skin deep

Your skin is your body’s largest and most visible organ, and experts agree that it deserves to be treated with care.

Taking time to develop a daily regimen of cleansing, hydrating, and protecting your skin may be vital in preventing acne scars, deep wrinkles, age spots, and skin cancer in the future.

“Early intervention is key,” says Dr. K. Wade Foster, of Florida Dermatology and Skin Cancer Centers, whose office in Leesburg is one of six locations.

He recommends the following daily precautions: avoid using tanning beds or sun lamps; wear protective clothing and sunglasses; use sunscreen and lip balm; and minimize sun exposure between the hours of 10am and 3pm, when the sun is the brightest.

“It only takes one skin cancer on your nose to make you appreciate the value of a broad-brimmed hat,” he says.

The board-certified dermatologist notes skin cancer is common in Floridians, especially those with fair skin, blue eyes, and red or blond hair; a family history of skin cancer; weakened immune systems; and who are older.

And while genetics plays a strong role, Dr. Foster says skin cancer can be detected in people who had chronic sun exposure, including the daily golfer or those with a history of severe childhood sunburns.

“When you’re young, you are invincible and you think skin cancer is never going to happen to you,” says Kim Bitting, owner and beauty consultant of Merle Norman Cosmetics in Leesburg.

“The most important thing about skin care is protection from the sun and starting younger, because 80 percent of skin damage is done before you are 60 years old,” she says. “It’s important to always wear sunscreen. Being in Florida, you can still get sun, but you want to protect your skin as much as you can.”

She advises using a broad-spectrum sunscreen for the best protection from ultraviolet light of two types: UVA (aging rays) and UVB (burning rays). UVA can prematurely age a person by causing skin to be wrinkly and leathery; UVB results in sunburns. Too much exposure to both rays may lead to skin cancer.

Kim is diligent about wearing sunscreen because her fair-skinned mother was diagnosed at 61 with melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. She died at 63.

“Mom went to Wildwood High School, and they had a senior skip-away day to Daytona Beach. We didn’t know anything about sunscreen back then. She got some areas of second- and third-degree burns from the sun,” Kim says.

Her mother was told the beach getaway probably was where her cancer began, followed by years of being a sun worshipper and working in the yard wearing terry-cloth rompers.

And while Florida’s sunny days and warm temperatures often make it difficult to resist being outdoors to enjoy fishing, golf, boating, tennis, swimming, walking, and running, Kim says an SPF (sun protector factor) 15 sunscreen allows one to be in the sun about 150 minutes without burning.

“The higher the SPF number means the longer that you can stay out in the sun. A 30 to 50 does not mean that it gives better protection against the sun’s rays—it’s going to be the same strength,” Kim says, noting the higher SPF number simply means longer, not better, protection time from a sunburn.

“Of course, if you are doing a lot of activity or swimming, you want to make sure you reapply it as often as you can,” Kim says, adding the UVA rays are stronger in the winter months, so sunscreen is vital year round.

“Even on overcast days, you still need protection,” she says. “Forty-five percent of the sun’s rays can still get through the clouds and burn you or age you.”

In addition to sunscreen, Dr. Foster recommends an overall skin exam annually for adults, every six months for those who have had skin cancer, and every four months for those who have had multiple cancers.

He says early detection of skin cancer not only improves outcomes, but also save lives. The Florida Dermatology and Skin Cancer Centers specialize in diagnosing and treating skin cancers, including melanoma.

Treatment options for skin cancer include Mohs micrographic surgery, excisional surgery, and radiation treatments. These methods remove cancer cells, minimize the risk of recurrence, and offer the best cosmetic results, with minimal scarring and discomfort, he says.

Dr. Foster is fellowship-trained in Mohs surgery, which he noted offers a precise technique for removing cancerous tumors one layer at a time and minimizes the removal of normal tissue and reduces scarring.

And what can be done about age spots and acne?

Lentigines, or age spots, are not harmful, and are typically tan or brown in color and flat, according to Dr. Foster. They often are hereditary and can become darker with sun exposure.

They can be treated with intense pulsed light (IPL) or gentle cryotherapy, a freezing technique to remove the spots.

“IPL is the safest and most effective method of removing age spots and does not leave a scar. Photo-facials can also help,” he says, adding the treatments are available at the local center.

Kim believes exfoliating and using brightening ingredients like vitamin C products can be useful on age spots. Merle Norman has a vitamin C line, and she says people can sample her company’s products before making a purchase.

“Aging is on everybody’s mind. Nobody wants to get old; they can age gracefully,” she says of adopting a good skin care routine. “After you exfoliate, use a good product and always use sun protection, because you do not want to undo what you are doing. And using a good retinol at night is always good. A good retinol, a good night cream, and a good eye cream is a girl’s best friend along with the sunscreen.”

She believes young women in their 20s should look into anti-aging products, and teens should be proactive when dealing with acne issues.

“We like to have the girls come in when they are like 13,” Kim says. “It’s a great age to start talking to them about skin care, because it will lead into talking to them about protecting the skin from aging, and the hygiene of facial care when they are starting to wear makeup.”

In dealing with acne, she notes there are sensitive-skin and acne-related products that can be used on the face without overstimulating or causing the acne to become worse or irritated.

“A lot of times when you get an acne flare-up, you really need something to calm the skin down,” she says, adding what is needed is a product to keep the skin clean and absorb excess oil, like a clay mask, which can keep the oil at bay.

“We have a product that has been in Merle Norman’s line since the ’30s called Miracol, and it is fantastic,” she says. “I used it as a teen and I have seen a lot of teens when they start to get acne. We put them right on that and they never have a problem—as long as they use it like they are supposed to.”

She says Merle Norman’s Miracol won one of the first Good Housekeeping seals of approval back in the 1950s for being a product that delivers.

“We do have a lot of acne-prone guys who use Miracol and they love it,” Kim says, adding it’s just as popular today as it was decades ago.

“A lot of dermatologist appointments aren’t covered anymore by insurance, so if you have a son or daughter experiencing acne or any kind of skin issues, they can come and get a skin assessment to see if there are over-the-counter products that will help,” she says.

Dr. Foster wants to debunk acne myths that have been around too long. “The idea that acne is caused by eating too much chocolate or junk food is an old wives’ tale,” he says. “Acne is the result of high hormone levels and often starts during puberty.”

He says there are certain types of acne resulting from exposure to industrial oils or plastics that are in constant contact with the skin—like a violinist’s chin.

The dermatologist says acne can typically be treated topically with benzoyl peroxide-containing compounds, tretinoin-containing compounds, and antibiotics if red, inflamed lesions are present.

Tretinoin (a vitamin A derivative) blocks the formation of “whiteheads” and “blackheads,” but may cause mild side effects such as peeling skin or irritation. Severe scarring acne may require treatment with isotretinoin (Accutane), which also has potential side effects.

“Acne should be treated by a dermatologist to prevent irreversible scarring,” Dr. Foster says. And since skin is constantly changing, Kim believes it’s vital for people to be vigilant about their daily skin care routine.

“The most important thing with men, women, boys, and girls is cleaning and protecting your skin,” she says.

Healthy skin tips:

• Stay hydrated: drink plenty of water.
• Maintain a balanced diet enriched with vitamins and minerals.
• Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins.
• Cleanse skin properly.
• Avoid harsh soaps.
• Moisturize skin within a few minutes of bathing.
• Wear broad-spectrum sunscreen.
• Make daily skin care a habit.