This weekend was a big one for all of us Arkansans. The hogs broke their SEC losing streak by taking home the boot, beating LSU 17-0. Being a fan is an interesting role. It’s really a destiny. I mean how do most people become fans of their favorite team? It isn’t by choosing which one wins the most. It’s usually some sort of destiny. Either we grew up in a home that loved a certain team, went to our favorite team’s college, grew up in the home state of the team, married into a family who loves the team….. the list goes on. Once we have found our destined team to love that’s it, you don’t really get to change, win or lose. So when the Hogs had lost 17 SEC games in a row fans didn’t start becoming OU fans. Hog fans just kept cheering on and encouraging their team, through thick and thin. Even though this seems tough for a losing team, that one big win makes up for all the losses. No one was posting on social media last night and this morning about what a horrible couple seasons the U of A has had. My feeds were covered in tweets and posts about how awesome the win was and how proud everyone was to be a HOG! It felt like the entire state was in a good mood just from that one win!

Do you know who the biggest fan of your skin is? Me, your dermatology provider. It’s what I think every health care provider should be for their patient. As a healthcare provider I promise you I am your number one skin fan through thick and thin. When you get an infection after a procedure, I’m down in the dumps. It feels like a big loss against LSU instead of a win. When you feel amazing after your Botox and Vitalize peel I feel like you just won the Super Bowl. I’m so proud, ecstatic! When things don’t go well for your acne with the first few medications we try it feels like a loss but I know by the end of the season, after we have tried some changes like peels or laser treatments, it will feel just like that LSU game, just like that big win to break the losing streak! I know it will be worth it! But you know what’s hard about being your number one fan? When you won’t let me help you win. Sounds weird, right? Here are the tips I would like all my patients to know that will really help all your health care providers be your biggest fans while winning!

1. Don’t make me a fair weather fan. Fair weather fans only cheer for their team when they are winning. If I treat you for a rash and the treatment doesn’t work, don’t cancel your follow-up appointment. Let me see you back so we can make changes to our treatment plan. Usually I haven’t used all the tricks in my hat. I might do more testing, get more aggressive with treatment, send you to a specialist or maybe even for a second opinion. I’m not too proud to know when I have used all the tricks in my hat and I will tell you because I want my team to win, whether I’m the coach or not.

2. Be honest. If you don’t like the play that was just called then tell me. If I prescribe you something and you have no intention of using it then tell me that. If you can’t afford the medicine when you get to the pharmacy, let me know. If you won’t take the pill because you don’t like the side effect profile, let me know. I may start with what I think is the best plan but we need a treatment plan that you like too, that you can stick to. If you don’t use your medicine, it doesn’t work. Some people can’t handle the truth but I can. Let me know what you want.

3. Trust me. There are some things in which my expert training has me believing very strongly. Do you tell your plumber how to unclog the toilet? No, you trust him to do it, especially if he was successful in the past. I have been successful numerous times in the past when it comes to skin. Even though it is hard sometimes to trust something you don’t believe in sometimes all I need is a chance to get that win. Give me a chance to make an impossible catch as a receiver, a hail mary as your quarterback or recover that fumble because usually, it makes for the best win. You just have to trust me!

Sorry this was a long post! I just want all of you to know that I am your biggest fan. Win or lose I’m here for your skin. Whether you need a quarterback, a coach or just encouragement let me help you win with your skin!

Exciting things are coming to Johnson Dermatology the week of Thanksgiving so make sure you follow our business page on Facebook! Until next time, hugs, Nina

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If you follow my blog then you have recently read about who I think the skin experts are. If you haven’t here it is in short, Dermatologists and their crews. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other people out there who know skin well. I think a common misconception is when it comes to facials. I have patients come in with acne on a regular basis and complain that they don’t understand why “nothing works”and that they “get facials all the time”.  I think facials are like massages. If you hurt your back, a massage won’t cure a pulled muscle but man it sure does feel good and help you along the way. There are dangers with facials in the wrong hands. I still don’t like scrubs, beads and harsh products on the skin. I see facial aftermath nightmares from time to time in the clinic and it frightens me for our patients. There are also things I love about facials. As a matter of fact, I got one this weekend. You should just be careful about what your expectations are with facials. Be picky about who you go to and let treat your skin. Ask your dermatologist who is a good aesthetician and what procedures you should or should not have done to your skin while at the spa.  My favorite aesthetician is opening a spa this week, Amanda Wade at The Violet Room. It is across the street from the Electric Cowboy, next door to World Class Fitness. She will take good care of you. I’m very confident in her skill set. Here is my list of why you should get a facial with Amanda and what to expect.

