WestDerm

If you’re stressed, you’re in good company. These are challenging times for many. Phones ring, doors slam, inboxes fill, and the list goes on. Add in responsibilities at work and home, and you can see why so many of us need to slow down and practice self-care so we can keep our hair full and our complexions clear. April is National Stress Month, so now’s the perfect time to take stock of stress and the effect it has on our health, including our skin and hair.  

 

Skin and Hair 

Stress takes a toll on our skin and hair. It might sound surprising, but it’s true. Stress has been linked to skin conditions like acne, psoriasis, and thinning hair. We all want to look and feel our best, which often comes down to our hair and skin looking healthy. But how do we maintain our skin and hair health during stressful times? 

 

How Stress Affects Your Hair 

Stress can cause three different types of hair loss. 

  

Caring For Your Hair 

If you’re under significant stress these days, it helps to use medical-grade haircare products to counter hair loss. These include hair-growth serum and nutritional supplements. 

 

Hair Growth Serum 

You can apply topical products directly to your scalp twice a day. They have ingredients that keep your hair-follicle life cycle growing with a blend of antioxidants and minerals. 

 

Supplements for Hair Growth 

West Dermatology carries products that help support your hair growth from the inside out. These oral supplements come in capsules and include the following quality products from Nutrafol: 

 

Skincare is Self-Care 

Managing stress levels will keep breakouts at bay. So will regular skin care like cleansing and moisturizing. Take your self-care to the next level by having a long, relaxing skin care routine at the end of the day that helps you unwind. Need some tips? Check out our recent blog post about Transitioning Your Skincare to Spring. 

 

Yoga to Relieve Stress 

You can calm the storm inside by hitting the mat and trying yoga. There is a reason people have practiced it for thousands of years. It’s a proven relaxation technique that relieves mental and physical stress by boosting your mood and enhancing your sense of well-being. So, take it one asana at a time, and you’ll see how much it helps you nama-STAY calm. 

  

Since April is National Stress Month, now’s the perfect time to assess your stress levels and the effect it has on your health, including your skin and hair. Remember, skin breakouts and hair loss don’t have to be an inevitable part of stress. Our board-certified dermatologists can help you keep the clearest skin and fullest head of hair possible. Reach out today to schedule an appointment and join the hundreds of other patients enjoying better skin and hair health. 

Did you know that signs of diabetes can show up on your skin? In honor of American Diabetes Alert Day (March 22) we’ll take a look at 10 skin conditions that are warning signs of high blood sugar caused by type 2 diabetes. These include dark skin on your neck, sores on your feet, and hard skin on your toes. 

 

Are You at Risk of Diabetes?  

Obesity is the number one risk factor for diabetes. So are other health issues like high blood pressure, or whether you developed gestational diabetes while pregnant. In addition, race and ethnicity also play a role in diabetes risk. African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Asian Americans, and American Indians have a greater risk of developing diabetes . Other risk factors include: 

 

 

10 Signs of Diabetes That Show Up On Skin 

 

  

How a Dermatologist is Your Partner in Skin Care 

Our dermatologists can help you care for skin if you have diabetes. They can help you prevent skin infections and develop a skin care routine to manage skin problems related to high blood sugar.  

 

Moisturized Skin 

You’ll also work together to develop a skin care routine for your extremely dry, itchy skin. This will give you relief, plus protect your skin barrier so bacteria stay out of your body. One example of this is on the heels of your feet, which can become hard and crack open, letting bacteria penetrate your skin and possibly cause an infection. Your dermatologist will recommend a product to keep the skin, including your heels, hydrated and your skin barrier intact.   

 

Extra Care For Your Feet 

Your dermatologist can teach you to look for ulcers (or open sores) on your feet which can be treated easily when detected early. Daily foot checks are important because if you have diabetes you can often detect wounds with your eyes that you otherwise wouldn’t notice because you can’t always feel a wound forming on your feet due to loss of sensation.  

 

Clean Skin  

If you have diabetes your dermatologist will want you to take extra care to make sure your skin is clean and that any wounds or sores are disinfected and dressed. That’s because high blood sugar predisposes you to infections, and even small wounds need extra care to prevent conditions like a staph infection.  

 

Skin Checks   

Your dermatologist will help you check for fungal infections which can show up on folds of the skin and also on your nails. Because fungi thrive in a sugary environment, you can help prevent them by making sure your blood sugar is controlled and not elevated.  

 

In honor of American Diabetes Alert Day, we’re raising awareness about diabetes risks, which include obesity, family history, and race and ethnicity. We’re also highlighting how signs of diabetes can show up on your skin. The number one sign of diabetes is dark, velvety skin on the neck, armpit, or groin. If you have diabetes, your dermatologist can be your partner in skin care. If you have any of the above signs of diabetes that worry you, join others who have come into our clinic to have it professionally checked.  

Is it just us, or does Fitz-patrick sound like St. Patrick? We think it does! And so in honor of St. Patrick’s Day this month let’s take a test to find out your unique Fitzpatrick skin type. It’s fun to find out where you fall on the scale. Plus, it’ll give you some important info that could save your skin. 

 

What is the Fitzpatrick Scale 

The Fitzpatrick scale is a tool for dermatologists to assess your risk of skin cancer. It rates two things: the amount of pigment in your skin and how your skin reacts to the sun. It can indicate how likely you are to develop skin cancer. 

 

Classify Your Skin 

The Fitzpatrick Skin Scale is a scientific way of classifying skin types. It breaks them down into six categories starting light and moving up to the darkest tones of skin. Just knowing your skin type can give you the information you need to protect your skin and prevent skin cancer.  

