Tomorrow starts Spring Break around these parts. Lots of people use this as an excuse to hit the beach. Oh how I love the beach. I must admit when I was in college my Mom always told me to wear my sunscreen but I thought I was invincible and I would always go for a good tan. I’m paying for it now with sun damaged skin that is difficult to fix. I can’t tell you how many times a day I hear “no one told me not to tan” or “we used to use foil and betadine to get a tan, we didn’t know any better”. Well, here I am hoping to change this for our generation so that we do “know better” telling you to take care of your skin this spring break. Here are some spring break sun smart tips.

1. Avoid the hottest part of the day. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends staying out of the sun from 10AM-4PM when sun rays are most damaging. We went to the zoo yesterday and planned our indoor shopping and eating around lunch time. Zoo time was 2-5pm so although we were outside part of this time window we spent some of it inside as well. This is easy to do for the planner. Plan your vaca in a sun smart way this year.
2. Seek shade. Bring your big umbrella. No I’m not talking about the umbrella in your drink. A big umbrella or sun protective tent can allow you to enjoy the sand and waves with less sun exposure.
3. Wear your sun protective clothing. www.coolibar.com has some cute options for the fashion forward. What’s more timeless and chic than a big floppy hat on the beach? If I had it my way you would wear long sleeves, long pants, big floppy hat, neck drape and sunglasses.
4. Obviously wear your sunscreen. Unfortunately its not enough to apply sunblock in the AM and be done. You should apply at least 30 SPF broad spectrum every two hours. For sun exposed skin you should use at least 1 ounce total, thats a full shot glass. We used BOB at the zoo. Its brush on block, sunscreen in powder form on a brush. It’s the bomb! My baby giggles every time I apply it to her little sweet cheeks.
5. Don’t tan as beach preparation to avoid a burn. Seriously, why?!?!?! I constantly hear people say they are only tanning to get ready for the beach so they can avoid sun burn or so they can blend in the dark spots they already have. I don’t care how tan you get, if you aren’t sun smart you will still burn at the beach. Oh, and guess what? As you darken your skin you are also darkening those dark spots so they aren’t going to blend in any better.
6. Spray tan or use self tanner. If you just want to look tan do it in a safer way please. I don’t want you to have thickened, thinned, wrinkly, leathery, scaly, spotty skin one day (were any of those real words?). My favorite self tanner is either Jane Iredale or Jergens. I have been fooled by them before thinking they were real tans. If you want my personal opinion, pale is the new style. Tan cellulite does not look better than white cellulite, I promise. It’s like saying hail damage looks better on a black car then a white car, nope it’s still hail damage. *Now stepping off of soap box*

If your all grown up and don’t get spring breaks any more then maybe I will see you at the clinic this week! If you didn’t listen to any of my tips and get home with a sun burn, stop in and let me help you.  I will only scold you a little! If you have been considering any cosmetic treatments we are offering some major SPRING BREAK SPECIALS on Botox and fillers this week. Hope you all relax and re-energize this week in a sun smart skintastic way! Toodles, Nina

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When I was pregnant I would get a pedicure once a week. It just felt so good to have my feet and calves soaked and rubbed after carrying all that extra weight around all day. Well, I recently watched a 2020 on ABC news (http://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/risking-health-nail-salon-22822474) about the healthcare risks of nail salons. This intrigued me so I took my Mom for a pedicure today to see if my salon did any of the “no-no’s” ABC had reported. Well, most of them happened. They used a tool that is supposedly only for podiatrist. They filed my Mom’s nails with the same file they used on my nails without cleaning in between and so on and so on. I still love my nail salon and plan to go back, I think they are just as good as any nail salon. One of my mentors explains risks by the discussion of wearing your seat belt. Nine times out of ten you wear your seat belt and don’t need it, you would have been just as safe driving without your seat belt as you would with it as long as you don’t get in a wreck. But we all (most of us) wear our seat belts every time we get in the car because we don’t want to take the risk that this drive is going to be the time we get in a wreck. Most of us go to the salon because, much like not wearing our seat belt, we are taking the risk of nail trauma, damage and infections over the benefit of a good looking pedicure. Just like you usually don’t get in a wreck you usually don’t have problems with your nails after a manicure. Before you take these risks you should know exactly what they are. So in hopes to not scare you away from a good pedicure but educate you on what risks your taking, here are the things that you could get after a pedi and mani.