1. It’s relaxing. How often do we stop and relax in this busy world we live in? Stress isn’t good for your body or your skin. You deserve a little pampering, trust me.

2. Extractions- “black head” gently removed. Extractions can go way wrong in the wrong hands. Someone who isn’t trained properly could try to drain or extract a cyst, make it inflamed or worse. Beware that without good skin care regimen you will just be spinning your wheels in the mud but this is a nice service Amanda offers.

3. Your skin feels good when you leave. After all the cleansing, massaging, enzymes, lotions and potions your skin will feel so soft when you leave. It’s soft, moisturized, plump and flat out luxurious.

4. Don’t expect an acne cure or a prolonged effect- I don’t care if it is a prescribed medicated cream or an enzyme put on during a facial, a one time application isn’t going to CHANGE your skin for the rest of your life. Your skin has a little life cycle of its own which is why it needs a constant regimen of care and upkeep. Change your skin with a skin care routine using products and procedures that work (consult your derm for this).

5. Don’t go get your first facial the day before your wedding. What if you have a flare from irritation? What if you are allergic to one of the products used? Trust me this could turn out bad, probably would be fine but don’t take a chance. If it’s the week of your wedding come see your dermatologist on Monday for a quick fix that works for rashes, acne, etc. Although, the best way to prepare for your wedding ready skin is seeing your dermatologist at least 6 months in advance.

It’s hard to sift through all of the people out there who recommend treatments for your skin. Let me help you. Let your dermatologist help you. I had a facial on a cruise once and the rest of the week my face looked like a piece of pizza. Yes, I’ve done it too, fallen for false advertisement from someone I shouldn’t have trusted, who wasn’t an expert.

I am so thankful that Amanda has opened The Violet Room. It is a relaxing atmosphere and now there is someone to whom I can send my patients and whom I trust with my skin. Someone who I know will treat my patients well and take good care of their skin. Amanda is a talented aesthetician who knows her qualities, skills and limitations. Knowing your limitations in your role can sometimes be your best asset for your clients and patients (and that goes for all health care providers too).

I hope you all follow Amanda’s lead this week and follow your dreams. I’m thankful we live in a free country where dreams come true. Thank you to our Veterans for that.

Happy Week, Nina

P.S. Here is Amanda Wade’s contact info at The Violet Room Spa www.violetroomspa.com, amanda@violetroomspa.com, 479-310-5310

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I love working at Johnson Dermatology. I love taking care of people’s skin. I love our patient population. I love learning something new everyday. I love my co-workers. I love being able to say “This is my dream job”. But it’s not just the job that I do every day that I love. I love the practice, the mission, the “Johnson way”. The Johnsons are so committed to our community, our patients and their employees. They are the kind of people that make you want to be a better person, not just a better employee. We (well really Dr. Sandy) have declared this month a month of Thanks at Johnson Dermatology. We are encouraging each other to be thankful and more appreciative of what we take for granted on a day to day basis. So just like Johnson Dermatology is about more than just skin, this blog is about more than just skin too. Today I want to declare what I’m not usually thankful for at all. I want to encourage all my readers to be thankful for not only your beautiful kids, awesome job, or hot boyfriend but also for all of your problems too because it could always be worse. Here are my problems that I am trying to change from feelings of frustration and anger to feelings of thankfulness and appreciation. I would love to hear some of yours too.

1. When I go through Mickey D’s and my order is wrong I’m not going to be mad and complain of incompetence. This month I am going to be thankful that I am able to afford a meal not just for myself but for my entire family. According to www.feedingamerica.org in 2013 14% of American households were food insecure. Arkansas was one of only 8 states that sat significantly higher than average at 21.2% food insecure households.

2. When my husband does some man thing that makes me want to cuss I’m going to take a deep breath and be thankful that I have an awesome husband who treats me well and whom I still love. On average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in this country every DAY. (Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, Intimate Partner Violence and Age of Victim 1993-9, October 2001.)

3. When my daughter makes a mess while I’m cleaning another one I’m not going to cry with pregnancy hormones about why I can’t keep my house clean. I’m going to be thankful I have a roof over my head to make messy. I found on www.ourhouseshelter.org that, on any given night, as many as 4,200 people in Arkansas have no place to call home.

4. When telemarketers call my house in the middle of a new episode of The Walking Dead I am going to not scream at the top of my lungs “pause it, pause it” followed by “take me off your list so help me God!”. I’m going to turn to my husband and thank him for the security system that keeps our family safe AND requires a land line (I might keep a little smirk with this one).

