New Year's Healthy Skin Resolutions

Your skin is the largest organ of your body - don't forget to take care of it like you would for your other vital organs! Here are some New Year's Healthy Skin resolutions we should all be sticking to:

1. Wear sunscreen daily on all sun-exposed skin!
It doesn't matter if you are going outside for 10 minutes or 4 hours - make sure your skin is protected with a broad spectrum sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays, with a SPF of at least 30. Excess infrared rays (from heat) have also been shown to be harmful to the skin. Reapply every 1-2 hours. The most important reason to wear sunscreen is to protect against skin cancer. Secondarily, the sun ages our skin greatly, no matter what skin type and skin color. Excess sun exposure leads to dull skin, bad texture, fine lines, broken blood vessels, and brown spots. We recommend Colorescience Sunforgettable and Skin Medica Total Defense + Repair. 

2. Moisturize daily.
Even if you don't think you need a moisturizer, or have oily skin. Moisturized skin looks better and is healthier. If you are eczema-prone, moisturizing is even more important, to maintain that healthy skin barrier and to help soothe. If your skin tends to be oily, and you apply products to dry it out, you can have a rebound effect where the body produces more oil to compensate. We recommend Skin Medica Rejuvenative Moisturizer, Skin Medica Ultra Sheer Moisturizer, and Skin Medica HA5.

3. Have your specific skin problems evaluated by a dermatologist.
If you're having flares of acne, eczema, dandruff, rosacea,etc, be evaluated by a dermatologist. Many common skin problems are easily treated once you are using the correct medications. Self-treatment sometimes leads to worsening of your skin condition! 

Florida Skin Center wishes everyone a happy and healthy 2017!

When should my child see a dermatologist?

When should my child be seen for a full body skin exam?

There is no hard and fast rule for this question. At Florida Skin Center, we recommend routine skin exams (at least yearly) regularly for everyone, including pediatric patients! Monthly skin exams at home should be performed as well. While melanoma is less common in children than in adults, that does not mean it does not occur. The incidence of melanoma in children 11-19 years of age has increased almost 3% per year from 1973-2001. Melanoma accounts for approximately 7% of all cancers diagnosed in individuals 15-19 years of age, and accounts for up to 3% of all pediatric cancers. The treatment of childhood melanoma is often delayed due to misdiagnosis, which happens up to 40% of the time. If you or your pediatrician notices a questionable mole on your child, have a dermatologist examine the mole - we have special tools that help us determine if a mole is suspicious and warrants testing. Even if a mole does not warrant testing at the time of the exam, close followup is recommended, to monitor for changes.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, but it is the most preventable. Most skin cancers form due to excess sun exposure when we were young. Genetics plays a role as well. Remember to minimize sun exposure and wear daily sunscreen of at least SPF 30.

When should my child's skin condition be evaluated by a dermatologist?

Most pediatricians recognize common skin conditions, such as eczema, seborrhea, exanthems (rashes caused by viral infections), and can initiate treatment for your child. However, if the skin condition is not improving or resolving, most pediatricians will refer out to a dermatologist. A skin biopsy may be performed to confirm the diagnosis and to better tailor the treatment. If the skin condition is something not commonly seen, most pediatricians will refer out to a dermatologist as well. When in doubt, have a specialist look at it!

Why Not to Skip the Toner in Your Skin Care Regime

Why is toner and important part of your daily routine?
    A good toner is an essential part of your daily facial cleansing regimen. It helps to get the face clean and refreshed by removing extra dirt, oil, and pollutants from throughout the day. By using a toner as an extra step of cleansing, you are allowing whatever products and/or medications you are using to penetrate the skin better. Note however that toner and astringents are not the same thing, and beware of buying these products over the counter. Astringents are alcohol based and a very drying and irritating to the skin.
   Toners also help to keep your skins pH in balance. Some washes and astringents alkalinize the skin, and this can disturb the skins natural acidic balance. This can lead to the skin producing excess oil to help restore its natural pH.
   Toner also helps to improve the look of the skin. Most toners contain glycolic or alpha hydroxy acids that provide mild exfoliation. This helps reduce the size of pores, improves the texture of skin, and helps with fine lines and wrinkles. These properties also help to prevent ingrown hairs.
  At Florida Skin Center we have a variety of toners to pair with any skin type. Consult with any of our skin care experts to see what toner is best for you!

                  

   

National PA Week is Here.

Did you know? The week of October 6 is National PA week! We have three Physician Assistants here at Florida Skin Center. They are Shirisha, Brooke and Gail. They have all undergone extensive graduate-level training to be able to take medical histories, do physical exams and make diagnoses. They order or perform tests to get more information and then make a treatment plan.
Our PAs have passed rigorous board certification exams and are required to obtain continuing medical education credits to stay current. When needed they will consult with their supervising physicians as they work as a member of our team to provide the best care possible for the patients they see.

Read more about our PAs >

Laser Treatments Offered at Florida Skin Center

Here at Florida Skin Center we have 5 different types of laser in use that allow us to treat a wide variety of conditions.

• Acne- Helps to reduce number of current lesions, and prevent future breakout. A series of 5-6 treatments scheduled 1-2 weeks apart are needed for best results. Maintenance treatment may be needed.
• Hair removal- At Florida Skin Center we have 2 different lasers for hair removal to serve skin tones of all color. These treatments are scheduled 4 weeks apart.
• Telangiectasia’s (or red veins on the face)-Helps to reduce the amount of veins and overall redness of the face or area being treated. 1-3 treatments are generally recommended 4 weeks apart.
• Scars- Helps to reduce the redness of scar, and can help to reduce the bumpiness if scar is hypertrophic or thickened. 1-3 treatments are usually recommend about 4 weeks apart.
• Tattoo- Causes tattoo pigment to break up into smaller particles that the body’s immune system can remove. Number of treatments can vary, but on average a person will need 9-11 treatments, spaced 1-3 months apart.
• Warts- Uses heat to help destroy wart. Treatments are scheduled 3 weeks apart.
• Nail Fungus- Uses heat to help kill fungus. An average of 3 treatments are required, and are spaced 1 week apart.
• Vascular Birthmarks- A variety of vascular birthmarks can be treated by laser. Number of treatments will depend on size of lesion as well as other factors. Treatments are recommended every 4 weeks.
• Excimer- Uses narrowband UVB to help treat a variety of conditions including vitiligo, eczema, and psoriasis. Number of treatments will depend on the condition being treated. To start, treatments are usually scheduled 1-3 times a week.