1. Beau lines- This is a transverse depression in the nail plate. Basically a line going across your nail. This can be caused by the trauma of a manicure, usually in one nail. If seen in all your nails you should see your dermatologist to check for underlying diseases that cause beau lines.

2. Acute Paronychia-This is an infection of the folds of tissue surrounding the nail of the finger that lasts less than 6 weeks. It usually starts as a red, swollen, tender area after trauma to the cuticle. Trauma to the cuticle during a manicure can introduce bacteria and fungus. In the acute phase you may need drainage of pus or antibiotics from your dermatologist.

3. Chronic Paronychia- This infection lasts longer than 6 weeks and in chronic paronychia the nail plate separates from the cuticle leaving an area vulnerable to infection. In chronic paronychia the cuticle is gone. Among other causes this can be caused by aggressive trimming of the cuticles (like your nail lady may be doing). I never let them cut at my cuticles. Today the lady even said “but you have an ingrown toe nail that needs trimmed”.  I just kept insisting she leave my cuticles alone (as if I couldn’t diagnose my self with an ingrown toe nail??). Diaper cream is a good over the counter treatment for this problem.

4. Leukonychia and onychoschizia- big fancy medical words used to describe what a chemically damaged nail looks like. As you can probably guess, when we glue nails to ourselves those chemicals can damage and change the nail plate. Leukonychia is that white opaque discoloration and onychoschizia is splitting of the nail plate, basically your nail just looks jacked up.

5. Athlete’s foot, MRSA and warts- While most of us probably come in contact with staph, fungus and hpv on a regular basis we are probably more likely to encounter these at the nail salon. Person to person spread is a no brainer but think about your own skin too. For instance, if you have a wart on your foot, that pumice stone rubbing all over the wart then causing tiny little cuts in your skin on the back of your foot, yes that could spread the wart virus and spread your warts, not cool.

Cheers to good manicures and pedicures! I usually recommend keeping your nails trimmed to lessen the chance of injury. Keep them moisturized just like your skin and try to avoid harsh chemicals that can dry the nails. Hope to see all your nail probs this week at the clinic. Otherwise, stay nailtastic!

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I woke up Saturday morning, looked in the mirror and thought to myself “wow I look tired”. My thoughts were accompanied with the realization that I am turning 30 in less than a month and my body can no longer bounce back from a Friday night out with the girls like it used to. As we mature the eyelid skin thins and we suffer from loss of fat and collagen. All these things can cause bags, puffiness, and dark circles under the eyes that most of us don’t like waking up to on a Saturday morning as I did this weekend. So here are my tips for waking up those eyes and saying good bye to dark circles, puffiness, and lines!

1. Cold compresses and elevation. I put a cool rag over my eyes while sitting upright for a few minutes. Gravity helped the puffiness. Just like swelling and edema you get anywhere else in the body cold compresses and elevation will help under your eyes too, for the short term. Consider sleeping elevated.
2. TNS eye repair. This is my “go to” for people wanting a cream to help with the fine lines around the eyes. This is a Skinmedica eye cream that has growth factor and antioxidants that will help the appearance of fine lines around the eyes. I also recommend this cream for my patients who get Botox for crow’s feet. It helps overall results for the eyelid skin.
3. Botox- You should always be careful when choosing your injector but when injecting around the eyes, its extra important. I don’t mind when my patients ask me “have you done this before?” or “how were you trained?”.  The injector you choose shouldn’t mind either if they are confident in their skills, be picky. Botox can get a slight lift of the brows and help you appear more awake, less tired.
4. Filler- Belotero is a filler that is made to be put very superficial in the skin and unlike most of the other fillers, it isn’t seen when placed superficial. We can place Belotero under your eyes to help that dark hollow look. Sometimes using filler in the cheeks to replace volume there shortens the length of your under eye circles. During your cosmetic consultation ask which option would give you the biggest bang for your buck.

   

   

5. Blepharoplasty- This is a surgical option that removes excess fat or sagging skin. We don’t offer this at JD but we have been known to recommend this for you during a cosmetic consultation and can point you in the right direction.