5. When I am in the pediatrician’s waiting room with a cranky 1 year old for over an hour I’m not going to get mad about the wait. I’m going to be thankful I’m not the person in front of me that has a very sick child that is requiring extra attention from my Doctor. I’m going to be thankful that my provider skipped a lunch break or bathroom break to try to catch up after that one very sick patient that took an extra 30 minutes and put him behind all day. (You guys are all welcome to use this one at Johnson Dermatology, although I hope you never have to wait for one of us).

6. When someone drives in the passing lane at 10 miles under the speed limit and I’m already running late I’m not going to give them dirty looks as I pass by with feelings of significant road rage. I’m going to be thankful that I have a car, that I was born in 1984 when we were past the wagon age and horse and carriage stuff. Thank you for a car!

I personally take the simple things in life for granted and should be a more appreciative person. This month I’m going to make a real effort to be more thankful and to let the people around me know I’m appreciative of all my blessings. Hope you get into the spirit with us a JD.

Until next week, Thank you to all my readers, I appreciate you more than you will ever know!!! Nina

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So, I like to think I’m cool. I’m probably about 1/4 as cool as I think I am but hey, I try to keep up. I like fashion, I like pop culture, I love social media. Like seriously, how did people stay hip in their 30’s without social media. I often search hashtags like #skincare #skin #dermatology along with the usual #kimandkanye , #ootd and #widn. Some of the skin care tweets pain me. Such as the ones that recommend smashing berries and mixing them with honey and toothpaste and rubbing it all over your face for acne. As my little girl would say “ewww, gwoss”. Or the ones that list the top five exfoliators, all including beads and scrubs that I consider harsh on the skin and would never recommend. There are also tweets from dermatologist but let’s get real. There aren’t as many cool derms out there tweeting as there are hip, young skin bloggers. Most of my favorite derms have a couple thousand followers (at most) where skin bloggers usually have 20 thousand followers or more. So I started to wonder why?

How do you pick your skin expert? I mean it’s pretty cut and dry when you need brain surgery, the neurosurgeon. When you need a root canal, the dentist. When you need the dreaded colonoscopy, the gastroenterologist. But it’s not that easy when you have acne. Do you go to an aestetician, a spa, a family doctor, a make-up counter at a drug store or a dermatologist? How do you chose who is going to be your skin expert? I mean obviously, I’m not neutral and I think the dermatologist is the expert. I mean don’t dermatologist spend the most time in school learning about skin? Doesn’t that make them the experts? Or do you look at experience? Does an aestitician with 40 years of experience have more experience with skin than a dermatologist that just got out of residency? Or is the proof in the pudding? Does a make-up artist for the stars who makes celebrities’ skin look flawless and now travels the world sharing her tips get expert points over say a dermatology nurse practitioner in Fort Smith, Arkansas who has only treated the locals? I’m not sure what the answer is for you, for Americans. Do advertisements play a role? Are you persuaded by where your friends go? Do you have a dermatologist?

I would like to think that most dermatologist have an evidence-based practice(like Johnson Dermatology does). We go off of science. What the research says works is what we believe in and recommend. Did you know Dr. Brad, Dr. Sandy, Honey and I review the literature together on a regular basis? Do you think your skin expert does that? I hope so. I think that’s what sets us apart from other skin faux experts. Although I must say our experience plays a role and the products we prefer does vary somewhat within our specialty. But there are some things that don’t vary and those are the things that you want to be sure you don’t stray from. Here are my dermatology tips that you should never break from, no matter who tells you otherwise…. well as long as you trust me.

1. Be sunsmart. As a whole, the dermatology world has lots of research which shows that UV damage increases your risk of skin cancer, wrinkles and dark spots. Sure there are benefits from minor amounts of UV rays that some people will try to capitalize on but there are TONS of benefits from being sun smart. So wear your sun protective clothing, wear your SPF of 30 or higher and know you’re helping your skin stay healthy.

2. Don’t use harsh products. We all agree that scrubs, beads, exfoliators and harsh products irritate and inflame the pores of the skin. Use gentle products for your skin. No matter what product you use, avoid the harsh stuff.

3. Retinol is your anti-aging hero. Sure other fads will hit the market. Right now it seems like all the “green” and natural stuff is really popular but for now the oldest ingredient that hasn’t changed in the research and literature is Retinol. Retinol passively exfoliates so for all you exfoliators out there who say you can’t live without scrubbing, try a retinol. It’s the workhorse, it shrinks your pores, decreases oil production, decreases dark spots, helps fine lines and lightens and brightens. You can see this product working on the skin at a microscopic level. How cool is that?!?!?

