Archive for the ‘Skin Care & Medication’ Category

It is critical that basic skin care in Utah measures be maintained in order to keep atopic dermatitis under control. Basic steps include avoiding substances that trigger eczema, selecting and using appropriate skin care products and frequent moisturizing.

Moisturizers for Eczema

One of the most important steps for treating and managing atopic dermatitis is to use a moisturizer. Moisturizers provide a layer of protection from irritants, trap moisture in the skin, help restore the skin barrier, and improve the skin’s appearance.

Regular use of a moisturizer for eczema may reduce the need for other medicines.

Moisturizers are best applied at least twice a day within 3 minutes after a bath, shower, or swim.

When choosing an eczema moisturizer, look for a hypoallergenic and ointment-based product. Thicker moisturizers will protect the skin longer than lighter lotions. Avoid moisturizers containing alcohol, fragrances, or other chemicals that can irritate the skin. Even seemingly harmless substances like glycerin can dry the skin of people with atopic dermatitis.

Brand names of frequently recommended moisturizers include:

• CeraVe
• Cetaphil
• Eucerin
• Aquaphor
• Vaseline Petroleum Jelly—-though thick, it is quickly absorbed by very dry skin

Before applying the moisturizer for eczema, use tepid water and a gentle cleanser to remove dead skin cells. Do not scrub or rub excessively. Apply the moisturizer immediately afterward while the skin is still damp.

Remember to use plenty of moisturizer to keep atopic dermatitis at bay, especially in children. Keeping a child’s skin sufficiently moisturized could require as much as 1-2 bottles of moisturizer per week. Adults will need even more.

Bleach Baths

Bleach baths may be recommended for some individuals, particularly children, to help keep eczema under control and to reduce the chance of developing skin infections, such as impetigo.

There are several options for eczema or atopic dermatitis treatment.

Our Utah County dermatologists will recommend a eczema treatment plan based on several variables, including:

• the type or cause of your eczema
• the location of the rash (face vs. knee)
• the severity of eczema and its impact on your life
• the duration of symptoms (acute vs. chronic). Long-lasting symptoms may require more potent eczema medications.
• Results from previous treatments
• Your personal preferences

The goals of eczema treatment are to heal the skin, prevent new flare-ups, and reduce the urge to scratch, which can lead to even greater problems.

Eczema treatment may need to be sustained for many months to bring it under control, and eczema treatments often need to be repeated.

There are a variety of eczema medications available. These can be categorized as follows:

• Topical corticosteroids
• Calcineurin inhibitors (Elidel, Protopic)
• Antihistamines
• Antibiotics
• Oral corticosteroids (prednisone)
• Immunosuppressants (cyclosporine)

Dry skin in Utah, also referred to as xerosis, is often itchy and irritating. Dry skin results from the loss of oils (sebum) in the skin that serve as a natural moisturizer. This may occur with excessive bathing (particularly with hot water), low humidity (in desert climates or cold winter weather), advancing age, or the use of drying soaps (antibacterial, deodorant soaps, Ivory).

In addition, several skin disorders, such as atopic dermatitis, lead to dry skin.

The tendency for dry skin runs in families and is usually a recurring problem, especially in winter. Because of this seasonal occurrence, it is sometimes referred to as “winter itch.”

It is important to regularly apply a moisturizer when your skin becomes dry.

Moisturizer is best applied within 3 minutes after a shower or bath when your skin is still damp, but not wet.

Use hypoallergenic and fragrance-free moisturizers. The drier the skin, the “thicker” the moisturizer should be. For some people with very dry skin, petrolatum (Vaseline) is quickly absorbed and may be required to sufficiently moisturize the skin. Other effective moisturizers that are readily available include:

• CeraVe
• Cetaphil
• Eucerin
• Aquaphor

In severe cases, your doctor may recommend a urea- or lactic-acid-based product.

