WestDerm

We all blush and get flushed sometimes—it’s normal. But if the blush on your cheeks is frequent, you might have a skin condition called rosacea. But how do you tell the difference between a healthy blush and a skin condition? In honor of April being Rosacea Awareness Month, we’re breaking it down below: 

  

What is Blushing 

Blushing is getting red-faced from shame, shyness, or embarrassment. It results from an emotional reaction that makes your glands release adrenaline. This hormone affects your nervous system, and blood is brought closer to the surface of your skin and your capillaries widen. But blushing is temporary.  

  

What is Rosacea? 

Rosacea, on the other hand, is a permanent skin condition. With rosacea, the blood vessels show through the skin enough that your face frequently looks red. This redness can come and go, depending on exposure to triggers. Although it is an incurable skin condition, the good news is that treatment options to help you are abundant once you’re diagnosed.  

  

Diagnosing Rosacea 

The providers at West Derm are trained to diagnose rosacea by examining your facial skin. They’re primarily looking for enlarged blood vessels. If you’re diagnosed with rosacea, you can do several things to manage your condition.  

  

Reduce Rosacea Triggers 

Rosacea triggers include hot weather, hot food, intense exercise, and menopause.  

  

Avoiding Irritants 

People with rosacea have sensitive skin that can also redden from irritants in some products. Everyday things like skincare and haircare can contain irritants that cause rosacea flare-ups. It’s helpful to avoid any product that makes your rosacea worse than it was before you used it and also get personalized product recommendations from your dermatologist.  

  

Keep a Rosacea Diary 

A rosacea diary can help you keep track of things that trigger your flare-ups. This information can help you remember to avoid these triggers in the future. You can also benefit from keeping track of products that affect your skin and identifying the irritating ingredients so you can avoid them.  

  

Extra Sun Protection 

People with rosacea need extra protection from the sun’s harsh UV rays, so remember to wear dermatologist recommended sunscreen daily.   

  

Treatments for Rosacea 

If your provider decides that you need rosacea treatment, there are many options, from prescription creams and gels to antibiotic pills and light and laser therapy.  

  

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to manage rosacea like avoiding triggers, reducing irritants, keeping a rosacea diary, and ensuring extra sun protection. There are also many dermatological treatment options that your provider can help you with. 

  

West Derm practices provides Healthy Skin for LifeTM and our providers are rosacea experts. Contact us to schedule an appointment, and a knowledgeable provider will assess you for rosacea and, if you have it, can recommend treatment options. 

 

Did you know that signs of diabetes can show up on your skin? In honor of American Diabetes Alert Day (March 22) we’ll take a look at 10 skin conditions that are warning signs of high blood sugar caused by type 2 diabetes. These include dark skin on your neck, sores on your feet, and hard skin on your toes. 

 

Are You at Risk of Diabetes?  

Obesity is the number one risk factor for diabetes. So are other health issues like high blood pressure, or whether you developed gestational diabetes while pregnant. In addition, race and ethnicity also play a role in diabetes risk. African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Asian Americans, and American Indians have a greater risk of developing diabetes . Other risk factors include: 

 

 

10 Signs of Diabetes That Show Up On Skin 

 

  

How a Dermatologist is Your Partner in Skin Care 

Our dermatologists can help you care for skin if you have diabetes. They can help you prevent skin infections and develop a skin care routine to manage skin problems related to high blood sugar.  

 

Moisturized Skin 

You’ll also work together to develop a skin care routine for your extremely dry, itchy skin. This will give you relief, plus protect your skin barrier so bacteria stay out of your body. One example of this is on the heels of your feet, which can become hard and crack open, letting bacteria penetrate your skin and possibly cause an infection. Your dermatologist will recommend a product to keep the skin, including your heels, hydrated and your skin barrier intact.   