4. Watch your skin- Just like women should do self breast exams monthly everyone should do skin checks on themselves. Watch your moles, look for new, changing, growing, and non-healing lesions. Of course I would love if you had a dermatologist look your skin over head to toe at least once a year.

5. Be happy and confident in your own skin. Throw away your magnifying mirrors. Be thankful for the skin you have been given because you are the only one in the world that has that skin. You are beautiful. Anyone who tells you to change your skin is wrong. Choose a skin expert that can bring out your natural beauty.

I hope I don’t offend anyone with this post. I realize there are people other than dermatologist who are great with skin. But I also realize there are people out there who are making money off of skin advice and selling skin products who are not experts, who don’t have the best advice and I don’t know how the consumers filter out the experts from the faux experts. Be aware, be alert, be smart. Always know that I am honored when you chose me as your skin expert and promise to always do my best to be the best for you and your skin.

Happy Weekend, stay skintastic, Nina

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I traveled to Washington, D.C. this weekend for a work meeting. All my friends and family warned me to bring lots of hand sanitizer, to consider wearing a mask, to avoid touching any bodily fluids, to avoid flying through Dallas and to be on high alert for Ebola. When you travel, you spend more time than normal on your social media. You never check your feeds during important business meetings underneath the table (shout out to my bosses)but during breaks, flights, lonely nights in hotel rooms, etc you definetely have time to check IG, Twitter, Facebook and roam the internet. I saw a few pictures of kids at pumpkin patches and the usual but most of my feed was clogged all weekend with #Ebola. Twitter has #ebola trending at 1.3 million tweets. Who doesn’t know the nurse named Nina that has Ebola? (hint:it isn’t me) One of NPR’s stories got me thinking. It was titled “Why won’t the Fear Of Airborne Ebola Go Away?”. It talked about how many experts and officials have said Ebola isn’t airborne and the chance of the virus mutating to be able to travel airborne is less than 1% and no matter how many times the experts express this people are still suggesting stopping air travel and extreme quarantines and worse. This particular article seemed to think it was because of the media. It’s quite the debate on some of my friends social media feeds, what we should be doing about Ebola in the US.

While contemplating in my mind why people have such a fear for Ebola I wondered to myself “Why don’t people fear Melanoma?”. So often I have patients tell me they are going to keep getting in the tanning bed even after I express all the harm UV rays can do to the skin. I have had people go as far to say, and I quote , “guess I will just die of cancer because I’m not going to stop tanning!”. It seems so absurd to think my community has multiple tanning beds available yet are so fearful of Ebola. Why? How do we choose what we fear for our health? Do we go by what the experts tell us? No that can’t be it because I think dermatologist are the experts of skin and people often go against that advise. The CDC officials are the experts on infectious disease yet people don’t seem convinced that Ebola is not airborne no matter how many times they state that fact. Is it research and science? Nope. According to the CDC one person has died in America due to Ebola. CDC says, in the past decade, the United States had 5 imported cases of Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF) diseases similar to Ebola (1 Marburg, 4 Lassa).None resulted in any transmission in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society five-year survival rates for distant stage melanomas (melanoma that has spread to lymph/distant organs) is 16%. According to the American Academy of dermatology it is estimated that by 2015, 1 in 50 Americans will develop melanoma in their lifetime. So according to the stats we should be fearing melanoma before Ebola, right? So why is Ebola so feared and melanoma taken so lightly in our society? Is it the spin media puts on Ebola and rarely mentions melanoma? Is it majority rules? Meaning most people fear an outbreak and don’t fear a tan that increases the risk of melanoma? Is it how we were raised? Patients often tell me “when I was young we didn’t know to wear sunscreen” did this non-concern as children wear off on us? Were we raised to believe infectious diseases are some of the worst by Mom telling us to cover our mouth when we cough, wash our hands, put our jacket on before we catch a cold? I don’t know why but currently in our society there are 1.3 million people talking about Ebola on Twitter and not even a fraction of that talking about melanoma.