The following skin self-exam animation from Understand.com provides step-by-step instructions for performing a skin self-exam.

View Skin Self Exam Animation

1. First inspect your hands, including the tops of your hands, your fingernails, your palms, and the skin between your fingers.
2. Next, stand in front of a full length mirror and examine your face and ears.
3. Part your hair to ensure you can clearly see your scalp.
4. Continue by inspecting your neck, chest, and torso; women should check under their breasts as well.
5. Lift your arms to examine your underarms, elbows, and the front and back sides of your arms.
6. Proceed by turning your back toward the full length mirror, and use a small handheld mirror to inspect your neck, shoulders, back, buttocks, and the back side of your legs.
7. To complete the exam, sit in a chair and examine your genitals, the front side of your legs, and your feet, including the tops of your feet, your toenails, heels, soles, and the skin between your toes.

The purpose of a skin self exam is to identify any patches of skin that may be indicative of skin cancer. The three most common forms of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma.

The animation also walks through the ABCDEs of melanoma detection and cover the importance of recording your findings with a body mole map and discussing your findings with your doctor.

To many, this question may seem ridiculous.

However, if you are NOT guilty of popping a pimple EVER, we salute you.

Picking at acne can be really dangerous to your skin.

Have you been told popping an occasional zit is a healthy thing?

Have you ever heard the never-ending cleanliness sermon from your mom, “Don’t pop your pimples, you’ll only make your acne worse…Blah, blah, blah… That’s why your skin looks awful now. Stop that!” We’ve all heard it.

At the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, dermatologist Alexa Boer Kimball, MD, decided to place pimple popping into the skin malarkey category, as scientifically unfounded acne aggravator.

Yet still with this categorizing, the question remains, “Does zit popping make acne worse and what evidence is there to prove it?”

The Real Issue: Why People Pop Zits in the First Place

To solve this issue, first, you need to know why you pop zits. The clear-cut answer is because zits are ugly and make you feel ugly and depressed.

Research supports this finding. For instance, a study published in the 2006 edition of the Journal of the American of Dermatology found that out of 387 dermatology patients who completed the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, 37 patients (9.6%) suffered from major depression.

Similarly, in 2000, a report in the same journal found that of 268 dermatology patients, 11.9% suffered from body dysmophic disorder (BBD), that is, they had a preoccupation with feeling ugly or having a nonexistent flaw in their appearance.

Another study published in Dermatologic Surgery in the June 2004 that examined facial scarring that resulted from acne excoriée concluded facial scarring could be controlled by first removing the underlining psychological disorders to control the impulse for desire to squeeze pimples.

Collectively, this data tells us that people pop zits because pimples the make them feel ugly and in order to stop bursting zits, you need to control the impulse to correct a bodily flaw.

This can be done by reminding yourself that your zit does not look as big to everyone else as it looks to you. Here lies the crux of the problem. Never let a zit make you feel like the village freak.

Even if that self-esteem booster does not work and you go ahead and pop the zit, will it make your acne worse? At first glance, that zit you targeted embodies a number of traits including compromised skin shedding, blockage of the pores and inflammation.

There Is a Time to Squeeze and a Time Not to Squeeze

Long answer short, pimple popping can aggravate acne because your skin contains a community of pores and what you do to one pimply-puss infested pore will affect the neighboring pore. The key is to time the popping of your zit right. Not all pimples are ideal for popping. Pop-ready zits are puss filled and above the surface of the skin. Such pimples are easily extracted with a sterile needle.

Acne-inducing pimple squeezing happens when you attempt to pop a pimple that is still beneath the surface of the skin and bordered by healthy, non-infected pores. Such pimples need time to rise to the upper layers of the skin and in some instances, may require medical extraction.

