Gratitude Month is Here!

It’s my favorite month of the year at JD, Gratitude month! All this month we will try to have an attitude of gratitude and we will be thankful. We thank our patients with LOTS of gifts with purchase, sales, discounts, open house (11/27 from 5-7) and more! It’s so exciting. So today I wanted to give thanks for all the cosmetic work I’ve had done to my skin. How did they deal before botox cosmetic? I mean how thankful I am for sunscreen? Girl, bye! I look in the mirror and feel so blessed to have all the resources we have these days to keep our skin young and beautiful. Here is the detailed list of what I use and for which I am very Thankful today.

  1. Total Defense and Repair sunscreen. A sunscreen that feels good on your skin, weightless AND repairs at the same time. Yes. Yes forever!
  2. Retinol. Reverse the damage. Who lives with regret of childhood sunburns? I loved growing up in Arkansas, but that Summer sun ain’t playing! Thank you SkinMedica Retinol for not being so irritating with your anti-inflammatory properties!
  3. Lumivive- protection against the light from my phone, iPad and computer! You know I need that, I’m too obsessed with social media to put my phone down so give me all the protection!
  4. TNS and HA5: life. Smoothing my skin forever and ever! Feel like heaven. Give me glow. Can’t be duplicated. These are the Gucci, Chanel and Prada of skincare. Just e-mail brooke@johnsondermatology.com if you don’t already use them. She has coupons for them right now and can tell you why they are must haves and why I believe there are bathtubs full of these products in heaven.
  5. Botox: If you know, you know. The single injectable for which I would give one kidney. My forehead, crows feet and neck require about 70 units of this wrinkle relaxer every 4.5 months. I’m not even scared of high school reunions.
  6. Juvederm Voluma: the filler that pulls up my Kardashian- esque cheeks enhancing my smile lines, tear troughs and jowls all at once. Thank you Voluma for lasting two years. I am grateful for your lift power, smoothness and longevity.
  7. Lasers: I’ve had laser hair reduction, basically full body, because I’m a Maltese dark skinned, hairy woman. It’s life changing. I’ve had PDL to get rid of veins on my legs. I’ve had ATV for brown spots. Thank you to all our laser techs that have so expertly and safely lasered me over the years.
  8. UltraShape Power and VelaShape: Thank you for contouring my abdomen and tightening my skin. Thank you for not hurting at all and not causing any shelving or any problems at all. Just a smoother tummy after two babies. Winning.
  9. Accumax: my acne prone skin is such a nuisance. Since I started Accumax (an oral supplement) my acne is non existent. I so rarely have a lesion and my skin is glowing like never before. Thank you Shelly for bringing this to JD when I was the number one skeptic. Thank you for making me a believer.

I know it sounds like I’ve done a lot to my skin over the past 6 years. I have. I have been taking care of my skin. It’s called health maintenance and I’m not ashamed. If you want to be able to thank all your products and procedures this year because they actually work, then come get a free consult at Johnson Dermatology. We get results. Good results. Just walk around our clinic and look at our staff. E-mail Margaret@johnsondermatology.com for a free consult! This is the month!

Thank You to all my readers for taking time out of your day to read my blog. I am so thankful for you, Nina

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National PA Week!

October 6-12th, 2018 is National Physicians Assistants week! All week we will be celebrating PAs and their contribution to the health care field. At Johnson Dermatology we have one amazing PA, Honey Schaumburg! She is my work sister and I can’t imagine my life at JD without her. She is the calm to my storm. She is wisdom to my insanity. She is the logic to my crazy. She is overall an amazing human and I wanted to dedicate this blog to her and why everyone should get to know her.

Reasons to celebrate Honey this week:

  1. She is a psoriasis expert. She is frequently on advisory boards for Psoriasis drugs called biologics to give her expert advice.
  2. She has a caring heart and loves to serve. She recently visited Peru for a medical mission trip.
  3. She can balance it all. She has a beautiful daughter, sees patients full time, is active in her church and still manages to work out and be a wife. I’m exhausted just thinking about living that life.
  4. She takes care of her team. Ask any of her nurses, she always makes sure they get plenty of time for lunch, feel appreciated, she honors and respects them. I feel sorry for my team just thinking about how spoiled Honeys team is at work!
  5. She is smart. Graduated top of her class, not many PAs can say that!
  6. She is Dermatology certified. A rare species in the PA world.
  7. She is beautiful. I mean not sure this is a professional attribute but it’s true so I had to add it to the list.
  8. She will listen to your needs. Honey always seeks to understand before being understood. I have always been jealous of her ability to listen and I think it’s one of her best traits that makes her a great health care provider.
  9. Honey takes action. In the specialty of biologics and psoriasis one could argue they are the most difficult medications to get to the patient. You can’t just write a prescription and pick them up at the pharmacy. It takes hours of writing letters to insurance companies, giving her staff desk time to do prior authorizations and applications for programs to get the drugs. It’s a lot of extra steps and Honey (and her biologic team) get it done when others probably wouldn’t take the time to do those extra steps for patients.
  10. She is organized. She always takes care of me when we travel. When we have something that has to be done she always reminds me. She is one of the most organized health care providers I know. Every patient benefits from that!

