Tag: sunscreen

DEATH AT A PIMPLE

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To squeeze or not to squeeze………………..or pick,or prick,or pop,or scratch-that is  the question?

The birthing of a pimple is no cause for celebration and there will be no naming ceremony at my house. We’ve all played host to these nasty, painful, unsighly, throbbing, mind of their own insidious beasts.

They choose their host indiscriminately but not their position, placing themselves front and centre like  Ricky Martin on stage and never never never discreetly behind your ear,or in your hair line kinda place.

The Third Eye-unseeing but not unseen!

Aways in a place where random strangers are immediately confused as to which head they should be talking to, coinciding with the day you’ve booked the family photo shoot in preparation for the xmas card mail out, thats our beast!

A BCF ( best concealer friend) became my 11th finger during those times of torment. Armed with a ‘go hard or go home’ attititude and an inability to restrain myself, the creation af a green headed monster to embark on it’s own healing process never entered my mind. Immediate erradication was overiding. As a Dermal Cllinician I am now skilled in removal of my own Mt Etna’s but I’m not sure I would advise the same technique to fellow sufferers. Hypocritical I know but I want scar-free and complication-free outcomes for my clients.

Gotta getcha outta my life……….. 

Professionally I approach this delicate procedure glove,gowned with aseptic practice. Reducing the spread of infection is priority so keep those hands away from the area involved!

We all have a preferred method of strangulation……from the tea tree burn to the two finger vice grip.Some even suggest using a combination of rubbing alcohol and sea breeze……not sure how to capture and apply the sea breeze, despite my proximity to it. There is certainly a dearth of creative home remedies out there!

A good starting point is to include good cleansing hygiene ,which means using a gentle cleanser containing Salicylic Acid and a non oily Zinc based sunscreen or moisturiser. Salicylic acid acts as a keratolytic, bacteriocide and antinflammatory agent and  Zinc posesses the ability to help speed up the healing process. The regular changing of bedlinen and towels is also of benefit.

For more severe cases, in clinic treatments may include superficial peels and llight based therapies to assist in the reduction of lesions. The use of isotretinoins, oral/ topical antibiotics and retionoids may also be considered in difficult to manage cases,however this should be balanced with the risks and side effects associated with these treatment options.

Patience and compliance are your friends when tackling this condition and results may be prolonged taking as long as 8 weeks for results.

Acne Is a multlifactorial condition meaning there are a number of contributing factors including genetics, hormones, enviromental (humidity and skin care products),medication and diet.

Acne is diagnosed into three categories -mild, moderate and severe according to the number of lesions involved and these factors should be considered when investigating treatment options with your Dr or Dermal Clinician. It is also important to remembet to consider treatments  already tried.

The Triangle of Death, an urban myth….?

The Triangle of Death is no urban myth! The area spans from the corners of the mouth to the bridge of the nose. The potential exists for the spread of an infection to the brain from a pimple being squeezed in this triangle. This is possible due to the special nature of the venous supply to the nose and surrounding area and proximity to the meninges (the membrane protecting the brain), via the cavernous sinus, so best to avoid using the ‘vice grip’ here!

But it’s no myth Acne can be disfiguring and emotionally damaging. It is most prevalent during the angst ridden teenage years when the hormone Androgen is rampant. Androgen increases the production of oil in the sebaceous glands. Together a build up of epidermal cells (creating a plug), this increased oil production, bacteria and inflammation combine to form a pimple.

So lets have that funeral……

Plenty of treatment options are available depending on the severity of the condition……squeezing is not one of them! Heres some tips…….

 

  • gentle cleansing x 2 daily
  • non oily moisturisers/zinc base sunscreen
  • diet- there is some evidence to suggest a low GI diet may help with some Acne sufferers
  • Don’t battle the beast on your own seek help from your Dermal Clinician, Dr or Pharmacist

 

For more detailed professional advice and treatment options for Acne -or simply to ask me a question-please visit www.ASkinSolutions.com.au

 

 

I SCREEN, YOU SCREEN, CAN WE ALL SCREAM FOR SUNSCREEN?

