7 Tips for Healthy Nails

1. Keep nails clean and dry. Moist environments are conducive to fungal infections and brittle nails.
2. Do not remove your cuticle. The cuticle serves as a protective barrier. When we remove it, we expose ourselves to the possibility of infection. If you’re having a manicure or pedicure, ask your nail technician to simply push your cuticles back.
3. Trim your toenails regularly. Keeping them short will decrease the risk of trauma and injury. It will also decrease the risk of ingrown nails.
4. If your toenails are thick and difficult to trim, soak your feet in warm salt water. Mix one teaspoon of salt in a pint of water and soak for about 10 minutes.
5. Avoid “digging out” ingrown toenails, especially if they are infected and sore. If you are suffering from an ingrown toenail, see your provider at Florida Skin Center.
6. Wear shoes that fit! This one sounds simple enough, but wearing the wrong shoes can really affect our toenails. Shoes that are too tight may cause our nails to thicken from the trauma of constant rubbing. Also, wearing closed-toe shoes can make nails brittle. Alternate between closed-toe and open-toe shoes when ever possible.
7. Wear flip flops in wet environments. If you’re going to the pool or using public showers at the gym, protect your feet with sandals. This reduces the risk of fungal infections of the toenails and feet.

50% off Laser Hair Removal, Now Through September!

          Are you tired of plucking, waxing and shaving? Trying to get rid of dark hair in unwanted places? You may be a candidate for laser hair removal. Laser hair removal is a non-invasive procedure used to permanently reduce unwanted dark hair. So how does it work? The laser passes through the skin and gets absorbed by the pigment in the hair follicles that are in the growth phase. The heat generated by the laser breaks apart the hair follicles and destroys them. Over the next two weeks, you will notice your hair gradually falling out. Bursts of cold air called liquid nitrogen are sprayed with each passing of the laser, to help reduce discomfort.
          Candidates include all skin types, male and female, except those who are pregnant. The laser only works on dark hair, which means that it cannot destroy blond or gray hair. Treatments are scheduled 4 weeks apart, and patients are instructed not to have sun exposure for 2 weeks before and after treatment. And remember, laser hair removal will give you permanently delayed hair growth, which means about 85% clearance after 5-7 treatments. Results may vary depending on the size being treated, and the amount of hair in each region.
           At Florida Skin Center, we are currently offering 50% off laser hair removal packages, now through the end of September. Call our office today and schedule an appointment to begin your journey towards permanently reducing unwanted hair.

Got watery eyes, a runny nose, or itchy skin?

Got watery eyes, a runny nose, or itchy skin?  It may be due to the pollen levels in your city.  What is a pollen level?  Pollen levels or pollen counts are the pollen concentration based on any location within the nation. A pollen count is the measurement of the number of grains of pollen in a cubic meter of air. As the pollen number increases, people with allergies will have more symptoms of their allergies.  Below is a sample pollen count. 

Take the first step to relieving your allergy symptoms with a simple skin allergy test.  Florida Skin Center offers allergy testing for environmental and food allergies.   The procedure is safe for children and adults, taking less than 30 minutes, and allows patients to determine what is causing their allergy symptoms.  With this information, the providers at FSC are able to assess the degree of your allergy and determine the best way to treat your symptoms.

Hair Loss: What Causes It?

         Excessive or abnormal hair loss, also called alopecia, can be influenced by many factors, and is loosely defined as the shedding of more than 100 strands of hair per day. Such influencing factors include thyroid disease, nutritional deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, genetics, and psychosocial stressors. Depending on the cause of alopecia, patients will present with different patterns of hair loss including androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium and alopecia areata.  Androgenetic alopecia, or male/female pattern hair loss, is the most prevalent type of hair loss and is inherited. In men, you see a gradual regression of the anterior hair line. In women, you see gradual loss of hair in the mid-scalp region.
       Patients who present with telogen effluvium complain of generalized hair loss and thinning. Causes include psychosocial stressors such as changing jobs, going through a divorce, and financial hardships, as well as other stressors to the hair follicles including pregnancy, hypothyroidism, and nutritional deficiencies. Hair loss tends to stop spontaneously after a few months, but there are several treatments that can restore hair growth in the mean time. This includes over-the-counter-Rogaine (minoxidil) for both men and women, Propecia (finasteride) for men only, and Nizoral (ketoconazole) shampoo. These same treatments are used for patients who present with androgenetic alopecia, although hair restoration tends to be slower and limited in these patients due to the genetic basis of their hair loss.
       Lastly, alopecia areata is described as rapid and complete hair loss in one or more round or oval patches. The exact cause is unknown, but thought to be due to an autoimmune response in the body, related to diseases such as vitiligo, lupus and thyroid diseases. Some patches tend to re-grow without any treatment in several weeks. Stubborn patches may need to be treated with a topical or injectable corticosteroid in order to accelerate re-growth. In any case of alopecia, your provider will order routine blood work to determine the cause of hair loss.