So, listen to Mom and please do not pop your pimples prematurely. Nevertheless, if pimple popping is an uncontrollable problem for you, a report published in Dermatologic Therapy found that hypnosis does help control the impulsive behaviors that can lead to pimple popping. The next time you are gazing into the mirror and that zits looks grossly humongous, but truly should not get squeezed, remove your hands from your face and just repeat after me, “I will let my zit to heal, I will let my zit heal, I will let my zit heal…” Good luck.

Sources:

American Academy of Dermatology, The Stubborn Truth About Acne: Myths and Misconceptions February 15, 2005.

Bowes L.E.1; Alster T.S. Treatment of Facial Scarring and Ulceration Resulting from Acne Excoriée with 585-nm Pulsed Dye Laser Irradiation and Cognitive Psychotherapy. Dermatologic Surgery: Volume 30, Number 6, pp. 934-938(5), June 2004,

Cohen, Arnon D, Andr’e Ofek–Shlomai, Daniel A. Vardy, Zeev Weiner, MD and Pesach Shvartzman, MD. Depression in dermatological patients identified by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview questionnaire. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology: Volume 54, Issue 1, Pages 94-99, January 2006.

Shenefelt P.D. Biofeedback, cognitive-behavioral methods, and hypnosis in dermatology: Is it all in your mind? Dermatologic Therapy: Volume 16, Number 2, pp. 114-122(9), June 2003.

What is a skin care myth you’ve heard recently?

Did you believe it?

People have a lot of concepts about skin care in Utah County.

Many of these skin care myths are quite a bit out there.

False skin care concepts cause a lot of bad skin health decisions and horrible monetary choices.

Thankfully, there are ways to avoid these difficulties without too much problem.

5 Skin Care Myths to Be Aware Of

1. Skin care problems can be erased swiftly. Unfortunately, some conditions are chronic, meaning that their healing process is sluggished and methodical. Luckily, they can still be take off, so commitment and control will help explain these evils.
2. Dry Skin creates wrinkles. Although crumpled skin looks nicer when moisturized, there is zero proof that shows that the moisturizer will actually stop old wrinkles.
3. Males do not have as many skin problems as girls. GuysMen have just as many wrinkles as ladies and get other skin care difficulties just as often. It is more common that women are more fretting about their appearance, so they speak about and spread these myths a lot more.
4. Acne is generated by your food. Acne is created by oils and clogging of the pores. Food products can not create these issues, unless you massage your face with the grease from tons of these products. However, consuming these products directly will not create the skin difficulties you presently are faced with.
5. Tanning is safe. All the gorgeous girls with awesome tans would like to know that tanning is risk free. Unfortunately, the UV rays can actually be fatal and hugely damaging, especially to your skin. This can create early wrinkles, cancer, and infection.

How many of these skin care myths have you heard?

Did you know that SKIN is the largest organ in your body?

Surprised?

Because of the dry air, it’s important to understand the basics of dry skin care in Utah County in order to revive the skin and give it the proper protection it needs.

Skin is all over you, providing a protective covering to your muscles and tissues. In today’s dry Utah environment where the weather and air quality change on a daily basis, our skin needs protection from harmful UV radiation, pollution, and dust.

Unfortunately, our skin takes the beating and protects our muscles, tissues, and various organs from getting directly impacted. This direct impact can lead to dry and itchy skin.

When we talk about dry skin care in Utah, most of us are reliant on only moisturizers because we think it’s logical to moisturize. Before we even go there, let’s first understand what causes dry skin.

Cause of Dry Skin in Utah

Our body produces natural oils and moisturizer to maintain a balance. If this oil is lost for any reason our skin becomes dry. The loss of oil could be because of cold weather, pollution in the environment, and exposure to dirt. This oil is used to keep the skin moist and also helps our skin maintain natural nutrients. When this oil is lost our skin becomes dry and itchy.

Dry skin care in Utah is not a very complex process to follow.