I think people that fear an Ebola outbreak in the United States could be compared to people that fear the end of the world. You know that person that thinks the world is coming to an end and builds their house on the highest point in town and stores enough water and food for a year, puts bars on the windows and is ready for the end of world or a zombie apocalypse. We “normal” people think it’s overkill. We might even call that person a little weird. But if the zombie apocalypse came tomorrow or the world came to its end, then that would be your smartest neighbor. Everyone would wish they had prepared for the end of the world. The person that refuses to fly, wears a mask everywhere and doesn’t touch the buggie at wal-mart sure would look smart if there was an Ebola outbreak tomorrow. Luckily for us, statistically speaking, the Ebola outbreak won’t be here in the U.S. tomorrow and neither will the world come to an end.

Melanoma is already here, and it has killed a lot more than one American. So this post isn’t to convince you to chill out about Ebola. It isn’t to scare your pants off about Melanoma (well it kinda is). But I do hope it makes you think about your health. I hope it makes you think about the source of information you trust and make decisions about your health. Do you follow the guidance of an expert in healthcare or a commercial during your favorite TV show? My hope and prayer for you is that you let there be enough anxiety in you about heart disease that you work out and eat healthy, that you have enough fear of lung disease to not smoke cigarettes and of course that you be frightened enough of melanoma to be sun smart.

Until next week, stay healthy and always skintastic, Nina

P.S. If you have any ideas on how I could make #melanoma hit more than 1.3 million tweets and bring awareness to America just let me know!

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Atopic Dermatitis, otherwise known as eczema, is one of those things you don’t want to have. I mean sure, you could get something worse but this is the gift that keeps on giving if you have the chronic type. For those of you that don’t know it’s a dry, cracked, scaly, itchy rash. Sometimes it can be severe to the point where it causes swelling, pain and even psychological problems. It’s often more like high blood pressure than a toothache. With a toothache you go to the dentist, get a filling, maybe some antibiotics and “POOF” problem solved. A few years down the road you probably can’t even remember which tooth it was or that you even had a toothache. With high blood pressure as long as you take your blood pressure medicine your blood pressure stays under control but if you stop your blood pressure medicine then your blood pressure goes back up. We don’t have a cure for high blood pressure where you get a pill and then problem solved. Same story with chronic atopic dermatitis. As long as you do A, B and C it should stay under control but if you stop then boom, it’s back. The problem is what we ask you to do for eczema is so much more work than taking a pill once a day. Here are the first three things I ask my eczema patients to do that usually keep it under control.

1. Get Greasy- As often as possible lube your body up. My first choices are plain petroleum jelly or crisco. If that’s too greasy for you then my second choice is something plain and thick that comes in a jar. If it comes in a pump or something like that it usually isn’t thick enough. Put it on as often as you can and especially within 3 minutes of getting out of the shower to lock in all that moisture.

2. Avoid irritants- Think about fragrances, colors and additives like wool. If you rub wool on your skin it’s going to cause an irritated rashy spot. Things much gentler will irritate the skin of someone with eczema. Baby soap is a no-no because they put a fragrance in it to smell like baby. Seriously, the plainest plain is what you want, no oatmeal added blah, blah, blah. I like plain Dove soap. Oh, and speaking of Dove, have you seen their legacy video? If you have a daughter it’s a must see, you can thank me later. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=Pqknd1ohhT4

3. Prescription lotions, creams and ointments- The most common being topical steroids which can’t be used long term because they can cause side effects such as acne, thinning of the skin, stretch marks and more. So we usually reserve them for flares. There are non-steroidal options too like Calcipotriene, Elidel, Vectical and Protopic, to name a few.

Those are the basics but as an additional tip I usually ask my eczema patients to do occasional bleach baths. It’s a 1/4 cup of bleach in a full bath tub and you soak in it for 20 minutes. It kills all the stuff that lives on our skin and gets in that cracked skin keeping it from healing and causing infection.

After you’ve done all of the above and still aren’t getting to where you want to be, we start trying all different kinds of things that may or may not help. We may ask you to do wet-to-dry dressings. Some people get patch tested to find out if something they are coming into contact with is causing/worsening their rash. Some people get UV light treatment to try to decrease the skin’s immune system. Sometimes we put you on short courses of oral medicines. There are lots of tricks of the trade. If you are suffering with chronic atopic dermatitis and gave up a long time ago and just kind of live with it, STOP! Come see me, spend some time with me and let me try my best to help you.

This post was born after seeing our ad in the newspaper today, did you see it?

Happy Sunday Fun Day to all, Nina

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If you follow Johnson Dermatology on Facebook then you may have noticed we have been introducing team members and their favorite products. If you don’t follow us then you should so you can hear about our amazing team members and all the personal favs. I thought this would be a good time to re-introduce myself and give you guys my regimen and favorite products.

