Peeling from your Retinol?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you feel like it is normal to peel from your retinol?  Are you only able to use your retinol a few times a week due to irritation?  Your are not alone!  However, there is an easy solution to this problem.  Florida Skin Center offers a retinol from SkinMedica that can eliminate both of these problems.  SkinMedica’s Retinol complex is specially formulated to avoid the common side effects of other retinols while still maintaining the same efficacy as tretinoin. 

 

Retinols typically cause irritation because they must pass through the top layer of the skin, the epidermis, on the way to the dermis.  It is in the epidermal layer of the skin that retinols produce irritation and peeling, the common side effects people note.  However, SkinMedica’s retinol is specially encapsulated to melt on the skin and go straight to the dermis layer of the skin, bypassing the epidermis.  Because the product skips the epidermis, the side effects and irritation are greatly reduced.  Head to head tests of SkinMedica’s Retinol Complex against tretinon .05% and tretinoin 0.1% have shown the SAME efficacy but significantly decreased irritation and side effects.

 

If you have accepted peeling and irritation as par for the course from your retinol, call FSC to learn about the products we have available. 

 

Laser Hair Removal Treatment Myths

With summer just around the corner, you may have seen advertisements and local groupons spring up for Laser Hair Removal treatments.  Is this something you have considered doing?  Worried about pain of treatments or the cost?  Are you even a good candidate?  Are all laser hair removal places equal? Below are some common laser hair removal myths to help answer your questions.

Myth: Laser hair removal is a permanent method to rid you of hair.

Truth: Don’t fall for the trap. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as permanent hair removal.  Laser treatments will cause permanent delayed hair growth.  Hairs will take a lot longer to come in and will be less coarse and finer.  It also helps reduce irritation and discoloration from shaving.

Myth: A spa or nail salon can perform laser hair removal as well as a medical facility.

Truth: Not all lasers are created equal and if done improperly could cause scaring.  Laser hair removal requires a highly trained and experienced practitioner such as a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner.

Myth: Laser hair removal is painful.

Truth: Most people describe the laser as hot rubber band snaps.  A topical anesthetic can be used for areas no larger than the face to minimize discomfort.  Most people are able to go back to work immediately after treatments.

Myth: All types of hair colors can be removed with lasers.

Truth:  Dark, red and brown hair can be treated very effectively with laser treatments. Unfortunately, blond or grey hair cannot be treated.

Myth: Laser hair removal costs a lot.

Truth:   While laser hair removal may seem a bit more expensive initially, it can be a more cost-effective method than electrolysis, waxing, or shaving after you add up the cost of supplies over a span of time. Laser hair removal can fit with any budget. Here at FSC, we offer packages and promos on these treatments. 

Myth: Laser hair removal can be performed on people with darker skin types.

Truth: Yes, but not all lasers are created equal.  For those of you with ethnic skin, you want to be sure that your practitioner has had experience in treating darker skin types.  If the wrong type of laser is used it can cause permanent scaring.  Lasers that are generally safe for ethnic skin are the NdYag lasers.  Here at FSC, we have lasers specific for lighter skin types as well as dark.

CVS and Tobacco Products

CVS Caremark recently announced a decision to stop selling all tobacco products.  This is a bold decision by the company.  Tobacco usage still remains a major health concern for the US.  Tobacco affects the body, including the skin, in many deleterious ways.  Cigarette smoking causes an estimated 443,000 deaths every year, and lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer death in men and women.  Smoking also affects most organ systems, resulting in multiple types of cancers and heart disease.  Smoking also negatively alters the skin, resulting in premature wrinkling and decreased wound healing.  With all of this evidence, the rate of decline in smoking has still stagnated over the last decade.  CVS has vowed to increase smoking cessation programs.  If you smoke or know someone who smokes, it is never too late to quit.  Your primary care provider can discuss the many modalities available to aid in the quitting process.  

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/06/business/cvs-plans-to-end-sales-of-tobacco-products-by-october.html?_r=0

Need Mohs?

Recently, there has been a lot of debate about the need and cost of Mohs surgery for skin cancers. What is Mohs Surgery?  How is it preformed?  What are the costs?  These are all questions we are hoping to answer in today’s blog topic Need Mohs.

Mohs micrographic surgery was first developed in 1930s and is the most effective treatment for most types of skin cancers. With Mohs technique, physicians can precisely identify and remove an entire skin cancer while leaving surrounding healthy tissue intact, in turn, minimizing scarring.

The Mohs procedure involves surgically removing skin cancer layer by layer and examining the tissue under a microscope until there are clear margins (cancer free tissue). The physicians preforming Mohs procedures are trained in reviewing pathology and will read your tissue slides on site.  When performed by a trained physician, Mohs surgery has a success rate of 99%.

What are some advantages of Mohs Surgery? The high success rate eliminates the risk of the cancer growing back.  Mohs surgery also minimizes scarring around the cancer site, while maximizing the functional and cosmetic outcome.

The risking costs of Mohs procedures have also been a concern in the last few years.  Various studies have been conducted comparing the cost of Mohs procedures with standard excisions and radiation therapy. Studies done by Journal Watch Dermatology and the AAD show that Mohs surgery is no more costly than other traditional procedures. Since Mohs surgery minimizes the risk of re occurrence of skin cancer as well as reduces risk of scarring, it remains the gold standard for treating skin cancers.