5 Natural Ways to Help Dry Skin in Utah

1. Stay away from skin care products that are not natural. 
These products might be manufactured using harmful chemicals or harsh chemicals that can further make your skin dry. Instead use natural skin care products
2. Use natural ways to moisturize the body. 
Drink ample amount of water to provide natural moisture
3. Avoid dry and harsh weather. 
Protect your skin from weather. Cover it properly if you are going out.
4. Avoid unnecessary prolonged hot showers. 
Long exposure to hot water washes the natural oils of our body.
5. Work with a Utah County dermatologist. We had to put this one in

Dry skin care is very easy if you follow these tips.

People have a lot of concepts about skin care in Utah County.

Tons of these skin care issues and myths are miscommunicated.

These skin care concepts cause a lot of bad skin health decisions and horrible monetary choices.

Thankfully, there are ways to avoid these difficulties without too much problem.

1. Tanning is safe. All the gorgeous girls with awesome tans would like to know that tanning is risk free. Unfortunately, the UV rays can actually be fatal and hugely damaging, especially to your skin. This can create early wrinkles, cancer, and infection.
2. Dry Skin creates wrinkles. Although crumpled skin looks nicer when moisturized, there is zero proof that shows that the moisturizer will actually stop old wrinkles.
3. Skin care problems can be erased swiftly. Unfortunately, some conditions are chronic, meaning that their healing process is sluggished and methodical. Luckily, they can still be take off, so commitment and control will help explain these evils.
4. Males do not have as many skin problems as girls. GuysMen have just as many wrinkles as ladies and get other skin care difficulties just as often. It is more common that women are more fretting about their appearance, so they speak about and spread these myths a lot more.
5. Acne is generated by your food. Acne is created by oils and clogging of the pores. Food products can not create these issues, unless you massage your face with the grease from tons of these products. However, consuming these products directly will not create the skin difficulties you presently are faced with.

How many of these skin care myths have you heard?

Do you “pop your zits”?

Have you been told this is a healthy thing?

Have you ever heard the never-ending cleanliness sermon from your mom, “Don’t pop your pimples, you’ll only make your acne worse…Blah, blah, blah… That’s why your skin looks awful now. Stop that!” We’ve all heard it.

But really, will popping zits make your acne worse or is it just another acne myth?

At the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, dermatologist Alexa Boer Kimball, MD, decided to place pimple popping into the skin malarkey category, as scientifically unfounded acne aggravator.

Yet still with this categorizing, the question remains, “Does zit popping make acne worse and what evidence is there to prove it?”

The Real Issue: Why People Pop Zits in the First Place

To solve this issue, first, you need to know why you pop zits. The clear-cut answer is because zits are ugly and make you feel ugly and depressed.

Research supports this finding. For instance, a study published in the 2006 edition of the Journal of the American of Dermatology found that out of 387 dermatology patients who completed the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, 37 patients (9.6%) suffered from major depression.

Similarly, in 2000, a report in the same journal found that of 268 dermatology patients, 11.9% suffered from body dysmophic disorder (BBD), that is, they had a preoccupation with feeling ugly or having a nonexistent flaw in their appearance.

Another study published in Dermatologic Surgery in the June 2004 that examined facial scarring that resulted from acne excoriée concluded facial scarring could be controlled by first removing the underlining psychological disorders to control the impulse for desire to squeeze pimples.

Collectively, this data tells us that people pop zits because pimples the make them feel ugly and in order to stop bursting zits, you need to control the impulse to correct a bodily flaw.

This can be done by reminding yourself that your zit does not look as big to everyone else as it looks to you. Here lies the crux of the problem. Never let a zit make you feel like the village freak.

Even if that self-esteem booster does not work and you go ahead and pop the zit, will it make your acne worse? At first glance, that zit you targeted embodies a number of traits including compromised skin shedding, blockage of the pores and inflammation.

What Matters to Your Skin Is What Happens After You Pop the Zit

Given these circumstances, what will happen after you pop the zit? Well, you will create a mess and after that your skin will need to start the repair process.

