SkinSafe Dermatology and Skin Care

11/30/2020

Raise your hand 🙋‍♀️raise your hand if yours looks like this!!

Between all of the , dishwashing and cool, dry weather this weekend, your hands may already be feeling dry, rough, chapped and cracked.

Gentle skin care and barrier protection are the key to minimizing chapped hands this winter season.

🤚 Wash your hands with warm water and a gentle soap. Lather and rinse completely.
🤚 Dry your hands completely, including between fingers.
🤚 Use alcohol-based sanitizers only when needed. Choose hand washing, when possible, and choose moisturizing formulations when it’s not.
🤚 Apply a thick, bland moisturizing cream as often as needed, particularly after handwashing, before heading outdoors and before you tuck into bed. Look for ingredients like ceramides, lipids, dimethicone or petrolatum to help lock in moisture and seal the skin barrier.
🤚 Put on your winter gloves before you head outdoors, rather than pull them out of your pockets when your hands are already freezing and dry!
🤚 And don’t forget to wear rubber gloves when you wash your dishes!

Type a hand 🤚 emoji in the comments if you suffer from dry chapped hands every winter!

11/27/2020

WATCH YOUR FINGERS 🔪 🧅

Kitchen accidents are all too common during the holidays. Cooking for family and friends is fun, but time constraints, large quantities, limited kitchen space, and using gadgets that you don't normally use can increase your risk for accidentally slicing, chopping, grating and/or burning fingers.

As a dermatologist and culinary school grad, here are a few of my tried and true tips to reduce your risk of injuring your fingers:

🔪 When chopping ingredients, hold your stabilizing hand in a "claw" shape. This will protect your fingertips, and the smooth surface of your dorsal fingers can act as a guide for the knife.

🔪 When creating perfect slices with a mandolin, hold the ingredient with a fork or pronged tool to prevent slicing your fingers.

🔪 When using a grater, try wearing a glove as an extra layer of protection for your fingers and nails.

11/13/2020

Yes! Retinoids CAN help slow down the ⏰ and reverse the signs of aging!

When applied topically, these vitamin A-derived creams have been scientifically-proven to work in a few ways to help your skin look and act younger:

⏰ Retinoids regulate cellular maturation, helping to remove older, damaged and discolored cells, while encouraging fresh, new, healthy cells to reach the skin surface. This can help to reduce hyperpigmentation and even out skin tone, which is one of the main things that makes skin look ‘old’. The sloughing of dead, dulling cells can also minimize the appearance of fine lines.

⏰ Retinoids stimulate the production of new, healthy collagen, which forms the structural support of skin. We lose collagen daily through both UV and environmental oxidative stressors, as well as the natural aging process. Moreover, our skin stops making new replacement collagen as efficiently once we hit our mid-20s! Regular, longterm use of topical retinoids can help rev up collagen production to help maintain skin thickness, elasticity and texture.

10/30/2020

Then what DOES cause ECZEMA?

Eczema, which refers to itchy, usually scaly, irritated skin rashes can be caused by:
• Genetics (ie, fillagrin mutations)
• Abnormal inflammatory signals and responses
• Impaired skin barrier
• Altered skin microbiome (more research is still needed for this one!)

It can be triggered by:
• Weather (temperature, humidity, change of seasons)
• Scratching (scratching disrupts the skin barrier, which makes the skin itch and rash again!)
• Irritants (chemical or natural ingredients)
• Allergens (chemical or natural ingredients)
• Stress (Yes! Stress can flare underlying skin conditions!)
• Hormones (changes can improve or worsen your skin!)
• Sweat (who itches after exercising?)
• Skin infections (eczema can make you more prone, and infections can flare your eczema!)

But NOT food. Foods you eat account for

10/27/2020

💗 KEEP SPREADING THE LOVE 💗

The skin on your neck, chest and décolletage is just as thin, sensitive and prone to sun damage and wrinkling as your face!

Remember to extend your same careful skincare routine from your pretty face down to your neck and décolletage.

Worried about potential irritation? Moisturize, start slow with the actives, and always wear sunscreen!

***s

10/26/2020

CHECK THOSE GIRLS OUT!

Yours, that is. In the mirror. Or the shower. Once a month.

As a dermatologist, I have actually diagnosed cases of recurrent breast cancer because of new skin findings that I noticed on patient skin exams.

And I have sent both women and men for mammograms to evaluate breast lumps and unexplained unilateral breast enlargement and/or ni**le changes.

But you see your body more frequently than I do. So I need you to partner with me (and your primary care physicians and gynecologists) to examine your own breasts regularly, to help pick up any early signs of breast cancer. Because earlier diagnosis means earlier treatment. And earlier treatment may lead to better outcomes.

Examine your breasts for:
🍋 New lumps or bumps under the skin in the breast or armpit.
🍋 Change in breast or ni**le shape or orientation or direction of hang.
🍋 New skin changes on the breast, including: red, scaly patches on the breast or ni**le; non-healing sores; new veins; red/hot areas; texture changes (thick and bumpy/dimpled like an orange peel: peau d’orange); indented areas/dimples; scarred down areas.
🍋 Ni**le changes, including new inversion or protrusion, scaly patches extending to the ar**la, or new, unexplained ni**le discharge.

