The study exposed the backs and buttocks of 100 volunteers to six doses of UVB rays.  A week later their skin was analyzed, revealing that the buttock area remained lighter in color and was much more resistant to tanning than the back area, despite the same level of UVB exposure.  In the UK’s Telegraph, Professor Jonathan Rees (Unviersity of Edinburgh) reported the reason being that the skin on bottoms is thicker than other areas of the body.  Part of the defense mechanism of a tan is to thicken the skin in a given area to protect its lower layers from UV damage.  Areas where the skin is already thick, like our bottoms, is less likely to tan as a defensive response to UV exposure.

What is the take home message?  If you are seeking an even, all-over tan, then you are chasing an impossibility.  The skin is not physically able to tan in this way and this study is simply more evidence to discourage tanning through UV exposure at all!  The still safest and most effective way to get an even tan is through topical tanning products like lotions, tan towels and shower bars.

The products from Neocutis definitely meet both criteria.  And while we can talk someone’s ear off about the benefits of their formulations, it is always reassuring for patients when a third party review backs up our findings too!  Check out this article in the San Francisco Examiner on Neocutis Bio-Serum.

Neocutis Bio-Serum uses PSP® (Processed Skin Cell Proteins), a balanced mixture of skin nutrients including cytokines, growth factors and antioxidants, combined with pro-collagen amino acids and a bio-mimetic peptide to safeguard the skin’s collagen and elastin against damage.  Skin plumping hyaluronic acid and line softening technology also work synergistically to help visibly transform the appearance of skin.  Contact our office to start and see the benefits of Bio-Serum for yourself!

What do we know?

Numerous studies have looked at this issue, and none have confirmed any link between sunscreens and skin cancer. Some researchers have speculated that since sunscreens allow users to stay out in the sun longer they may increase the risk of skin cancer.  There have also been worries about physical sunblocks zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (micronized).  The worry is that these may pose a danger if inhaled or absorbed through the skin.  A large National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded study found minimal skin absorption of titanium nanoparticles and this has been confirmed by other studies.  It is possible that inhaled nanoparticles may be risky.  So if you use a spray sunscreen keep it away from your face (spray on your hand and rub in) or hold your breath when you spray.

We do know that the sunscreens help prevent skin growths called actinic keratoses.  These are rough scaly patches that can develop into squamous cell cancer.  There  is less evidence that sunscreens protect against melanoma and basal cell cancer.  This may be because these two cancers are strongly linked to sunburn.  Your risk of melanoma doubles if you have had five or more sunburns at any  age or from just one blistering sunburn before the age of 20.  Basal cell cancer seems also to be linked to  the  amount of freckling and number of burns.  In other words excessive sun exposure definitely causes cancer!!

Given that we know the sun can cause cancer and the evidence is nonexistent that sunscreens cause cancer common sense should prevail. Use sunscreen!

Are sunscreens safe for the environment?

Unfortunately sunscreens are bad for the ocean environment!  They come off in the water and settle down to the coral reefs blocking vital UV radiation. What can you do?  I am a huge proponent of  light weight wetsuits and  UV protective rash guards used for surfing.  I always wear one when I snorkel or windsurf. It is easier to put one of these on your kids and yourself than to deal with suncreening your whole body and reapplication after swimming.  They come in cute colors and styles and are widely available.  You can bolster their UV blocking abilities by washing with SunGuard or a similar product.  They claim they are effective up to 20 washing  cycles or swimming dips!  Apply your sunscreen to your face and hands and cover up  the rest with UV protective clothing!! You save your skin and the ocean!

Sagging skin around the brow, cheeks, jawline and neck all contribute to a “tired” appearance, which can easily be addressed with the latest in non-invasive skin tightening procedure called Ultherapy.  My staff and I truly love the Ulthera.  Ultherapy uses ultrasound heat to stimulate the skin’s natural collagen building process, resulting in more sculpted skin.  Our nurses are expert at using the Ulthera applicator to focus the ultrasound energy at just the right depth below the skin to give you the safest, yet most effective treatment possible.  Your skin’s response to the energy is to generate new collagen, resulting in a natural lift of the skin over time (approximately 2-4 months).

The procedure lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the areas being treated and is appropriate for all skin types.  Comfort levels do vary with Ultherapy, so we will generally counsel patients prior to treatment on their medication options.  While some patients have reported mild swelling and tenderness in the treated areas, the Ultherapy procedure allows you to return to your normal activities right away - no special measures need to be taken.

I always like to stay on the “non-cutting” edge of the latest in skin tightening and after much research, I have great confidence in the results of Ultherapy.  Since having had the Ultherapy done myself,  I can see that my cheeks are now higher and my jawline is tighter, which definitely makes me look and feel more “rested.”  No more comments about looking tired for me!

