Monthly Archives: August 2017

Make-up 101

I frequently get asked what a good make-up is for skin. Unfortunately this is a complicated question. Just like I don’t treat all acne EXACTLY the same there are some general rules I always follow for everyone. I thought it might be helpful for you guys to know some of my make-up rules.

  1. Sunscreen in make-up is not important to me. There’s rarely ever a high enough quality sunscreen in it and no one is going to re-apply their make-up every 2 hours while out doors so you’re going to need a sunscreen anyways. Try the BOB, a brush on powder sunscreen that won’t budge your make-up. I keep mine in my car and apply on the way to work. Throw in purse for during the day, doesn’t melt. No mess, no wrinkles, no brown spots, no problem.
  2. If you have acne prone skin use a mineral based make-up. There are powder foundations that will still get you full coverage! Don’t believe me? Make an appointment with Margaret on September 12th as part of our Millenial Madness Month and get some specials and free make-up application including color match. E-mail Margaret@johmsondermatology.com before slots fill up.
  3. On the other hand, if you have dry skin a BB cream may be a good option for you. More mature skin really needs a good moisturizer before any make-up application. I recommend HA5 because it will plump the skin and make your make-up go on much smoother.
  4. Avoid the fancy-shmancy- gimmicky stuff. If it promises something you’ve never seen make-up do before, it’s probably a gimmick. If it has tons of fragrance and colors and additives it might irritate the skin flaring acne, rosacea, redness and worsening fine lines and dullness.
  5. Avoid high alcohol content make-up removers. They tend to dry the skin out and cause irritation. Especially around the eyes where the skin is very thin and already easily irritated. Try some Vaseline or lotion on the eyes then wipe away with a gentle wipe like Cetaphil cleansing cloths.
  6. Prep lashes with a moisturizer. Mascara can dry out lashes. I use the Jane Iredale PureLash. It’s a moisturizer in a wand that you just swipe on before mascara. It keeps my lashes happy and doubles as an extender. Winning.
  7. More mature lips should go for satins or creamy lip sticks and lip glosses. The newer matte lip stick fad is cute but the drying affect of some of the matte liquid lips will make lips appear more wrinkled. The teenagers have it all don’t they?
  8. Make-up will always be better with good skincare. Want to hide enlarged pores? Redness? Acne? Rosacea? Blackheads? Let us treat your condition first and then make-up won’t be doing the job alone. You will enjoy make-up more when you are enhancing your skin, not just covering it up. There is a difference.

We arent a spa but we sure have a great aestitician. Margaret is excited to be my new cosmetic coordinator and her years of experience at JD make her the perfect fit to the cosmetic team. Be sure you make it in September 14th so you can enjoy make-up, get to know her, get a free skin care consult and maybe even save some coin!

Have a great week skintastic followers, Nina

FacebookTwitterGoogle+PinterestTumblrShare

FAQS

It’s been awhile since I’ve given you guys the basic skin run down. I’m feeling nostalgic coming off a vacation and excited to talk skin. I couldn’t pick just one topic today so I thought a good old fashioned round-up would be nice. Below are my most frequently asked questions.

Q: What’s a good sunscreen?

A: Any sunscreen that has at least a 30 SPF, water resistant, broad spectrum and either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide in the ingredients. Drugstore options I use are Pacifica or bare republic. High end options I use are SkinMedica TD&R(if you didn’t guess that you don’t read my blog enough) and Elta MD.

Q: What make-up won’t make me break out?

A: A mineral based powder foundation. Sorry you gotta ditch that thick creamy stuff. Some say talc and silicone are ingredients that trigger acne. Try Jane Iredale if you like high end. That’s what I use when I want full coverage. A good drug store option is physicians formula.

Q: Does Latisse work?

A: Yes. That’s all, yes it has been scientifically proven to lengthen, thicken and darken lashes.

Q: When Botox wears off do your wrinkles come back worse?

A: No. I mean I’ve never let mine wear off enough to find out personally (I’m addicted) but logically speaking, no. As a matter of fact one treatment of Botox will make wrinkles better than never getting it at all because for those 3-4 months you weren’t etching lines deeper into your skin with muscle movement. Think of it like working out. If you exercise once a week you won’t be in As good of shape as if you work out everyday but it’s better than not working out at all that week. Botox once per year will result in less wrinkles at the end of the year than if you never had it but getting it 3-4 times per year will have the BEST results.

Q: Do fillers hurt?

A: It’s a needle, not a massage. I would love to tell you absolutely no pain whatsoever is involved but that’s just not true. The truth is that it’s just not a big deal. Hurts less than getting your blood drawn in my opinion. Just like beauty, pain is in the eye of the beholder. Some say it doesn’t hurt, some say it does but NO one has ever not had it again because it hurt too bad.

Q: Can I tan before my vacation so I don’t burn?

A: No. Benefit does not outweigh the risk. A tan gives you an SPF of 4 so guess what? You will still burn. Plus you will be at increased risk of getting melanoma(a cancer that kills) because of your tanning bed use.

Q: what is a good lotion?