I hope with daylight savings springing us forward this weekend you all adjust easily and get plenty of rest tonight and wake up alert and ready for the upcoming week. Have  the best week you’ve ever had! Hope to see you all at the clinic this week but if I miss you, stay skintastic!!!

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Due to an ice storm and a sick baby its been a lazy Sunday of eating leftover birthday party food and watching the pre shows for the Oscars. Is it just me or does every single person at the Oscars have flawless skin? I mean flawless! And it didn’t become that way over night. I mean, I don’t think they had horrible rashes and acne yesterday. Obviously, they invest in their skin to keep it looking good. But realistically, one or two of them surely ran into some poison ivy while roaming the beaches of Belize last weekend, right? And pimples always find me the day before a big event, that happens to famous people too, right? So in honor of the famous and flawless, here are some tricks I think some of them have probably used this week for a “quick fix”.

1. Acne- I tell my patients to allow 2 months of acne treatments before they see 50% improvement. You have to stick with a regimen to get results. BUT, if they had the Oscars this weekend I might offer to laser them with our pulsed dye laser. It would help calm that acne down before the big event. Bonus-we use it for redness too, killing two birds with one stone.
2. Steroid injections-If Bradley Cooper came and saw me last week with a large, painful cyst on his neck, which was draining stinky pus and making it difficult for him to tie a bow tie around his neck without irritating it……. well he would still be the best looking guy at the Oscars! Seriously, I would inject it with a tiny bit of steroid to help resolve it faster and let him be partay ready! Steroid injections do come with risks however, so you should discuss and consider these with your dermatologist before you are injected.
3. Make-up- Even the men are wearing make-up at the Oscars, for real. People forget how helpful make-up can be at covering up. Make sure you’re using it correctly and making things better instead of worse. Our cosmetic concierges at JD have lots of tricks. Did you know that if you have rosacea, using green tones will help cover your redness better? Shelly often picks out my make-up colors for me, Autumn is a brainiac with our products and Sharon is so easy to talk to. If you haven’t met one of them yet be sure to find them at your next visit to JD. They have a wealth of knowledge in skincare products to share with you!
4. Rashes- Actors/actresses are rich and famous, not invincible. They get poison ivy, bug bites and psoriasis too. While I find it interesting that Kim Kardashian put her sisters breast milk on her psoriasis and found it to be helpful, most of us likely need an alternative. Make an appointment with your dermatologist. Don’t waste your time on trying five different over the counter remedies that may just complicate things and make the rash worse(like pink lotions). If you have a hot date, like the Oscars, in the upcoming days then even a small bug bite is not too small of a problem for me to spend time on with you, promise!
5. Bruises- I bet at least one person has bumped into something this week and sustained a bruise right before the Oscars. Once again we can use the pulsed dye laser to help bruises go away faster. Another option is Arnicare, a homeopathic gel which helps reduce pain, swelling and the color of bruises. Give it a whirl.

Keep in mind no quick fix is as good as a regular routine skin care regimen. I hope you all enjoy this extra time stuck indoors with your families. Drink cocoa, stay warm and as always be skintastic!

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I have spent this weekend Spring cleaning my home. It’s almost Spring but honestly, its my little girl’s birthday party next weekend and that’s what really motivated me to clean my house. So in the honor of Spring cleaning today I would like to inspire you to do some skincare “spring cleaning”. It turns out most of America is spending money on skincare products that don’t work and can even be harmful to skin. Where did you buy your last skincare product? Was it recommended by your dermatologist? Or was it something “fru fru” that you impulse bought? You should absolutely invest in your skin, its the largest organ in your body after all! Spring clean your skincare with me and trade in old gimmicks for skincare products that work! Here are the first 5 items on my list for you to Spring clean, in other words please throw in the trash:

1. Scrubs. WHY? WHY? WHY? People like to feel something happening. If you feel those beads scrubbing your face, you’re probably thinking “its taking all those dead skin cells and dirt right off, ahhhhh”. I’m thinking AAAHHHHH STOP! Your causing inflammation and irritation to your skin which can trigger acne, redness, rashes and much more. If  you want an exfoliator trade harsh scrubs in for a gentle non harmful one like Cerave SA lotion.
2. Fragrance body washes. My teenage boys are the hardest to convince of this (that includes my husband). Those fragrances dry out your skin and leave a residue on your skin that can flare your acne. Throw ‘em out and trade them for a plain bar of Dove soap.
3. Heavy make-up. The goal is to use noncomedogenic(won’t cause black/white heads) products. That means mineral based make-up. Trade in that heavy acne triggering muck for some light and airy Jane Iredale powder.
4. Scam Retinol- I hear lots of people tell me they can’t use a retinol because it irritates the skin or “I’m allergic”. Probably because you got convinced to buy one that has also added anti-aging miracle workers and a root from the wild jungles of Indonesia that a 100 year old medicine man concocted and uses to still look 20. Point is all those additives can be too much, too irritating. Get a medical grade retinol that has been researched to be effective and nonirritating. My favorite? Skinmedica 0.5 Retinol Complex, it’s what I use and look how good I look? (working on goals from last weeks post)
5. Tanning lotions- I really shouldn’t even have to put this on my list but I’m surprised as to how many people ask me if its okay to get a tan if using these oils. Just because the tanning oils label says 5 SPF on it doesn’t mean that your tan is any safer. Getting a sunburn after you wore 100 SPF isn’t any better than getting a sunburn after you didn’t wear any sunscreen. Throw away all those gimmick lotions that make you think your doing something good for your skin while you tan. Don’t tan, its totally out of style unless your Snooki or just love wrinkles, dark spots and leather. If you gotta have some color my favorite rub on tan is Jergens, its fooled me before which means it looks close to a natural sun color.

Johnson Dermatology is going to be having a recycled products program soon so before you throw away these things go follow JD on Facebook to be in the know and maybe even get something back for those old products. Out with the old, in with the new! Hope to see you all this week at the clinic, until then, stay skintastic!

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I got a pimple this week. I noticed it first but then after that other people noticed it too…… I’m sure! Still all week long as I treated others’ skin I continued to hear “I wish my skin looked like yours” or “make me look as young as you”. I thought to myself “can they not see this huge bright red pus-filled pimple on my face? Come on I look like I’m growing a horn!”. My impression of how my skin looked was different from those looking at me.  I have imperfections and I think I could look better most days. Its all about perspective. One person’s view of perfect skin is another person’s worst skin day. Two people walking down the street with the same mole may have very different ideas about how it looks. One person thinks it’s a beauty mark while the other is headed to the dermatologist to have it removed. Some people would rather have a mole and some people would rather have a scar. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

So why then do we all wish our skin, body shape, hair and outfit to be perfect. It’s impossible to be perfect, right? Should we just embrace our wrinkles and pimples and rock them out with confidence? Of course we should, be proud of the way you look, you’re the only one that looks that way. But we shouldn’t neglect ourselves either. We should still use our retinol nightly to keep our skin looking young and beautiful. Use it to make our skin look the best we can make it look. That’s the key, loving what you have while still striving to make it better.  If we never tried to be better our world would stop, we wouldn’t grow into anything new and thats just depressing.

I’m hardest on myself and I find most people are the same way. No one calls me fat except for me. Well, my patients this week have inspired me to stop being so hard on myself and agree that all I can do is work to be my best while enjoying what I already have. When I look in the mirror at that belly, I’m gonna love it and think to myself “I look good”, then go workout and eat healthy all day to make it a little flatter. I’m going to embrace my imperfections and use them to my advantage.

So this week I hope this blog will inspire you to embrace your skin imperfections and realize that you’re awesome even with that stretch mark, those extra five pounds, that discoloration on your skin, the enlarged pore or any other little imperfection you don’t like about yourself. Then, when you try to make it better, don’t feel guilty. The road to perfection is never ending but the journey is what makes us all awesome. Most people don’t feel guilty for working out to become skinny. So why feel bad about coloring your hair, getting a tummy tuck, botox or fillers? I don’t feel guilty for getting botox or removing my mole on my neck. And to the naysayers that think I should love myself without having to change anything I’m going to reply by saying I’m not changing who I am I’m just improving it, just like I am trying to gripe less at my husband. I’m not a bad wife, I’m a good wife, but I could always be a better wife. There will always be a better version of me that I am striving for and I love that about me, I hope you will love that about you too.

