Simple Skincare: Maximizing Skin Health with a Few Easy Steps

For those with no serious skin conditions, skincare can be something that often falls to the wayside when schedules get busy during the holiday season. However, even if you don’t suffer from rosacea or acne and aren’t ready for wrinkle treatments, it’s important to take care of your skin now to prevent future issues like the signs of aging or even skin cancer. There are four main steps to maintaining healthy skin: cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize, and apply sunscreen.

Cleanse: Choose a cleanser that works with your skin type (dry, oily, combination, sensitive, normal), and wash your skin once or twice a day with warm water. Over-cleansing can dry out your skin, and washing in very hot or cold water can cause broken capillaries or visible facial veins. Those with dry skin should choose a creamy cleanser, and oily-skinned individuals should opt for a clear cleanser. If you wear makeup, make sure to remove it with a makeup remover before going to bed to prevent dirt and bacteria from building up in your pores.

Exfoliate: In order to protect you from outside elements, your skin is constantly regenerating new skin cells. However, sometimes dead skin cells don’t slough off as easily as they should. Exfoliation helps to remove the dead skin cells from the surface of the skin. Using a gentle scrub with small polishing particles, lightly rub the face in a circular motion working from the inside out.

Each person’s exfoliation schedule depends on his or her skin type. Those with more sensitive facial skin may need to stick to weekly exfoliation, while those with more durable or oily skin may exfoliate more often. The key to exfoliation is gentleness. Remember that the exfoliation process is supposed to leave the skin healthier afterward, not irritated and red.

Moisturize: There are multiple moisturizers on the market that work well for individuals of all different skin types. Cleansing the face removes any dirt or oil that could clog pores, but it also often strips the skin of its natural moisturizing and protective oils. By applying the appropriate moisturizer for your skin type, your skin can replenish the oils eliminated by the cleanser and protect itself from outside elements.

Apply Sunscreen: Of all the skincare steps one should take, applying daily sunscreen is the most important. The main cause of wrinkles is unprotected sun exposure. UV rays hasten the aging process, breaking down the support structure behind the skin creating lax tissue that makes us look older than we are. A simple daily application of a broad spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen on facial skin can help prevent advanced signs of aging as well as skin cancer. There are currently many moisturizers on the market that include SPF for a combination of the last two steps.

Skincare is often much simpler than people think. A quick 4-step regimen takes less than 10 minutes to complete and sets you up for healthy skin now and in the future. Our Skin Medics™ Medical Spa can formulate an easy skincare program catered toward your age and skin type.

For individuals who may suffer from dermatological problems like psoriasis or eczema and need more than a simple skincare regimen, we recommend you make an appointment with one of our highly trained dermatologists. We can also offer information on our other services like vein removal, laser tattoo removal, facial rejuvenation, and treatment of other skin conditions.

You can keep up with DAA’s latest news on Facebook and Twitter as well!

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Study Emphasizes Sun Protection over Water Consumption for Beautiful Skin

We’ve all heard that drinking 8 glasses of water a day keeps your skin glowing and dewy. However, a recent investigation by the British Nutrition Foundation found that protecting your skin from the sun along with maintaining a healthy diet is much more important in achieving a healthy complexion and fighting the signs of aging.

While drinking water is important as part of adequate nutrition, forcing down 8 glasses a day to keep your skin hydrated may not be necessary. According to the BNF, “There currently appears to be very little scientific evidence relating to the effects of water consumption on skin hydration, and whether drinking more or less water actually has any impact on skin appearance.” Instead, eating a healthy range of fruits and vegetables that contain vitamins A, B, C, and E and wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen every day are better actions to prevent wrinkles and fine lines.

Unprotected sun exposure is a proven cause of skin cancer as well as wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. This is one reason that legislation in California was recently passed that banned teens under 18 from tanning salons even if they had their parents’ permission. Sun exposure breaks down the support structures in the skin speeding up the aging process and producing fine lines and sunspots.

While it’s still important to regularly drink water, Dermatology Associates of Atlanta encourages our patients to take further measures to ensure the health of their skin and postpone the signs of aging from appearing.

For more information on anti-aging, skin cancer prevention or treatment, skincare, or dermatology contact us.  You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter with the latest in dermatology news and updates!

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California Passes Tanning Bed Ban for Teens

California recently became the first state to ban those under 18 from using tanning salons because of connection between tanning beds and skin cancer. While awaiting FDA regulations on teens and tanning, California Governor Jerry Brown signed the measure prohibiting tanning salons from allowing anyone under 18 to use tanning beds, regardless of parental approval. Georgia hasn’t banned the use of tanning beds for those under 18, but it is one of the states that requires in-person, parental permission for anyone under 18 to tan in a tanning bed.