 

Extra Care For Your Feet 

Your dermatologist can teach you to look for ulcers (or open sores) on your feet which can be treated easily when detected early. Daily foot checks are important because if you have diabetes you can often detect wounds with your eyes that you otherwise wouldn’t notice because you can’t always feel a wound forming on your feet due to loss of sensation.  

 

Clean Skin  

If you have diabetes your dermatologist will want you to take extra care to make sure your skin is clean and that any wounds or sores are disinfected and dressed. That’s because high blood sugar predisposes you to infections, and even small wounds need extra care to prevent conditions like a staph infection.  

 

Skin Checks   

Your dermatologist will help you check for fungal infections which can show up on folds of the skin and also on your nails. Because fungi thrive in a sugary environment, you can help prevent them by making sure your blood sugar is controlled and not elevated.  

 

In honor of American Diabetes Alert Day, we’re raising awareness about diabetes risks, which include obesity, family history, and race and ethnicity. We’re also highlighting how signs of diabetes can show up on your skin. The number one sign of diabetes is dark, velvety skin on the neck, armpit, or groin. If you have diabetes, your dermatologist can be your partner in skin care. If you have any of the above signs of diabetes that worry you, join others who have come into our clinic to have it professionally checked.  

Is it just us, or does Fitz-patrick sound like St. Patrick? We think it does! And so in honor of St. Patrick’s Day this month let’s take a test to find out your unique Fitzpatrick skin type. It’s fun to find out where you fall on the scale. Plus, it’ll give you some important info that could save your skin. 

 

What is the Fitzpatrick Scale 

The Fitzpatrick scale is a tool for dermatologists to assess your risk of skin cancer. It rates two things: the amount of pigment in your skin and how your skin reacts to the sun. It can indicate how likely you are to develop skin cancer. 

 

Classify Your Skin 

The Fitzpatrick Skin Scale is a scientific way of classifying skin types. It breaks them down into six categories starting light and moving up to the darkest tones of skin. Just knowing your skin type can give you the information you need to protect your skin and prevent skin cancer.  

 

What’s Your Fitzpatrick Skin Type? 

Ready to take the test to find out your skin type? Just choose the number that best describes you. Then add up your numbers and check your score at the end of the quiz.  

 

What color are your eyes? 

0 – Light blue, gray or green  

1 – Blue, gray, or green 

2 – Blue 

3 – Dark Brown 

4 – Brownish Black 

 

What is the natural color of your hair? 

0 – Sandy red 

1 – Blonde 

2 – Chestnut/ Dark Blonde 

3 – Dark brown 

4 – Black 

 

What color is your skin in places where it is not exposed to the sun? 

0 – Reddish 

1 – Very Pale 

2 – Pale with a beige tint 

3 – Light brown 

4 – Dark brown  

 

Do you have freckles on unexposed areas? 

0 – Many 

1 – Several 

2 – Few 

3 – Incidental 

4 – None 

 

What happens when you stay too long in the sun? 

0 – Painful redness, blistering, peeling 

1 – Blistering followed by peeling 

2 – Burns sometimes followed by peeling 

3 – Rare burns 

4 – Never had burns 

 

To what degree do you turn brown? 

0 – Hardly or not at all 

1 – Light color tan 

2 – Reasonable tan 

3 – Tan very easily 

4 – Turn dark brown quickly 

 

Do you turn brown after several hours of sun exposure? 

0 – Never 

1 – Seldom 

2 – Sometimes 

3 – Often 

4 – Always 

 

How does your face react to the sun? 

0 – Very sensitive 

1 – Sensitive 

2 – Normal 

3 – Very resistant 

4 – Never had a problem 

 

When did you last expose your body to the sun? 

1 – More than 3 months ago 

2 – 2-3 months ago 

3 – 12 months ago 

4 – Less than a month ago 

5 – Less than 2 weeks ago 

 

Do you expose your face, or the area to be treated, to the sun? 