So here’s my first step in accepting my imperfections as mine; I’m gonna share with you on this very public internet site the things I used to hate about myself that I now am going to love because they motivate me to be better! Feel inspired, feel motivated and have a skintastic day! Hope to see you all at the clinic so I can be a part of your journey towards perfect skin!

First up…… my belly! I used to hate that spot where all my extra weight hangs out, but now I’m glad its there because before it gets too big it motivates me to exercise more and eat less ice cream, making me healthier!

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“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”

-Audrey Hepburn

I think this is true and just love this quote. BUT its Valentines Day week Audrey and we all want to have some good looking smoochers when we speak those words of kindness. I love Valentines Day, chocolate, no PDA rules, flowers, that warm fuzzy feeling all day long and kisses. Whether its a first kiss, french kiss, butterfly kiss, or just a peck  who doesn’t love a good kiss?!?!? So this week I want to share the womans journey to a perfect lip for beautiful kisses.

1. Botox around the lips.- You will either love it or hate it. For those strong pursed lips that cause the lines around your lips, botox can decrease that motion and I think the softening effect it has is very pretty. On the other hand; some women say that after Botox, they can’t kiss the same or cant suck through a straw. I mean I’m all about “no pain, no gain” but not being able to use your kissing skills, now that should be illegal!
2. Pump up the jam, ergh I mean lips- That was corny….. sorry, not sorry! I just always sing that song in my head when I talk about lip plumping. There are a million lip plumper products out there. Try a medical grade one like SkinMedica TNS lip plump system. It has a lip renewal as the first step and a lip plumper for the second step. It rapidly smoothes the texture of the lips and increases their volume.
3. Cracked, chapped lips-Please don’t come at me with cracked or scaly lips on Valentines Day. Am I right girls or am I right? I mean its bad enough we let our sweet soft lips get irritated by that Sunday stuble or that everyday goatie you men are rocking these days. I recommend staying hydrated and using plain petroleum/vaseline. If you’re really chapped and need a quick fix for that hot date you have planned Friday night then try Dr. Dan’s Cortibalm. It has just a touch of hydrocortisone in it that will help the inflammation. It doesn’t taste great but I love that stuff for a quick fix.
4. Color me red- My go to favorite is the Jane Iredale puregloss lip gloss in Montreal. I can’t describe it, its like chocolate, you just have to try it to understand the deliciousness. It’s a great time to try it out because this Valentines Day at Johnson Dermatology with the purchase of a lip color you get a free lip definer. UMM yeah thats $13 bucks saved, you’re welcome in advance.
5. Fillers- MY. FAVORITE. HandsDOWN. Want the biggest bang for your buck, then go with filler. I understand the bad rap some people have given fillers in the lips but if you let me inject you, I promise I won’t make you look like this:
6. Some of you may know our clinic is LEED certified, we are proud to be environmentally conscious. Keeping with our philosophy, I like to enhance the NATURAL beauty of lips. Fillers don’t just add volume to the lips. I also use them to decrease lines, give columns back, define borders to the lips, get a sexy pout and turn those frowns upside down. Fillers can enhance or recreate the natural beauty of your lips. Here are some before and after pictures of one of my amazingly beautiful patients.

Part two of this post is going to go into detail about fillers for the lips, so stay tuned next week. Have you lost your Cupids Bow? As a Valentine present to you, come get your lips filled for Valentines Day and get a free TNS lip plump system-thats valued at $58 while supplies last, naturally. Hope you all have a Valentines Day filled with love and lots of kisses with those gorgeous lips!

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It’s Super Bowl Sunday Y’all! Whether its the football game, the commercials, the halftime show or the food, everyone is getting ready for the game today. So I decided today we should countdown the top 5 skin looks of the Superbowl XLVIII.

5. The Pigskin. I mean really without the pigskin we wouldn’t even have a Superbowl. Thank you pigs everywhere for giving us the skin off your back for the superbowl, literally.

4. “Best Moles” goes to Zoe of the Seattle Seahawks Cheerleaders. She is rocking a pretty “moley” set of abs. All her moles blend in well together and from comparing her pictures of last year to this year there are no new, changing, nor growing moles. Work it girl!

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3. Best Tan goes to Wes Welker. Best tan because its NONexistent! That is a seriously pale dude and he looks darn good with it too (love you hubby). I’m guessing he sun avoids, wears sun protective clothing and SPF of at least 30 reapplied every 2 hours.