According to stats from the National Cancer Institute up to 35% of 17-year-old girls will use a tanning bed to maintain their summer glow. Other studies have indicated that tanners, especially young girls, can exhibit behaviors demonstrating an addiction to indoor tanning. Additionally, tanning beds use activity that exposes humans to some of the highest levels of carcinogens to humans, increasing the risk of developing melanoma by 75%. Tanning beds utilize concentrated ultraviolet light which can cause sunburn and speed up the skin’s aging process and increase the risk of deadly skin cancer. Those who tan indoors are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma.

In fact, a recent article published in Skin & Allergy News links the spike in current melanoma cases amongst women aged 25 to 34 to the use of tanning beds during their teens in the 1990s. One dermatologist said that almost all of his melanoma patients admitted to using a tanning bed at some point in their past.

At Dermatology Associates of Atlanta, we encourage our patients to avoid unprotected sun exposure including the use of tanning beds. For those who may not have adhered to this rule in the past, we perform annual skin cancer screenings to ensure no cancer is present, and identify any pre-cancers (actinic keratosis), to begin skin cancer treatment plans if necessary.

Skin cancer treatments like photodynamic therapy which destroys cancerous tissue, topical chemotherapy for basal cell carcinomas, cryosurgery to freeze and eliminate abnormal tissue, and Mohs skin cancer surgery to remove the cancerous tissue layer by layer, are all available at Dermatology Associates of Atlanta. Depending on the patient and type of skin cancer, some laser treatments from our Laser Institute of Georgia may also be used instead of cryosurgery.

For more information on skin cancer symptoms, prevention, and treatment, contact us. You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest dermatology and skin cancer news.

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Dermatology Associates of Atlanta Featured in Jezebel Magazine Who’s Who of Atlanta

Dermatology Associates of Atlanta‘s Drs. Griffin, Karempelis, and Curtis were featured in Jezebel Magazine‘s October Who’s Who issue on newsstands now! For more information on DAA and our doctors or to schedule an appointment, contact us! You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for more news and updates.

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Treating Skin Conditions for Children, Teens, and Patients of All Ages

Although Dermatology Associates of Atlanta offers various cosmetic skin services like laser hair removal, fat reduction, and facial rejuvenation (to name a few), we are still board certified dermatologists trained to treat a variety of skin conditions. A blog from Best Health magazine earlier this month reminded us of how difficult it is for children and teens to deal with acne, psoriasis, eczema, and more. The Article was intended to help parents teach their children how to maintain a positive body image and equip them with tools to deal with insensitive peers.

As we all know, acne is frustrating at any age. No one wants a big whitehead on his or her nose, but most of us remember a period when hormones seemed to cause pimples to crop up like crazy. It’s not only important to teach your children how to ignore teasing from their peers, but also to teach them how to take care of their skin so future breakouts are minimized. You could also take them to see a dermatologist for different alternatives such as skin treatment options like Isolaz™for acne if over-the-counter cleansers are not working and you want to avoid oral medications.  However, tried and true medications for acne include benzyl peroxides (OTC), topical antibiotics, topical retinoic acid, and topical salicylic acid (OTC).  While some of these medications are available over-the-counter a dermatologist can prescribe stronger versions if needed. Oral medications are usually considered in more severe cases, and in the most severe cases Accutane may be prescribed.

While not as common in younger people, psoriasis is another skin condition that can be physically, emotionally, and socially uncomfortable for a child or even teenager. We have an entire center devoted to psoriasis, the Psoriasis Treatment Center. While psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that is rarely relieved by ointments and medications, our patients often find relief with our PHAROS EX-308 Eximer Laser treatments. We also offer prescription compounds and other therapies like psoralen soaks for the palms and soles to relieve discomfort and itching.  Light treatments are also common for psoriasis patients.  Now for some patients biologics may be the only treatment that gives total body lasting control, but this is usually reserved for the older patients where all other forms of treatments have been tried.

Although it’s one of the most common skin conditions, itchy eczema can also make kids and teens want to hide their skin. Our dermatologists can prescribe compounds to help relieve eczema symptoms in hopes that children and teens with eczema will feel as comfortable as possible in their own skin. Light therapy is commonly used to tame the more difficult eczema cases.  At times, dermatitis may be aggravated by certain laundry detergents and fabric softeners. Avoiding free washing with drying soaps and fabric softeners designed for the dryer seem to be most helpful in the long-term control of this unyielding dermatitis. DAA’s Laser Institute of Georgia can also provide removal of skin conditions or imperfections with laser birthmark removal (hemangiomas), laser wart removal, and mole removal.

Dermatology Associates of Atlanta believes it’s important to educate young patients on proper skin care, skin condition treatment, and positive body image. It’s very important for parents to support their children in dealing with their skin conditions.  Talking about problems like skin conditions helps children understand that there are no underlying causes, although, genetics may have something to do with conditions like acne, eczema, and psoriasis. Parents play a role in helping their child deal with these long-term conditions.  We also think beginning regular dermatology visits is important for the continued health of young patients through adulthood. To learn more about our general dermatology services or to schedule a consultation, visit our website. Be sure to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter as well.

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