Wounds heal in a series of steps. The bleeding must stop, inflammation starts to disinfect the area, this inflammation causes more cells will grow to replace the damaged ones and the finally then skin will begin to renew itself.

The Acne-Triggering Chain Reaction

So, when you squeeze a zit, you immediately trigger more of the traits of acne, which include inflammation. No only this but squeezing affects multiple pores located next to you target pimple to pop.

This leads us to another cause of acne- premature breaking of a pore that is congested with excess oils and proteins. Busting such a pore promotes the inflammation response to remove the oils and proteins from surrounding tissues.

There Is a Time to Squeeze and a Time Not to Squeeze

Long answer short, pimple popping can aggravate acne because your skin contains a community of pores and what you do to one pimply-puss infested pore will affect the neighboring pore. The key is to time the popping of your zit right. Not all pimples are ideal for popping. Pop-ready zits are puss filled and above the surface of the skin. Such pimples are easily extracted with a sterile needle.

Acne-inducing pimple squeezing happens when you attempt to pop a pimple that is still beneath the surface of the skin and bordered by healthy, non-infected pores. Such pimples need time to rise to the upper layers of the skin and in some instances, may require medical extraction.

So, listen to Mom and please do not pop your pimples prematurely. Nevertheless, if pimple popping is an uncontrollable problem for you, a report published in Dermatologic Therapy found that hypnosis does help control the impulsive behaviors that can lead to pimple popping. The next time you are gazing into the mirror and that zits looks grossly humongous, but truly should not get squeezed, remove your hands from your face and just repeat after me, “I will let my zit to heal, I will let my zit heal, I will let my zit heal…” Good luck.

Sources:

American Academy of Dermatology, The Stubborn Truth About Acne: Myths and Misconceptions February 15, 2005.

Bowes L.E.1; Alster T.S. Treatment of Facial Scarring and Ulceration Resulting from Acne Excoriée with 585-nm Pulsed Dye Laser Irradiation and Cognitive Psychotherapy. Dermatologic Surgery: Volume 30, Number 6, pp. 934-938(5), June 2004,

Cohen, Arnon D, Andr’e Ofek–Shlomai, Daniel A. Vardy, Zeev Weiner, MD and Pesach Shvartzman, MD. Depression in dermatological patients identified by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview questionnaire. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology: Volume 54, Issue 1, Pages 94-99, January 2006.

Shenefelt P.D. Biofeedback, cognitive-behavioral methods, and hypnosis in dermatology: Is it all in your mind? Dermatologic Therapy: Volume 16, Number 2, pp. 114-122(9), June 2003.

In a recent post about skin care in Utah, we talked about doing self-examinations for moles on your skin.

Per the request of clients at Aspen Dermatology, here is a bit more information about checking for moles.

If you notice a mole that is different from others, or which changes, itches, or bleeds even if it is smaller than 6 millimeter, see your Utah skin doctor.

CHECK YOURSELF FROM HEAD TO TOE.

1. Look at your face, neck, ears, and scalp. You may want to use a comb or a blow dryer to move your hair so you can see better. You also may want to have a relative or friend check through your hair because this is difficult to do yourself.
2. Look at the front and back of your body in the mirror, then raise your arms and look at your left and right sides.
3. Bend your elbows and look carefully at your fingernails, palms, forearms (including the undersides), and upper arms.
4. Examine the back, front, and sides of your legs. Also look between your buttocks and around your genital area.
5. Sit and closely examine your feet, including the toenails, the soles, and the spaces between the toes.

By checking your skin regularly, you will become familiar with what is normal for you. It may be helpful to record the dates of your skin exams and write notes about the way your skin looks. If you find anything unusual, see your Utah dermatologist right away.

Always tell your Utah skin doctor if:

• You have any new or unusual sores or spots on your skin.
• A mole or skin lesion changes in size, color, or texture.
• You have a sore that does not heal.