If you have yet to meet me at the clinic, then you don’t know that I am the happiest person ever right now. It hasn’t always been that way. I have been in bad places before, not as nice, not as happy. Where I am right now though, is the best I’ve ever been, on top of my game. If you ever cross my path, now is the time. This girl is on fire!

When I was a little girl and my mom asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up I replied “a plastic surgeon so I can make you beautiful”. Kids are mean. My mom was already beautiful. The point is, I have always known that I wanted to be in health care, helping people. In kindergarten, my teacher sent a book home with me before we had learned how to read and told me to just practice reading with my mom and I could show her what I learned the next day. I took the book home and told my Mom I had to learn the entire thing. I cried while working on it that night worrying I wouldn’t be able to read the entire book the next day (even though my teacher didn’t expect that of me). I forced my Mom to spend the entire evening teaching me to read that book and the next day I read it to my teacher. I’ve always wanted to be the best academically. So with a combination of a passion for helping people and a serious competitive dedication to academics (I graduated grad school top of my class with a 4.0, toot, toot) it only seems fitting that I am a dermatology nurse practitioner now and the happiest I could be in my career.

It’s not just my career either. It’s the total package. I have amazing friends, a husband that I don’t deserve, an above average daughter, wonderful family and a lovely home. I hope my cheer doesn’t annoy you, like that person that everything is always perfect in their life. I’ve made a D in a class before, I’ve been confused about my career path, I’ve dated some real duds, I’ve been a mean girl before and probably worse. It just so happens that through all that I got here and I’m feeling blessed at this moment. Some of my favorite things are traveling and eating good food. My Dad is an amazing chef from Malta (an island in the mediterranean sea) who gave me my love for fine cuisine. I love traveling so much that I was actually a traveling nurse before I was a nurse practitioner. I have worked in hospitals across America from San Francisco, CA all the way to Orlando, FL. But the most exciting thing about me (for the purpose of this skin blog) is my skin care regimen, right?!?! People always ask me “What do you use?” so here it is!

Body Moisturizer- I use plain vaseline on my legs. I use Cerave SA in a jar (white jar with blue lid) for everywhere else. I have a common condition called keratosis pilaris on the back of my arms. It’s a bunch of tiny red bumps. The Cerave SA improves that more than anything else for me. I just can’t use it on my legs because it burns after shaving, plus my legs get drier than the rest of my body and need stronger moisturizer.

Face Skincare Products- I use sunscreen every AM. If I’m dry then I use Elta MD and if I’m feeling greasy then I use the BOB. I use SkinMedica Retinol every night.

In the Shower- I wash my body with plain dove soap. I wash my face with Cetaphil Dermacontrol foam wash. It’s super light. I also wash my face with my Clarisonic. Get real, it’s like a face massage, so relaxing!

On the go- When I’m traveling I wash my face with Cetaphil gentle skin cleansing cloths. They come in a blue package and are by far the most gentle cloths that I have ever tried.

Injectables- I use Botox. I’ve had Dysport and Xeomin but Botox is my personal favorite. I also have Voluma. I’m ashamed to say that I am a baby when it comes to needles. I can stick them in people all day long but I just can’t stand being the one getting poked. So Voluma is an obvious choice for me because it lasts two years unlike a lot of the injectable filler’s  that last one year or less. In my mind that’s being injected less often which is a total plus for a baby like me! Plus it is so smooth. I use 44 units of Botox and I have one syringe of Voluma in each cheek(total 2 syringes)…. and I still look naturally beautiful, BOOM!

Make-up- I use ColorScience powder and my favorite eye shadow is a Jane Iredale trio called Golden Girl.

Laser- I love the results of laser hair reduction. I also think the PDL is so nice to take the redness out of acne in a quickie. Pre-prom or pre-wedding, that PDL is a life saver.

Fav Peel- I have had the vitalize peel and it was shocking how much one peel changed my skin. It calmed down my acne and faded a lot of my brown spots, highly recommend!

Well enough about me! If you want to learn more about the products I use or what I think would fit your needs come see me at the clinic. I honestly enjoy every single patient I get the honor of meeting and being a part of their skin. You guys are a part of my happiness. So thank you for trusting me and making me a happy person! Hope to see you all at the clinic soon!

Cheers, Nina

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I don’t know if it’s the holidays coming up or if it’s just my imagination but I feel like everyone is asking me when specials are coming up on Botox and fillers. I get it. Everyone always wants a deal, who wants to pay more for anything? The problem is you likely need your Botox every 3-4 months and specials usually don’t come around that often. You definitely do not want to bargain shop for cosmetic procedures because you may be sacrificing expertise and good results for a few bucks. Good news is there are other ways to pocket your pennies. So this post goes out to all you extreme coupon girls or really just anyone that wants some advice on how to save and still take care of your skin!

