatologist. Because distinguishing between the variety
of potential causes of a skin condition requires years of experience it is often
difficult for the untrained person to accurately make a diagnosis. With
that said, the American Academy of Dermatology (www.aad.org)
and Dermatology.com (www.dermatology.com)
are excellent sources of information that is available online.