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Or do we?

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As the doting mother of 2 teenage tennis playing/surfing girls my neverending refrain of “hat and sunscreen”,  has finally been heard/understood/acknowledged  by my teenage daughters. I’ve also inadvertently serenaded the  neighbours with my suncreen rap. Proving more of a challenge is their non compliant , sun loving father who may  require more training or perhaps a cochlear implant!

 Many of us will be diagnosed with skin cancer in our lifetime, but there’s plenty we can do to lessen our risk.I’ll talk about that in a moment.

First some sobering stats…

 Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world despite  many successful sunsmart campaigns.

Are we desensitised, and is the message still seeing us remembering to lather up? As sunloving Aussies are we sticking our heads in the sand, and assuming the attitude of “it wont happen to me or anyone i know” and “She’ll be right mate“?

In reference to my Meatloaf loving friend,  two outta three ain’t bad………….

 Well maybe it was ok for Meatloaf but to think two out three  Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70 has me “crying icicles instead of tears“-urgh!. For many of us 70 may feel a long way off, as did turning 50 for me, but it crept up quick and fast, so it’s an accurate prediction a lot of us will be diagnosed with a potentially life threatening skin cancer.

 I’m part of this statistic after being diagnosed with a number of lesions including  squamous cell carcinoma and  basal cell carcinoma. Statistics show I’m not alone and this is not a group encouraging joiners. These lesions are a result of a childhood spent on  beaches and in backyard pools lathered in baby oil chasing the elusive deep rich golden tan which thanks to my Celtic forebears would always remain elusive. Dont get me wrong I still love a rich golden tan, and nothing screams “healthy ” louder than a tan, but I now safely  worship at the alter of a spray tan booth!

 Thankfully tanning beds have fallen foul of favour as the research shows the use of tanning beds prior to the age of 35 accelerates the risk of melanoma by a staggering 59%.

Over 2000 Australians are treated for skin cancer every day. Do these  mind boggling statistics shock us into  being smart when exposed to the sun ? The increase in rates of diagnosis of skin cancers  suggests not. If those statistics dont shock us into protecting our skins, the latest statistic including the under 25’s might.

Melanoma is the number one cancer killer of this group!

 What about Vitamin D?

Yes, vitamin D is important for overall health but for the majority of skins, walking to the car, or simply hanging the washing on the line can achieve the required exposure. Mental equation…..Susan x washing for a family of 4 = synthesising enough Vit D for South East Queensland!

Lets talk about sunscreens.

A physical sunscreen is one that contains zinc or titanium dioxide which  forms a barrier on top of the skin,which reflects and scatters UV rays  preventing it passing through to the deeper layers of our skin where it can cause damage. Activity and towelling off after swimming removes  sunblock so re-application is vital.

 A chemical sunscreen  interacts chemically  within the skin to form a protective barrier. Sunlight is deactivated and degraded after coming in contact with the chemicals in the sunscreen. A chemical  sunscreen must be applied 20 minutes prior to sun exposure for it to be effective and reapplied  throughout the day. Your skin has a natural SPF, partially determined by how much melanin your skin contains, that is, how darkly pigmented your skin is, but don’t rely upon this for protection from the sun. The SPF is a multiplication factor. If you can stay out in the sun 15 minutes before burning, using a sunscreen with an SPF of 10 would allow you to resist burning for 10x longer or the equivalent of  150 minutes.

“Sunscreens should be viewed as an add on to protective clothing not a substitute,” according to The Australasian College of Dermatologists .There is an armoury of suncreens out there and the decision between a physical and chemical suncreen really depends on your lifestyle.

 Broadspectrum sunscreen  contain a combination of both chemical and physical sun protection. These are your best bet as they cover all bases.

The best sunscreen is the sunscreen you will use!

If you would like further information on skin cancer or sunscreens please visit www.ASkinSolutions.com.au  under our Resource banner or direct a question under our Ask banner.