Before You Get Your Next Mani Pedi...

Manicure and pedicure safety is extremely important if you get your nails professionally done on a weekly basis. Here are a few Dermatologist-recommend tips before you make your next trip to the salon:

1. Apply a cream to moisturize your nails, especially after removing nail polish since most removers contain chemicals that dry the nails.
2. To prevent infection, never cut or forcefully push back your cuticles. If you must push them back, only do so gently after a shower or bath.
3. While most nail salons follow strict cleanliness and disinfection guidelines, look for the following when visiting a salon:

1. Does your nail technician have the necessary experience and/or license, if required?
2. Are the stations clean?
3. Does the nail technician wash her hands between clients?
4. Are there dirty tools lying around?
5. In addition, do not hesitate to ask how they clean their tools.

4. Shave your lower legs after getting a pedicure, not before. That means not shaving your lower legs for at least 24 hours before you get a pedicure. If you nick yourself while shaving, a pedicure could put you at risk for an infection.
5. If you get frequent manicures and pedicures, consider purchasing your own tools to be used at the salon.
6. In addition, check that the pedicure footbaths and filters are thoroughly disinfected before you use them. If they are improperly cleaned, they can harbor bacteria and fungus. If the salon does not appear clean, then move on.
7. If you want to wear a bright red or orange polish, prevent discoloration by applying an extra layer of base coat. If your nails become yellowed and discolored from the polish, your nails should return to normal color over several weeks if the same color is not reapplied.
8. While some people beg to differ, there is no scientific evidence that immersing nails in gelatin makes them stronger. Polishes that contain strengthening ingredients increase nail stiffness, which may make nails break more frequently.
9. Do not wear artificial nails to cover up nail problems as they may make them worse. Artificial nails are not recommended for people who are prone to fungal infections or have brittle nails. For people with healthy nails, artificial nails can be fine as long as they are not worn continuously.

1. Know what products are used in your artificial nails as the substances used can cause an allergic reaction in some people. If you develop a rash or other reaction, tell your doctor what products you used.

If you have any nail care questions, be sure to call and schedule an appointment with Dr. Talakoub. 

http://www.aad.org/skin-conditions/skin-health-tips/manicure-and-pedicure-safety/manicure-and-pedicure-safety#.UWmoqu2zK-I

Baby Contracts Melanoma While Still in the Womb

Read this article from ABC News about the risks of Melanoma.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/arizona-baby-melanoma-mothers-womb-alive/story?id=18922718

Spring = Skin Check Season

Before the summer sun cooks your skin and you start to look like your leather handbag, come in for a comprehensive head-to-toe skin check and cancer screening.

At McLean Dermatology, we are committed to providing you with the best dermatologic care – that includes ensuring you and your skin are ready for this, and every, summer.

The rate of melanoma, which is the deadliest form of skin cancer, has increased in the U.S. at a rapid pace. Why, do you ask? Everybody knows you must live by the rule: apply and reapply!  Proper sun protection - sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, rash guards, and surf shorts – are all must-haves in the sun.

There are so many choices of sunscreens, which one do I buy?

-Look on the bottles for these words: water-resistant, broad-spectrum, SPF 30 or higher (Ex: Elta MD)

Do I still have to wear sunscreen even when it’s cloudy?

-Yes! The most harmful, UV rays, can pass through windows, clouds, rain, and cement.

If I wear foundation with SPF, is that enough?

-Although it helps, wearing just makeup with a built-in SPF is not strong enough. Make it a habit to put on sunscreen before your makeup.

Outsmart skin cancer with these helpful hints:

Avoid tanning beds

   -Even one tanning session increases your lifetime risk of developing melanoma by 20%!

Apply your SPF in the morning (and REAPPLY!)

   -If you’re out all day and not reapplying sunscreen every 40-80 minutes you’re putting yourself at risk.

Eat your fruits and veggies

   - Leafy greens and citrus fruits guard against UV damage

Perform self-tests

   - Any mole or spot you think might be harmful very well could be. Making an appointment with your dermatologist is the first step to healthy skin.