1 – Never 

2 – Hardly ever 

3 – Sometimes 

4 – Often 

5 – Always 

 

Quiz Score For Fitzpatrick Scale 

0-7 = Type I 

8-16 + Type II 

17-25 = Type III 

25-30 = Type IV 

Over 30 = Type V-VI 

 

Fitzpatrick Skin Type Characteristics 

 

Does Everyone Need Sunscreen? 

Yes, you need sun protection regardless of your Fitzpatrick skin type. Wear sunscreen with a high SPF if your skin is on the light side. You can get away with sunscreen with a lower SPF if your skin is on the darker side.  

 

Book an Annual Exam 

If your skin is on the light side (especially if you have red hair or freckles) you should see a dermatologist for an annual skin check starting at about age 30. If your skin is tan to dark, see a dermatologist for a yearly exam starting at about age 40. 

 

Ready to join the dozens of patients who know their skin type and use it to take care of their skin? Or, are you still not quite sure which category your skin fits int?  Book your appointment and your dermatologist will help you figure out the answer.  

Let’s celebrate National Cancer Prevention Month by revealing the truth behind some common skin cancer and sun damage myths. You’ve probably heard plenty of these untruths, and we’re here to set the record straight. Ready? Let’s dive right in. 

 

The truth is that you still need to wear sunscreen under your SPF foundation. That’s because you need an amount of sunscreen the size of a quarter to fully protect your face. And you don’t generally wear this much foundation. You would have to wear your foundation very thick to get the full SPF benefit promised on the bottle. So, apply sunscreen before your foundation (and remember your eyelids, ears, neck, and chest area too.) The SPF in your foundation could be helpful, but don’t count on it for full protection. 

 

There is no such thing as a safe tan from a tanning bed or the sun. The only safe tan comes in a bottle. Self-tanning lotions are the way to go if you enjoy a bronzed look. 

 

Our dermatologists say chemical sunscreen is not bad for your skin. It’s considered effective and a lot safer than no sunscreen. You can always choose a physical (mineral) sunscreen instead if you have any reservations about using a chemical one. 

 

These two types of rays damage your skin differently. While UVA (Ages) your skin, UVB (Burns) it. That’s why you need broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect you from both types of rays. 

 

Your house’s windows block UVB rays. So, it’s not likely you’ll get a sunburn while sitting under direct sunlight in your house. But your skin is still exposed to UVA rays, which age it. Regular glass in homes does not filter out UVA rays. Wear sunscreen on your face and body every day, even if you plan to stay inside.  

 

Melasma affects plenty of young people in their mid to late twenties. It’s the most common form of cancer in young adults in this age group. So, pay attention to moles and see your doctor for a skin check if they change. 

 

Everyone is susceptible to skin cancer. Even people with the darkest skin tones are at risk. You need to wear sunscreen daily and protect yourself regardless of your skin color.  

 

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the world. It affects one in five people. That’s right, 20 percent of people will get some form of skin cancer during their lifetime. It helps to know your risk is real so you can take prevention seriously.   

 

The sun continues to cause DNA damage, cancer, and premature aging year-round, even in the winter. Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean the sun stops shining. It’s with us. Every. Single. Day. And so are its damaging rays. Slather on a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen regardless of the season.  

 

Clouds reduce some of the sun’s UV rays, but not nearly enough to protect your skin from cancer. That’s why the Skin Cancer Foundation recommends you wear sunscreen on cloudy days. Remember, the only time you’re entirely protected is at night when the sun is down.  

 

You’ve just read the truth about skin cancer and sun damage myths and now you’re better prepared to protect yourself. What a great way to celebrate National Cancer Prevention Month! The only bigger step you can take is to join hundreds of our patients who have booked their annual skin checkup. 

This Valentine’s Day, we’re taking our love for our derm-grade products to the next level by highlighting why we always steer our patients toward clinical-grade skincare brands. With products that are able to penetrate deep into the skin’s layers and produce quality results, we choose to have a wide variety of brands at hand to allow us to tailor our suggestions to each individual patients’ needs.