1. Brilliant Distinctions- If you don’t know what this is let me introduce you. This is a program that the Allergan company runs. Allergan owns Botox, Juvederm, Voluma, SkinMedica skincare line, Latisse and more. Once you are entered into the brilliant distinctions program you earn points with each purchase. Points convert into dollars. Then you can put those dollars towards your next purchase. You can use points from your retinol for Botox or points from Latisse towards fillers. However you want to use them, you can! I have seen big savings here so come sign up.

2. Schedule your Botox like your hair appointment. At Johnson Dermatology if you make your appointment for your next Botox at the time of your injection you get $25 off your next injection. Botox is like getting your hair colored. You don’t wait until your roots are completely grown out to recolor, you schedule it every 6 weeks. It’s much easier to touch-up that way. Some of my patients that really keep up with their Botox like this can go 6 months because that muscle has weakened. Double savings, $25 dollars off and eventually you can go longer between injections.

3. Save on moisturizers, washes and facials- Moisturizers, face washes and facials feel good. They can be luxurious. But the truth is they are not the work horses changing your skin. Buy off brand plain old moisturizers and face washes and save that money you were spending on expensive fancy moisturizers embedded with pearls hand shelled by mermaids on the beaches of Bora Bora and put that money towards your injections or retinol or peels, something that will improve your skin.

4. Get on the Johnson Dermatology e-mail list- If you put your e-mail on your patient registration that doesn’t mean you automatically get e-mails from us. You have to request to be on our e-mail list. Once you are on our e-mail list that will be how you are the first to find out about any news at the clinic, including specials.

5. Quality over quantity- Make sure your injector is cost conscious and full of skill. A lot of the studies that I read on Fillers they are using 6-8 syringes, Dr. Sandy and I rarely use that many syringes. We are pretty conservative and together we have agreed that with the right placement of the filler less can be more. Every individual is different and some people may need 8 syringes but most people do great with much less than that. So yes, I just tooted my own horn. Just by picking Johnson Dermatology to inject you, you saved money…. haha!

6. Buy in packages- We have laser packages that come with TNS serums or skin care packages with a full skin care regimen or Latisse with laser packages. What it boils down to is that if you buy your favorite products separately you will pay more than if you buy them in a package. Get down to the clinic and pick the package that fits your needs best.

Hope these tips help. We try very hard to be cost conscious at Johnson Dermatology and still offer you the BEST care and products out there.

In the words of Marilyn Monroe, “I am not interested in money. I just want to be wonderful.”

You’re all WONDERFUL, Nina

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Have you heard of Beliebers? They are obsessive Justin Bieber fans. Not just fans, but true lovers of Justin Bieber. Well Justin Bieber fans aren’t the only ones who can smash words! And then was born via my mind a Latiever. A Latiever is someone who is a HUGE fan of Latisse. For those of you that don’t know, Latisse is a topical medicine that thickens, darkens and lengthens eye lashes. The Latiever movement is coming so you may want to be one of the cool kids and jump on the bus now. I haven’t always been a Latiever and it took some time for me to convert. I am blessed with lashes that hit my glasses lens so if it’s not something I use, it just takes me longer to join the bandwagon. Here are the top reasons I became a Latiever and you should too.

1. My Mom’s testimony- So my sweet Mother has been through what we call the “Johnson Dermatology Mill”. She has had filler and laser and so on and so on. But Latisse is the one thing she is so amazed with. Quite frankly, it’s one thing that I am so amazed with on her. I think as a society we all focus on sagging and wrinkles but we don’t realize how much thin, short, sparse eye lashes age us. Mom’s new and improved darker, thicker, longer lashes took years off her eyes.

2. It’s the natural look- Okay, please tell me you look at people’s eyelashes when they are fake and immediately know they are fake. I mean either they just look fake or they fall off funny. Have you seen that girl at the club that worked up a sweat dancing all night causing her lashes glue to melt, her eye lashes are half on her upper eyelid and half on her eyeBROW. Just don’t be that girl. Latisse is still YOU, still your lashes. It’s natural beauty.

3. It’s time sensitive- Hours laying there while someone individually glues lashes to your lids and perfects your lids…… ain’t nobody got time for that! I have never had fake lashes placed so when one of my girlfriends recently told me it takes hours on hours, I almost fell out. Latisse is a simple topical application once a day, no biggie.