Do not smoke

   -Up there with tanning beds, smoking in a Class 1 carcinogen.

Is Your Birth Control Breaking You Out?

Are you breaking out and have no clue as to why? It could be your birth control...

Come in for an acne consult and find out if your monthly oral contraception is causing your acne.

Rethink the Ink

Within the past ten years the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) constructed a survey of five hundred individuals between the ages of 18-50, 24% reported having a tattoo.  Of these individuals, 16% had gotten their first tattoo by the age of eighteen.  Today, however, 17% of them have considered getting their tattoo removed, but none have actually gone through with it. 

Whether the reason for garnishing your skin with ink is impulsiveness or personal expression, tattoos over time can become regretful.  Those with unwanted ink can testify that the meanings behind their tattoos may become no longer significant. Not to mention the price and pain associated with getting a tattoo removed. That once vibrant tulip located on your hip, the initials of your high school boyfriend on your wrist, or the tattoo of your favorite quote from spring break that takes up your entire rib cage are all constant reminders of how permanent tattoos really are.

 For it being such a popular fad, many of us know very little about tattoos.  The risks associated with getting one are both dangerous and painful.  If you have never gone under the needle before here are a few threats linked to getting inked:

Allergic Reactions – Tattoo dyes, especially blue, red, green, and yellow, can cause allergic skin reactions resulting in an itchy rash around the area of the tattoo.

Bloodborne Diseases – The equipment used to create your tattoo can be contaminated with infected blood from the previous client, making you susceptible to disease.  These diseases include tetanus, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.

Skin Infection – Small bumps called granulomas sometimes form around the ink of the tattoo that can develop into keloids, or raised areas of overgrown scar tissue.  Tattoos have also been known to cause redness, swelling, and even pus-like drainage of the site.

Cancer Risk - Several chemists have identified low levels of carcinogens in tattoo ink. In the tattoo removal process the pigment is scorched with heat, triggering chemical reactions to generate carcinogenic products absorbed by the body.

A new FDA warning was just released warning people not to be tricked into getting the “safe” and temporary alternative, a henna tattoo.  Permanent tattoo ink is injected into the skin, whereas henna tattoo ink is applied to the skin’s surface. The most popular henna “black ink” often contains a coal-tar hair dye containing p-phenylenediamine (PPD). This ingredient can cause dangerous skin reactions.  By law the ingredient PPD, because of the severity of it’s harmful factors, is not even permitted in cosmetics.   Serious and long-term reactions have been reported which include redness, blistering of the site, raised lesions, loss of pigmentation, sensitivity to sunlight, and permanent scarring. Reactions can appear immediately or take weeks to show.

So if you feel the risks aren’t enough to deter you, think about how unattractive tattoos look on more “mature” skin. It’s not always pretty!

Is Your Bowel Linked to Your Skin?

Ever wonder if your skin rash or pimples could be related to your diet? More specifically could the gluten in your diet be triggering your symptoms?  Everyday more and more benefits of gluten-free diets are being discovered.   

Gluten-free diets are most commonly used to manage celiac disease, which causes the immune system to trigger a reaction in the gut to gluten, a protein which is found in wheat, barley, rye, malts and triticale.  But what if you have never been diagnosed with celiac disease?  In a recent study published in Journal Watch General Medicine, patients without celiac disease but symptoms of celiac sensitivity, experienced relief from their symptoms after adopting a wheat-free diet.  

Therefore, whether you have celiac disease, a gluten sensitivity, or neither, experimenting with a gluten-free diet has several potential benefits. Patients in our clinic with eczema, acne, and peri-oral dermatitis have seen benefits with glow gluten or gluten free diets! Luckily, with the growing popularity, many grocery stores have now made these products more accessible to consumers by adding gluten-free aisles. 

As with any diet change, it is important that you maintain a balanced diet, especially when you are excluding foods you are used to eating. It is also important to continue eating a balance of proteins, carbs, healthy fats, and other nutrients. 