Our derm-grade products (also called medical or clinical-grade) are proven effective. They’ve passed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspection through controlled and double-blind trials. This means that the participants and researchers don’t know which product participants are getting until after the trial, so the results are less biased. It’s one of the gold standards in the scientific community for proving a product works.

Non-derm grade products sold in supermarkets, drug stores, and online are self-regulated by the cosmetic industry. This means they can make wild claims about how good they are with no evidence to back it up. Yikes.

It’s the consumers who lose when they are left experimenting with different products that may or may not work as advertised. Plus, it’s frustrating and expensive to buy a product for a specific condition and then have it not work.

Derm-grade skincare can penetrate deeper layers of skin. So, when you buy, say, retinol that’s medical-grade, you know the collagen and elastin in your skin is being repaired at the deepest level possible with a topical product.

Yes, and no. While you will pay more for the actual bottle of product, it’s less expensive than having a drawer full of products that you spent good money on but didn’t work for you. With derm-grade products, you know they work because they passed a thorough FDA inspection.

At our clinic, we believe our derm-grade products offer our patients excellent value for many reasons, including that you don’t need to experiment with several different types of routines. Instead, you can save money with:

Just a few of our key derm-grade products are plenty to keep your skin looking its best. We recommend you make sure your serums are derm-grade, especially Vitamin-C serum. If you want to treat a specific problem, like melasma spots, also make sure your products are derm-grade.

We hope you are as in love with our derm-grade skincare products as we are. Ask to see the products on hand at your next annual skin check. If you don’t want to wait, head over to our online shop where we stock the best brands in the business.

West Dermatology is passionate about skin — in case you missed it (ICYMI), and many of us have turned our passion into a career. We enjoy helping our patients care for the largest organ in their body. And we care about saving lives by preventing and treating skin cancer. In addition, we’re passionate about heading off premature aging and also about providing tools and education to our patients about caring for their skin. 

 

Skin is Your Largest Organ 

It’s incredible to think that skin is your largest organ. It protects you from the outside world and literally holds you together. With a job this big, we feel it’s essential to break down the different ways we care for your approximately 8 pounds and 22 square feet of skin. (By the way, your facial skin only accounts for about one square foot of this skin.)  

 

Why We’re Passionate About It 

Some of us are passionate about skin care after seeing it improve a patient’s health or sense of self-worth and confidence. Others became passionate about taking care of your skin because it makes you look and feel great. And a few of us were teens and adults with acne who finally turned things around when we saw a dermatologist and got the medical-grade product or oral medication needed to clear it. Whatever the reason, we are all here because we’re passionate about skin health.  

 

Saving Lives 

Skin cancer has a high survival rate when it’s caught in time. That’s why we’re so passionate about encouraging our patients to come in for their annual skin check-up and doing self-checks too. Early detection saves lives.   

 

Preventing Premature Aging 

We’re passionate about preventing sun damage for two reasons. Number one, it ages your skin prematurely. The sun accounts for more than 80 percent of premature skin aging. This can take a toll on you by making you look older than you feel.  

 

Preventing DNA Damage 

The second reason we’re passionate about preventing sun damage is that the sun’s rays can change your skin’s DNA and cause cancer. This type of damage is not reversible, so we focus on prevention and treatment to help our patients live their healthiest lives.  

 

Providing Tools 

We’re passionate about providing tools and education to our patients on how to care for their skin. Our website, newsletter, and blog are our way to have ongoing communication with our patients about fun and important ways to take care of their skin.   

 

Our Passion 

West Dermatology is passionate about skin care, and many of us have turned our passion into a career. Whether we’re dermatologists, nurses, medical assistants, aestheticians, or front office staff. The one thing we have in common is our passion for skin health.   

 

Join the hundreds of West Dermatology patients who have scheduled their annual skin check-up. And while you’re at it, have a little fun and ask your dermatologist what skincare products they recommend for your skin care routine.