Contact our office for more details on Ultherapy!

Questions that I often hear as a dermatologist about one of the most common skin nuisances.

To help keep from catching them or spreading them to others or to other places on your own skin, its important to know the basics.

Common warts seen on the hands and fingers are caused by certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV).   These strains are different from the ones that cause potentially serious diseases like cancer of the cervix.  In fact, different strains of HPV even cause different kinds of warts like plantar warts on the feet or smaller, flat warts seen on the face and legs.  With common warts, the virus causes rapid growth of cells on the outer layer of the skin resulting in flesh colored bumps with small black dots in them, which are actually clotted blood vessels.  Warts can eventually go away on their own (sometimes over a 2 year period), but to keep them from spreading, most people try to remove them with over the counter measures or with their doctor.  Warts are harmless, but people find them embarrassing and cosmetically annoying.

Like most viruses, warts spread through person to person contact or by person to object contact (like if you touch something a person with a wart has touched).  A wart may not actually develop until 2 to 6 months after exposure.  Depending on your immune system, you may be exposed to the virus, yet never develop a wart or you may have them as a kid and never develop them again as an adult.  I often joke with my patients that having a wart as adult is a sign of youth, as they are seen most often in children and young adults.  If you already have warts, keep in mind that they can spread through breaks in your skin, so don’t bite your nails or pick around your cuticles, especially after touching the wart!

At home treatments usually include salicylic acid medications or patches, which help peel away the affected layers of skin.  These work best if you can file down the top layers, then apply the medication.  I will often give patients a scalpel to help pare down the skin before using the patches to treat the wart in between visits.  Another at home treatment some patients try is duct tape.  They cover the wart for six days then remove the tape and file down the skin, then repeat the process until the wart dies.  While there is no real scientific evidence that duct tape works, some people give it a whirl.

At a doctor or dermatologist’s office, they may try freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen, which can be uncomfortable.  It causes a blister and the dead cells slough off after it has healed.  Injections of an antigen to stimulate your body’s natural immune process or laser may also be used for more stubborn warts.

If you have a wart, do not pick at it, bite it or shave over it as it may generate new warts nearby.  Do not use any accessory, like a nail file, on the wart and then on other areas.  Make sure to always wash your hands in general and especially after touching any wart.  Keep your hands as dry as possible - warts like a moist environment.  Wear footwear in public places like showers and locker rooms.

And most importantly, don’t despair.  Warts can be stubborn and some may seem like they are not responding to treatment or are taking a long time to go away.  Be persistent and consistent with treatment to get results.

For even more video clips on Thermage, check out this montage on YouTube.

Contact our office to learn more about Thermage and how it may work to keep your skin looking fitter and tighter in the years to come!

Well, Mosher and Danoff-Burg propose that habitual indoor tanning may, in some cases, be best characterized as an addiction with behavioral and physiologic dependency.  Roughly one third of the college students who took screening tests (one that is commonly used to screen for alcoholism and a tanning-specific substance related disorder test) met criteria for addiction to ultraviolet tanning. This subgroup also showed a greater tendency for substance abuse and anxiety, suggesting that habitual tanning may be a predictor of other addictive behaviors, such as alcoholism and cigarette smoking.

Looking at tanning with this mindset and identifying patients who show signs of addiction toward tanning will hopefully give the medical community a new way to approach this topic with their patients and help them avoid this risky behavior before they encounter potentially life threatening conditions like melanoma.

If it is simply the “tan look” that people seek, tanning alternatives continue to improve and are a great way to get a glow without any risk.  Our staff and patients are currently loving the products by TanTowel.  The self-tanning towelettes are easy to use, with a simple swipe on action.  Streaks and discolorations are easily avoidable with the towelette.  They also have a great self-tanning soap that is used conveniently in the shower to supplement your towelettes or to achieve a more gradual glow.  The towelettes and soap along with their self-tanning lotion give the most natural looking color that I have found among sunless tanning products.  Check with our office today for more information on the Tan Towel products and to give yourself a summer glow without the harmful UV rays!

Check out the June 2010 issue of Marie Claire magazine, where a writer undergoes the Zeltiq procedure and takes us through her personal experience from beginning to end.  We are delighted that her treatment delivered the same exciting results we have seen in our practice.  The Zeltiq uses cold temperature technology (cryolipolysis) to freeze and reduce fat cells in small, targeted areas around the waist and abdomen.  Maximum results are generally seen approximately 2 to 4 months after the treatment.  There is minimal (if any) downtime, minimal discomfort and the treatment only takes about an hour per section.  When the Zeltiq device first came to our office nearly 6 months ago, the staff jostled as to who would be first in line to try it out!  Since that time, we have all seen noticeable results with our own treatments and with that of our patients.  Call our office for more details and to try out one of the most exciting procedures of 2010.