I love this infographic from

10/21/2020

If you have had breast cancer, studies show that your risk for developing melanoma may be up to 2.58x greater than that of someone who has not had breast cancer.

And the risk is reciprocal: Women with melanoma have an up to 1.4x greater risk of developing breast cancer than women who have not had melanoma.

The risks may be related to being more susceptible to developing a second primary cancer, once you have had any cancer. But it is likely related to specific genetic mutations in key genes involved in these diseases.

• BRCA2 gene mutations, classically associated with breast cancers, can also be associated with an increased risk for developing melanoma.

• CDKN2A gene mutations, found in many heritable cancers, including melanoma and colon cancers, can also increase one’s risk for developing breast cancer.

October is . Remember to schedule your annual breast exam and mammogram, especially if you pushed it off during quarantine.

* And while you are at it, schedule a full-body skin exam with your , to make sure that your have no suspicious lesions.

10/20/2020

Call or Email to schedule your Fall Skin 'Tune Up' today!

SkinSafe Dermatology and Skin Care

(424)302-0394

appointments@stayskinsafe.com

FALL IS IN THE AIR! Brightly colored leaves, pumpkin spice lattes and back-to-school vibes are a reminder that shorter days and sweater weather are not far behind! Now is the perfect time to schedule your post-summer seasonal skin 'tune-up' with Dr Tsippora Shainhouse. * Book a full skin exam to loo...

10/13/2020

Some of us might ACTUALLY be more prone to getting by than others!

Read here for some of the things you can’t help, along with some of the things you can:

🦟 BLOOD TYPE - Type O might be a little more enticing to mosquitoes than the others. Makes sense, since they are universal donors 😉

🦟 BODY ODOR - Several compounds on skin and in sweat can be attractive to mosquitoes, including and . Interestingly, body odor can be partly genetic, and can be partly associated with the in our . In fact, the MORE the bacteria on our skin, the LESS likely we are to get bitten!

🦟 CARBON DIOXIDE - We emit carbon dioxide when we breathe, and emit higher levels when we exercise or are breathing heavily at rest. Mosquitos can detect local increases in carbon dioxide and zoom in to find their next meal!

🦟 COLOR - Mosquitos seem to be more attracted to darker colors (think black, navy, grey, red), so consider up your summer color to prevent a

🦟 TEMPERATURE - Mosquitos detect the we exude, and are attracted to specific, often higher temps. People with higher baseline temps, fever or with a higher are at higher risk for bites.

🦟 SWEAT - The on your during an run or while sitting in hot, humid weather can make you more appetizing to mosquitoes. Consider showering before setting up that outdoor bbq dinner.

🦟 ALCOHOL - A small study showed that drinking 🍻 can increase your risk of getting bitten!

🦟 PREGNANCY - Pregnant women may be more prone to being bitten than non-pregnant women. This is likely because they emit more carbon dioxide and because of their naturally higher body .

10/09/2020

BITE ME

It’s like I have a flashing sign inviting these pesky mosquitoes to a free buffet!

The warm, humid weather here in Los Angeles is bringing mosquitoes to backyards in swarms!

I am seeing so many friends, family members and patients with crazy bug bite reactions, ranging from small, itchy pink pumps to swollen, hard red lumps to full-on fluid-filled blisters!

Here are some quick tips on how to manage your bites and how to prevent them!

🦟 Take an antihistamine pill 1-2 times a day to help settle the ‘allergic’ reaction. If the itchy is keeping you awake at night, consider Benadryl, which might help you sleep, too!

🦟 Apply a topical steroid cream twice a day to the individual spots to help reduce the redness and calm the inflammation and itch.

🦟 For immediate itch relief, hold an ice pack to the spots. It will block the ‘itch nerve fibers’ by distracting them with cold. Minty balms can have a similar effect.
Oatmeal or baking soda poultices can also calm the itch, as do cooled, steeped black tea bags.

🦟 There is anecdotal evidence that some people may be more prone to getting bitten. These include people:
• with Type O blood
• with higher metabolisms
• who have a higher body temperature (resting or fever)
• wearing darker clothing (black, blue, red)
• who are sweaty

🦟 Prevent Mosquito bites by:
• Covering up with clothing, when possible, especially during late afternoon/dusk. While some mosquitoes are ‘day-biters’, most like to ‘go out for dinner’ 🍽

• Spray mosquito repellant over clothing and exposed skin, if you will be playing or sitting outdoors in infested areas. Proven ingredients include: DEET (10-30%), Picardin (10-30%), Oil of lemon eucalyptus. These are safe in adults, children and pregnant women). The higher concentrations will provide longer protection.

• Dump out and dry up any puddles of sitting water (kiddie pools, lawns, decks) and wipe down lawn chairs and equipment to remove water and eggs, to prevent new mosquitoes.

• Remove grass, tree and other lawn clippings and debris from your yard, particularly sitting and play areas, from around your swimming pool, and from the sides of the house, especially under windows

09/23/2020

Get outside and enjoy the warm weather while it lasts!

Just remember to throw on a hat and sunscreen to protect your skin. Because damaging UV rays are present year-round.
* And the ☀️ doesn’t know that Fall started yesterday.