4. It’s cost conscious- I was at a benefit and roaming through a silent auction and saw this mascara with fibers that lots of people are using right now. It said the value was $150 and my jaw dropped. For mascara? Really? With Latisse you won’t need that fancy mascara and you won’t have fibers and thick mascara flaking off on your eyelids and cheeks. As a matter of fact with Latisse some of you can axe mascara all together. We have some killer Latisse packages at the clinic right now so call and ask about them!

5. It’s simple and easy- You just drop some liquid on your lash line once a day. No 5 step applications of mascara, no applying your own lashes then mascara, no going to a salon and getting lashes for hours and no icky goop on your eyes and skin around your eyes. I’m a simple girl and I like to keep it that way.

Would you like to learn more about Latisse? We have a Latiever group of women at Johnson Dermatology who would love to teach you! Autumn, JoAnna, Shelly, Dr. Sandy, Honey and I are here to give you admittance into our club with all the info your heart desires. Come see us at the clinic and become a Latiever. Disclaimer: Latisse does require a prescription so you need to be evaluated by one of the providers to make sure you’re a good candidate.

One of my favorite packages is sublative laser tightening around your eyes, TNS eye repair (growth factor) and Latisse. It’s a crazy deal that will tighten all that crinkly skin around your eyes and give you that youthful look you’ve been trying to get back. Hope to see you at the clinic soon.

“I opened my eyes one day and realized the world is full of beautiful girls” -Justin Bieber

Stay Skintastic, thanks for stopping by, Nina

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Pumpkin spice is taking over menus world wide. That’s the official sign fall is here. To some people that means good bye to water sports, camping, no school and drinks by the pool. It also means hello to fur coats, snow days and ugg boots. To a dermatology girl it means “see you later” bug bites, sunburns and fungus and welcome back dry, itchy skin. A cold front moved through the Fort this weekend and it felt pretty good. Now is the time we all start to change our wardrobe for the cold weather that’s ahead and it should be the time we change our skin care habits too. Ward off dry, itchy, cold weather skin with some of my skin care advice and avoid that uncomfortable itch this year. Happy Fall Y’all!

1. Moisturize more often- During the summer months you may only moisturize after bathing. During the cooler months of the year make it a point to up your moisturizer game. Attempt four times a day and maybe you’ll get three in!

2. Avoid irritants- So all year I tell you to ditch the high fragrance, high color, glittery moisturizers but some of you use them anyway and may not have any problems. Well during the Summer you may be able to handle it but during the winter if you’re prone to dry itchy skin, for sure ditch that high fragrance moisturizer and soap. I like plain dove soap to wash with and vaseline to moisturize with.  Other irritants include harsh washcloths, loofas, scrubs and beads.

3. Shower smart- Some people shower every other day during Winter months. I gotta shower everyday because I’m a workout girl and nobody wants to smell me after a good workout. That’s okay, try to shower in luke warm instead of real hot or real cold and pat dry leaving yourself a little damp. Keep your moisturizer in the shower and lather it on while your still slightly damp to lock all those droplets of moisture into your skin. I can’t use vaseline for this because it’s like mixing oil and vinegar so I use a jar of Cerave SA. The “SA” part helps get rid of some of those dry flakes too.

4. Use a thicker moisturizer- You change clothes with seasons so change your skin care line too. During the summer I wear powder sunscreen but during the winter I switch to Elta MD facial sunscreen so I can get some extra moisture there. At night during the summer I typically use only Retinol but during the winter I add Avene Hydrance Optimale cream to my regimen. It’s a thicker facial moisturizer but doesn’t leave you greasy so it makes for a nice winter option. For my body I stick with vaseline but if your not down with the grease then you can use pretty much any cream that is plain and comes in a jar. Think of pumps and such as being too thin lotions for winter skin.

5. Don’t forget your sunscreen- You can burn in the winter too. You can get sun exposure period. Even though it’s cold outside the sun still rises, protect yourself.

6. Put a pot on the stove- I mean you could use a humidifier if you want to help add moisture to the dry air but it’s so easy to be fancy. I put the biggest pot I can find full of water and add orange peel and cloves and then let it basically cook down. It gives your house some moisture and the best fall smell ever.

I don’t care how cliche it is, everyone should go get a pumpkin spice latte this week to kick off this awesome weather rolling in! Winter season is the perfect time to correct some of that sun damage you got on your skin this summer so please come see us at the clinic and let us help your skin! We love taking care of your skin and always appreciate your trust in us!

See you in a scarf soon, Nina

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