A: Vaseline for the body. YASSSS! I like to put mine on in the shower and let hot water run over it then after pat dry rub it all over warm and soft. I use HA5 for my face and recommend it for you if you want a super moisturizer that erases lines within 15 minutes and has anti-aging benefits. I recommend a plain equate, cetaphil or cerave to my acne prone teens for face.

Q: Where do you get your sun protective clothing?

A: I was shocked how many people asked me this at the beach!!! Pale really IS the new tan! Www.theseea.com and www.cabanalife.com and www.swimzip.com and I will use the athletic section at Target as swim wear sometimes too.

Q: How can I not get sun during the Summer when I do so much outdoors?

A: You inevitably will get some but be smart. I spend a lot of time at the lake, my kids love pooltime and the beach. I take my kids to the waterpark frequently. I spend a lot of time in the sun but I am sunsmart. I seek shade. Avoid the hottest parts of the day outdoors. Wear sun protective clothing including hats and sunglasses. I always wear sunscreen and reapply appropriately.

Q: What skincare should I use that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg?

A: Sunscreen every morning and retinol every night. Those are my must haves. Splurge on the retinol so that you can use it successfully. The SkinMedica retinol is $82.31 with tax. That will last you 3 months. Without having to buy any other products, you’re saving. Go right now and pull out all your skincare products from your bathroom that gave you little to no results. Guarantee you it’s WAY more than you realized you were spending. Be smart when you invest in your skin!

Q: Are you a doctor?

A: No. I am a licensed health care provider practicing in Dermatology for the past 5 years. I’m trained by board certified dermatologist and work very closely with them, they are literally steps away at JD. I know my limitations. If I don’t have the answer I will try my hardest to find it for you. I love Dermatology, I love skin, I love cosmetics, I love my community and most of all, I love my patients. Thank you to all my patients who have trusted me and let me do what I love every day. It’s not work to me, it’s fun.

If you have any other questions you would like to ask me shoot them in the comment section or better yet on JD snapchat (jdermatology). Currently we are reviewing sunscreens on snapchat in a sunscreen series. Thank you  so much for reading my blog, it means the world to me. My successes and happiness are because people like you believed in me, trusted me and then came along for the ride.

Life is good, skin is Skintastic, keep it that way,

Nina

 

Hairy Situation?

image1

Look who’s back! Back again! Dermatologist are experts on hair, skin and nails. Dr. Sandy was nice enough to write a guest post all things hair. Here it is:

As a dermatologist, I love skin, hair and nails.  As an Italian, I know how important hair is to your image.  Most people want healthy beautiful hair on our scalps.  Some men want beards.  Most women do not want facial hair.  Some cultures want body hair.  Other cultures do not want body hair.  Hair, or lack thereof, often defines us as much as our skin color and skin hygiene.  Aside from dermatologists and hair dressers, there  are so many people and companies who “specialize” in helping people grow more hair or diminish hair. In the July issue of the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, Drs DiMarco and McMichael attempted to debunk some hair loss myths.  The article is really good.  I plan to restate some of their truths and add a few of my own.

 

Telogen effluvium affects most people sometime in their life.  It is hair shedding that lasts a few months after a physically or emotionally stressful event…most commonly after having a baby.  It usually resolves on its own but can persist especially if you have low iron, thyroid issues, chronic stress or take certain medications.

 

Studies show that by age 50 years, 50% of men and women will suffer with some hair loss.  Topical minoxidil treatment is one of the most studied and recommended treatments for hair loss.  Unfortunately, a few people may actually have some hair shedding in the first few weeks of starting minoxidil…this can be frustrating but it is temporary.  Also frustrating is that it can take up to 12 months of daily minoxidil use to see benefit.

 

There are so many natural remedies and supplements touted to grow hair.  One should consider their research and financial claims.  Biotin and iron have been studied to help hair growth.  Biotin helps if you are low in biotin.  I don’t usually test for this.  I was taught that your iron stores (ferritin) need to be at least 90ng/ml for optimal hair growth conditions.  I often check this. Onion juice and rosemary oil have also been shown to have some benefit in clinical trials.

 

Since hair grows from the “stem” cells in the scalp, typically whatever you do to your hair will not affect how hair grows. Traumatizing your hair with wearing tight braids, vigorous hair brushing, hair pulling, excessive heat or chemicals will lead to hair breakage and subsequent hair loss however.

 

Thankfully there is research being done in maximizing the hair on our head.  There are clinical trials being done for new medications to treat alopecia areata as well as hair cooling devices to decrease hair loss due to chemotherapeutic agents as well as hair loss due to aging.  Studies looking at platelet rich plasma, PRP, for hair loss are very promising.

 

All of that deals with not having enough hair on the scalp.  As for having too much hair on the body;  one can shave, tweeze, wax, sugar, pluck or laser.  On a personal note, laser hair reduction is one of the best things I have done for myself and I highly recommend it.  Please remember that in the state of Arkansas, any laser is considered a medical treatment and MUST be performed by a physician or supervised by a physician.

 

“Hair”  is to a skintastic day for everyone. Dr. Sandy