2. Cleanest Shave goest to Peyton Manning. I mean not a single “razor bump” nor ingrown hair. His beard area is smooth as a babies bottom. Want Peyton’s look? Try EAU THERMALE Avene After-shave balm it is hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic.

1. Pete Carroll wins best redness control. I had to make him number one because he was a graduate assistant coach at my alumni (the University of Arkansas). But in all seriousness he has some pretty red toned skin that he is able to keep in great control. Need to get your redness under control too? Consider laser treatments or a new (awesome) prescription called Mirvaso or Skinmedica’s Redness  Relief CalmPlex moisturizer.

Hope you all enjoy the Super Bowl today! Eat lots of yummy game time food, spend time with friends and family and win every bet you make! Cheers!

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This is the time of year that a lot of people flock to the gyms. Some of those people will only be there a couple months while others work out year round. For those of us that have a workout routine in our lives we usually have a group of friends that keep us in that routine. Runners, cyclists, yoga folks, we all have our little group. For me, its a barre class.  If I miss a week I miss my little barre instructor and barre family. So this post is dedicated to them because if you work out with me you should have healthy skin, right?  And to all those people upping the ante on their workouts this month, take care of your skin too please!

No make-up and dolled up hair-do’s please. You know who you are. I’ve been guilty of it too, I must admit. Back in high school I may or may not have gotten up on that treadmill, hair done and make up on, beep boppin along as if to be acting out a scene from Baywatch. Not only was the residue from all that hairspray triggering back-ne but every time a piece of hair got in my face I would transfer all that bacteria and dirt onto my sweaty face while taking my hand and throwing my hair back over my shoulder. Plus if you wash your face before and after a work out (to get that make-up right) and in the morning and at night thats too much! That will irritate your pores causing inflammation and acne.

Antidandruff shampoo is your friend. Getting hot and sweaty is the point, thats good for you overall. But in skin creases such as the groin or under the breasts, yeast and bacteria love these hot and sweaty areas and can cause yeast acne or rashes. Try using antidandruff shampoo as a body wash after your workout. This will cut back on the normal flora that may try to over grow and cause problems for your skin. Be careful not to get 2 in 1 shampoo with conditioner. You don’t want conditioner residue on your skin.

What you wear matters. If not wearing make-up gets you down then wear some cute workout clothes to make you feel pretty at the gym and motivate you.  Choose something made of fabric that wicks the moisture off your skin. Wearing fabrics that lock all that moisture onto your body can also perpetuate yeast acne and rashes. Check out www.lululemon.com  It’s stylish stuff with lots of different fabrics. Also buy a good pair of shoes so that your precious skin doesn’t get any blisters.

Be cautious of what touches your face. Those towels at the gym can be rough, pat the sweat off, don’t rub that rough towel all over your face and irritate the pores. Try not to take the dirt and bacteria on workout equipment with your hands to your face. Take your gentle face wash to the gym showers. Don’t use that high fragrance, pore irritating shower gel because its convenient (I promise you won’t offend your gym).

Step up your skin care regimen too. For back acne thats hard to reach, try a spray. I like the Glytone back acne spray because you can spray it upside down and easily apply to your own back. The salicylic acid will help remove excess dead skin cells and  P. acnes bacteria that could be causing acne. Try a nano-silver infused soap like the one sold at www.ifskincare.com  It can be drying to the skin but it is known to remove body odor and breakouts.  Warning though, its $54 bucks for a bar of soap.

Shower please. This seems silly right? Well we live in a busy world and everyone’s trying to get ahead. Don’t workout and then jump straight into getting the kids to school, errands, work, etc. etc. Take 10 minutes to take a shower and cleanse your skin immediately after your workout.

Got hyperhidrosis? No, that isn’t a deadly disease.  Simply said, it’s just a big fancy medical word that means “excessive sweating”.  It can be really bothersome after a workout when your arm pits just keep sweating for what seems like all day. We can inject Botox into your armpits to decrease sweating or you could consider prescription strength antiperspirant. Sometimes laser hair removal of the armpits decreases stinky, sweaty pits. Before you ask, the answer is NO. Stopping the sweating from your armpits will not make you overheat and pass out during your next workout.  You have plenty of other body surface areas from which to sweat.  You might want to make an appointment with a dermatologist to discuss your options and which one suits you best.

