How to Apply Sunless Tanner

 The last thing we want to look like is Anne Hathaway from Bride Wars.

We often get asked from patients if it is safe to use sunless tanner. The great news is yes.   Remember, there is no such thing as a safe tan.  Any type of tan on your skin is a result of sun damage.  The chemical in self-tanners that gives us color is dihydroxyacetone or DHA.  DHA is a coloring agent that works by binding to proteins on the skin’s surface, making them appear tanned. Currently DHA is the only chemical approved by the FDA for self-tanning.  There is no clear evidence that DHA, when applied topically and used as directed, is dangerous to humans.

What is the best way to apply self-tanner?

1. Exfoliate skin with a gentle cleanser to slough off dead skin cells and smooth out skin’s surface.    

   We like the AHA-BHA cleanser from SkinMedica or the Clarifying Cleanser from Skinceuticals.

 

2. Apply moisturizer and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before applying your tanner. Pay particular attention to elbows and knees, where the skin is thicker, as color deposited there can become more concentrated.

3. Apply Vaseline on your fingernails and fingertips to avoid staining and looking orange.

4. Apply in sections to reduce your chances of streaks and missed spots.

5. Blend well at joints including wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles for a natural look.

6. Dry and set. Wait 15 to 20 minutes for the tanner to set before getting dressed. Avoid sweating and washing for the next 3 hours.

7. Reapply as needed. Most sunless tanners last about 5 days. Be patient. It may take 2 to 3 applications to reach your desired color. 

8. Use sunscreen. This is the most important step. Sunless tanners are NOT sun-protective. Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 daily and re-apply every 2 hours, or more frequently, if sweating or playing water sports.  We like Sunforgettable SPF from Colorscience.

Did you know Licorice Extract Can Help your Skin?

Licorice has been used as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, because of a molecule contained in licorice root extract that regulates oil production, eliminates bacteria and helps calm and soothe acne-prone skin.  New studies have also shown that licorice extract helps to protect skin from UV damage.

Looking for a great product with this main ingredient?

•     
  

 Lytera^® Skin Brightening Complex

Appropriate for: All skin types                                   

PURPOSE: Brightens skin

RESULTS:

• Improvement in overall skin condition
• Improved evenness of skin tone
• Reduced appearance of skin discolorations

Study Participant Questionnaires Revealed That:

• 79% reported improvement in the evenness of skin tone after 12 weeks*
• 95% reported improvement in overall skin condition after 12 weeks*

WHEN TO APPLY: Morning and evening after cleansing and toning

WHERE TO APPLY: Face (neck and chest if desired) or other affected areaTop of Form

Key Ingredients

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
A stable, lipid-soluble ester form of ascorbic acid (vitamin C).

Niacinamide
Vitamin B3 improves skin moisturization and helps to enhance the barrier function of the skin. Helps promote even looking skin tone.

Ethyl Linoleate
Essential fatty acid ester helps promote even looking skin tone and helps support barrier function.

Squalane
Mimics the lipid content of skin and helps support the skin barrier and is skin’s first line of defense against water loss.

Retinol
Lipid-soluble vitamin A helps smooth dry, thick and rough skin by enhancing exfoliation. Helps even skin tone.

Dunaliella Salina Extract
Natural colorless carotenoids of phytoene and phytofluene extracted from unicellular algae. Colorless carotenoids help quench free radicals and brighten the skin.

Hexylresorcinol
Helps to brighten the skin.

Tetrapeptide-30
Skin brightening peptide.

4-Ethoxybenzaldehyde
Helps even skin tone and brighten skin.

****Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract
Natural extract, rich in glabridin, a highly effective antioxidant with excellent skin brightening qualities.

What you Need to Know about Shingles

Shingles also knowns as, Herpes Zoster, is caused by a virus called the Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) — the same virus that causes chicken pox.  After a prior chicken pox virus or vaccination, VZV virus stays in your cells. As you age and when your immune system is down, the virus can reoccur causing Shingles. Shingles appear as tiny little blisters or vesicles that appear along a dermatome.  A hallmark sign of shingles is a rash on only one side of the body.  

 

It is best to stay away from older individuals, newborns and young babies, and those with weakened immune systems (patients getting chemotherapy, HIV patients, individuals taking medications that suppress the immune system, etc.), until after your blisters have healed to prevent from spreading the virus to others. 

Shingles vaccine (Zostavax®) reduces the risk of developing shingles and the long-term pain from post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) caused shingles. PHN is  pain after the initial rash of shingles resolves and can last for up to a year. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends shingles vaccine for people aged 60 years and older. Even people who have had shingles can receive the vaccine to help prevent future occurrences of the disease.

 

Miles for Melanoma

 

If someone asked you today, what is the fastest growing cancer in people under age 35 what would you say?  Would skin cancer be your first guess?  What if we told you, malignant melanoma causes one death every hour in the US.  It is estimated that in 2015, 1 in 50 Americans will develop Melanoma in their lifetime. 

We think twice about smoking, but what about applying our sunscreen?  Research has shown that daily sunscreen use cut the incidence of melanoma in half.

What can you do to protect yourself and the ones you love?  Use sun precautions, wear sunscreen and REAPPLY every two hours when in direct sun and go for your annual skin exam.  Wish you could do more.  Florida Skin Center has teamed up with the Melanoma Research Foundation to have the first annual Miles for Melanoma Walk in Fort Myers.  All money raised will go direct to MRF who is committed to research, education and advocacy in the battle to find more effective treatments and ultimately a cure for melanoma.

Where

Tanger Outlets-20350 Summerlin Rd.
Suite 4145, Ft. Myers, FL 33908

When

Saturday, May 16, 2015
Check-in and Registration begins at 7:00 a.m.
Run/Walk begins at 8:00 a.m.

Registration

18 years & over- $30
6-17 years- $20
5 & under- FREE