 

What’s Your Fitzpatrick Skin Type? 

Ready to take the test to find out your skin type? Just choose the number that best describes you. Then add up your numbers and check your score at the end of the quiz.  

 

What color are your eyes? 

0 – Light blue, gray or green  

1 – Blue, gray, or green 

2 – Blue 

3 – Dark Brown 

4 – Brownish Black 

 

What is the natural color of your hair? 

0 – Sandy red 

1 – Blonde 

2 – Chestnut/ Dark Blonde 

3 – Dark brown 

4 – Black 

 

What color is your skin in places where it is not exposed to the sun? 

0 – Reddish 

1 – Very Pale 

2 – Pale with a beige tint 

3 – Light brown 

4 – Dark brown  

 

Do you have freckles on unexposed areas? 

0 – Many 

1 – Several 

2 – Few 

3 – Incidental 

4 – None 

 

What happens when you stay too long in the sun? 

0 – Painful redness, blistering, peeling 

1 – Blistering followed by peeling 

2 – Burns sometimes followed by peeling 

3 – Rare burns 

4 – Never had burns 

 

To what degree do you turn brown? 

0 – Hardly or not at all 

1 – Light color tan 

2 – Reasonable tan 

3 – Tan very easily 

4 – Turn dark brown quickly 

 

Do you turn brown after several hours of sun exposure? 

0 – Never 

1 – Seldom 

2 – Sometimes 

3 – Often 

4 – Always 

 

How does your face react to the sun? 

0 – Very sensitive 

1 – Sensitive 

2 – Normal 

3 – Very resistant 

4 – Never had a problem 

 

When did you last expose your body to the sun? 

1 – More than 3 months ago 

2 – 2-3 months ago 

3 – 12 months ago 

4 – Less than a month ago 

5 – Less than 2 weeks ago 

 

Do you expose your face, or the area to be treated, to the sun? 

1 – Never 

2 – Hardly ever 

3 – Sometimes 

4 – Often 

5 – Always 

 

Quiz Score For Fitzpatrick Scale 

0-7 = Type I 

8-16 + Type II 

17-25 = Type III 

25-30 = Type IV 

Over 30 = Type V-VI 

 

Fitzpatrick Skin Type Characteristics 

 

Does Everyone Need Sunscreen? 

Yes, you need sun protection regardless of your Fitzpatrick skin type. Wear sunscreen with a high SPF if your skin is on the light side. You can get away with sunscreen with a lower SPF if your skin is on the darker side.  

 

Book an Annual Exam 

If your skin is on the light side (especially if you have red hair or freckles) you should see a dermatologist for an annual skin check starting at about age 30. If your skin is tan to dark, see a dermatologist for a yearly exam starting at about age 40. 

 

Ready to join the dozens of patients who know their skin type and use it to take care of their skin? Or, are you still not quite sure which category your skin fits int?  Book your appointment and your dermatologist will help you figure out the answer.  

Let’s celebrate National Cancer Prevention Month by revealing the truth behind some common skin cancer and sun damage myths. You’ve probably heard plenty of these untruths, and we’re here to set the record straight. Ready? Let’s dive right in. 

 

The truth is that you still need to wear sunscreen under your SPF foundation. That’s because you need an amount of sunscreen the size of a quarter to fully protect your face. And you don’t generally wear this much foundation. You would have to wear your foundation very thick to get the full SPF benefit promised on the bottle. So, apply sunscreen before your foundation (and remember your eyelids, ears, neck, and chest area too.) The SPF in your foundation could be helpful, but don’t count on it for full protection. 

 

There is no such thing as a safe tan from a tanning bed or the sun. The only safe tan comes in a bottle. Self-tanning lotions are the way to go if you enjoy a bronzed look. 

 

Our dermatologists say chemical sunscreen is not bad for your skin. It’s considered effective and a lot safer than no sunscreen. You can always choose a physical (mineral) sunscreen instead if you have any reservations about using a chemical one. 

 

These two types of rays damage your skin differently. While UVA (Ages) your skin, UVB (Burns) it. That’s why you need broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect you from both types of rays. 

 

Your house’s windows block UVB rays. So, it’s not likely you’ll get a sunburn while sitting under direct sunlight in your house. But your skin is still exposed to UVA rays, which age it. Regular glass in homes does not filter out UVA rays. Wear sunscreen on your face and body every day, even if you plan to stay inside.  

 

Melasma affects plenty of young people in their mid to late twenties. It’s the most common form of cancer in young adults in this age group. So, pay attention to moles and see your doctor for a skin check if they change. 

 

Everyone is susceptible to skin cancer. Even people with the darkest skin tones are at risk. You need to wear sunscreen daily and protect yourself regardless of your skin color.  

 

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the world. It affects one in five people. That’s right, 20 percent of people will get some form of skin cancer during their lifetime. It helps to know your risk is real so you can take prevention seriously.   

 

The sun continues to cause DNA damage, cancer, and premature aging year-round, even in the winter. Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean the sun stops shining. It’s with us. Every. Single. Day. And so are its damaging rays. Slather on a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen regardless of the season.  

 

Clouds reduce some of the sun’s UV rays, but not nearly enough to protect your skin from cancer. That’s why the Skin Cancer Foundation recommends you wear sunscreen on cloudy days. Remember, the only time you’re entirely protected is at night when the sun is down.  

 

You’ve just read the truth about skin cancer and sun damage myths and now you’re better prepared to protect yourself. What a great way to celebrate National Cancer Prevention Month! The only bigger step you can take is to join hundreds of our patients who have booked their annual skin checkup.