If you have itchy skin, acne, or rashes that do not improve with standard regimens, call Dr. Lily to discuss your diet.   

Spring Cleaning Edition: Is Your Medicine Cabinet Up to Code?

The name “medicine cabinet” is unfit for what should be held in this very important space of your home. Believe it or not, medicines are not the best items to keep here. Not only is it open to anyone including kids and snooping houseguests, the medicines that are here may be altered by the temperature and moisture. Many topical creams and ointments need to be kept in a cool dark area. Oral medications also require non-humid, cool environments, where as some even need refrigeration.

This area is also a place for medicines to sit and spoil. We often forget about how fast medications expire. Skin creams with retinol, hydroquinone, and acne medications often not only become ineffective, they can cause rashes or skin irritation if expired. The best rule of thumb is ‘when in doubt, throw it out.’ Just be sure you are disposing the medicine in an FDA approved manner. See www.fda.gov, ‘How to Dispose of Unused Medicines.’

Even if you don’t keep medicines in your medicine cabinet you should always keep it clean! Most people simply wipe the mirror in the front of the cabinet! Do yourself a favor tonight (in light of spring) and give your medicine cabinet a deep clean.

1) Remove everything

2) Throw out the old medicines and cosmetics, check expirations

3) Wipe clean

1)  Organize your favorite products and replace anything you had to purge!

2)  Keep topical antibiotics, skin creams, sunscreen, all within a tight cap and in a locked drawer or linen closet.

Good timeline for products:

-       3-5 years: Eye and lip pencils, hair styling products

-       2-3 years: shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, body lotion, perfume, foundation, lipstick, lip-gloss

-       2 years: Bar soap, shaving cream, deodorant

-       1 year: Nail polish, bath oil

-       3-4 months: Mascara and liquid eyeliner

*Anti-aging, acne treatment, and sunscreen shelf life depends on expiration dates on the bottle.

Take the first steps to your Spring-cleaning efforts and give your medicine cabinet a check-up!

Food Industry Marketing

Did you know that every year the average american eats:

• Thirty three pounds of cheese, triple that amount that was consumed in 1979
• Seventy pounds of sugar, about twenty two teaspoons a day
• 8,500 milligrams of salt a day, double the recommended amount

With these facts it is clear why twenty-six million Americans have diabetes and one-in three adults and one-in-five kids is clinically obese.  

Meanwhile, instead of altering products to make them healthier the food industry is instead constantly changing marketing campaigns and ingredients to keep up with the next fad.  By decreasing one ingredient but at the same time pumping up another ingredient, companies are still able to sell themselves as “fat-free or low-salt”.  It is a common technique used to deceive the consumer in thinking they are consuming a healthier product while in reality it may have been altered in a way that actually makes it worse for you.

When grocery shopping it is best to avoid all the low salt, low fat, low sugar fads, they are all just a manipulation of ingredients for marketing purposes.  A diet high in protein and vegetables and low in processed food is still historically the best diet for your health.  Consumers need to be aware that 90% of labels are JUST marketing.  

All Soy is NOT Created Equal

When many of us think of soy products we instantly think natural and healthy. Many consumers overlook soybean oil within a list of ingredients, assuming it has similar benefits to other soy products, which are known to be good sources of protein.

In fact, according to the survey Consumer Attitudes About Nutrition 2008 (by the United Soybean Board): As of 2007, 85 percent of consumers perceive soy products as healthful.

However, soybean oil can have negative effects on your health. For example,  soybean oil in processed foods is often hydrogenated, which makes it a trans fat and can raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol. Trans fats have also been linked to health problems such as obesity, diabetes, reproductive problems, and heart disease. Such products are often appealing because they have longer shelf lives; however, their health risks often outweigh their potential benefits.

Consumers should also be aware that the majority of soy grown in the United States is genetically engineered, therefore it is exposed to high levels of pesticides, which can have harmful effects on human health.

In conclusion, processed foods should always be consumed in moderation and soy in its natural form is the best form for your diet.  As a consumer do not be misled by marketing.