Working out is so good for body, mind and soul. I hope you all find happiness in a good workout like I do.  Just don’t forget your skin is the largest organ in your body and it deserves some love too so take care of it during your workouts this year!  Hope to see you all soon at the clinic!

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Your social media feeds are a dead give away to your age.  They are literally directly related. For example, my parents feed is recipe and quote shares and comments that only half make sense. My college attending step son has a feed full of party pic’s, concerts and things that at are now much too fun for me. My school age niece has #selfies of herself, her with her pets, her with her parents, etc. And then lastly when I roam my social media at the ripe old age of 29 I see pregnancy and babies. Almost everyday there is a new friend announcing they are expecting or a pic of their new angel. So this post is a shout out to all my social media friends, skin, pregnancy and babies.

Prescription acne meds while pregnant. For acne/rosacea you can’t have retinols/retinoids (the work horse topicals of acne) so your left with two gels that are considered generally safe in pregnancy. Finacea and Metrogel. Warning: don’t let the pharmacy change your metrogel to metronidazole cream. Although it is a more cost effective choice and both have the same medicine its the vehicle the medicine is in that helps your acne and rosacea. This is a good tip for those not pregnant as well. Also, in my personal experience the Finacea burned my skin so I kicked it to the curb. Maybe you will have better luck.

BLU-U blue light treatment- The BLU-U is a blue light that you sit under, usually twice a week and it kills the P. acnes on your face. P. acnes are the bacteria that play a role in causing acne. It’s not painful, it doesn’t burn. This is a treatment that we use often in non-pregnant patients with acne, and its safe while pregnant! I recommend this as a 16 minute relaxation time to sit quietly and enjoy your pregnancy in solitude.  The fact that it is good for your skin is the bonus!

Clarisonic. This is my daily skin massage. If you’re an exfoliator, scrubber, bead-using type of girl-STOP and get a clarisonic. It gently washes your skin without causing inflammation and irritation to your pores which can cause acne. If you’re acne prone, try the acne brush head, its gentler. They have lots of products to chose from including longer handles for “backne” and even one for the feet.

Stretch Marks– These are caused by a tearing of the dermis, the middle layer of the skin that helps give skin its shape. They are caused during pregnancy from hormonal changes and stretching of the skin. While your pregnant it is a good idea to use lots of moisturizer such as petroleum jelly or any thick plain white cream in a jar 3-4 times a day to help with prevention. After you have the baby you can consider laser treatments. We have two lasers at the clinic we use for stretch marks. The first is the YAG laser which, to make a long story short, helps you rebuild collagen, the structure of the skin. Think of the YAG laser as rebuilding the foundation of a building, so it will tighten the area. Second on the list is the PDL which will help with the red/purple color of your stretch marks. Stretch marks are scars so don’t expect them to disappear but their appearance will improve. Expect 3-5 treatments monthly. You may only need YAG or PDL or a combination for best results.

Mandelic Acid- This was my personal favorite while I was pregnant. It was the closest thing to replacing my retinol. I used the M2 high potency skin refinish (we sell it at the clinic) its a gel like serum. Its a combination of mandelic acid and malic acid that helps the appearance of hyperpigmentation, scars, pores, fine lines, wrinkles and acne. It’s naturally antibacterial. It also helps with the “pregnancy mask” your getting on your cheeks while pregnant. It helps with oil control too. I still use it after pregnancy as part of my AM routine. We also have a mandelic acid peel which is safe while pregnant and has awesome results. The nice thing about this peel is how gentle it is, no down time! Here are some before and after pics after three mandelic acid peels we did on someone at the clinic.

Before

After

Lastly, for the littles! When your baby gets here I know you want him or her to smell like a baby but sometimes those fragrances can cause dry, itchy patches of skin on your sweet baby. Try to avoid washes and moisturizers that “smell like baby”.  Use plain, fragrance free, gentle wash on that baby smooth bottom. When you get the little sugar plum out of the bath try to moisturize within three minutes while baby is still a little damp to lock in all that moisture. Try to remember these things while living off of no sleep for the next few months and you’re a real hero!

Congrats on your pregnancy and new additions!

Follow the link to Johnson Dermatology to learn more about treatments discussed here.

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