If you know a physicians assistant you should tell them how great they are this week! If you know Honey send some really great treats that I can get a bite of too! If you don’t know Honey and you have dermatological needs make an appointment! It’s easy as e-mailing appointments@johnsondermatology.com.

Happy National Physicians Week to all the Skintastic PAs out there! We appreciate you and all you do for our communities! Especially you Honey, the best work sister around! Muah, Nina

Men Skincare

I honestly could not wait until Sunday to post this blog by Connor, one of our lab technicians. He wrote all about skincare for men! Did you know that 9% of all non surgical cosmetic procedures last year were men and 64% of those were heterosexual men? It’s officially time to get your anti-aging skin care routine in check boys!!!

 

This is for all of the guys out there. When you hear the word “skincare” your mind probably automatically goes to makeup, lotion, or some product which most guys would deem “feminine.” I’m here to tell you that is not the case. I know. Men are supposed to be MANLY! Growing beards, chopping down trees, and sharing a cold one with the boys. However, skincare covers a wide variety of products and methods developed for everyone and some even specifically for men. While you’re out there chopping down trees, are you wearing any type of sunscreen? “But Connor, we are men. We don’t need sunscreen.” Just stop right there.

At Johnson Dermatology I cannot tell you how many skin cancers I see come through the laboratory whether that is from biopsies or full-on outpatient surgeries. I would argue the skin cancers I see more often come from men than women! I’m sure a lot of us are familiar with G.I. Joe and one of his most famousphrases, “knowing is half the battle.” Keeping that in mind, some of the causes for the difference are the lack of knowledge men have about skincare as well as some biological differencesbetween men and women. Here’s some intel from the frontline:

Women apply sunscreen more often than men.
It is believed men have less fat under their skin as well as less collagen and elastin in their skin which makes them more likely to develop skin cancers.
From ages 15 to 39, men are 55 percent more likely to die of melanoma than women in the same age group.
An estimated 9,320 people will die of melanoma in the U.S. in 2018: of those, 5,990 will be men and 3,330 will be women.
Men are twice as likely to develop basal cell carcinoma and three times as likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma.
The susceptibility becomes worse the more you age.
Some researchers hypothesize the hormone, estrogen, is a factor in preventing the development of melanoma as well as other cancers.

There is a lot of good information not mentioned here that isoutlined in these articles so I’ll leave links to them down below.

From this information, we can see that we men need to take better care of our skin. I know I haven’t for most of my life and I’ve had a few blistering sunburns which increases your chances of developing skin cancer.7 However, the best thing I can do now is to change the way I treat my skin. I may not be able to fully repair the damage that has been done, but I can take stepsprevent it from going any further. That means choosing the right products to use for the protection of my skin.

We guys tend to not think/care about the quality of skin productsor a lot of things for that matter. If it’s cheap and seems to do the job then why go with anything else right? While I agree with that mindset for most things, you should not skimp on sunscreen. Yes, the sunscreen at the convenience store is easy to grab, but be sun smart. Go to Walmart, Target, Walgreens, or somewhere like them and pick up a decent sunscreen like Nina’s choices of Bare Republic or Pacifica (at least SPF 30, fellas!). JD also offers a wonderful selection of sun protectants from SkinMedica that are proven to work! What’s even better is they go on dry so it won’t affect the scruff and they don’t run when they get wet.

For the women with men in their lives, be sure your guy takescare of his skin. We may do a lot of stupid things that may make you wonder how in the world we’ve managed to live this long(see image below), but maybe being sun smart would be a good place to start getting us on the right track. When he goes out to chop trees, watch a football game, hunt, fish, or whatever elsewe guys like to do, tell him to put on plenty of sunscreen and even a wide-brim hat. If he argues, give him “the look” (scariest thing I’ve seen from my mother).

http://pic.epicalm.com/picpicpic6_11/19_Reasons_Why_Women_Live_Longer_Than_Men.jpg

As an important side note, Johnson Dermatology offers special skin care kits specifically designed for men. Just ask for the regiMEN. It has everything you’ll need to take good care of your manly skin so you can continue to do the manly things we men like to do and look good while doing it.

Be SkinSmart to be SkinSafe so you can be skintastic!

 

 

September Favorites

What a whirlwind life is! What a blessing to have a three year old and a five year old. What a blessing to have a job that keeps you traveling. In September I have been to Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, soccer games every Monday, Thursday and Saturday and dance every Tuesday. It’s a busy life and it’s a short life. The days are long but the years are short. Don’t remember which patient told me that when she saw my pregnant belly six years ago but that might have been the truest statement I have ever heard. Although I might not have set aside time to blog in September I definitely set aside time to try out some new products and for the first time in a while I have noticed a significant change in my skin so I HAD to share with you! These have been my recent game changers.

  1. Accumax. I am someone with acne prone skin. God given acne prone skin. Girl, I’m in Dermatology and ain’t nobody in derm got time for acne, nobody! I use my retinol like I use toothpaste-never forget. This month I added Jane Iredales supplement Accumax 2 pills in the AM and 2 at night and it has changed my acne game. My skin is overall smoother and much less prone to acne. Highly recommend. Not an antibiotic, safe as long as not pregnant.
  2. Colorscience total eye. Now it’s thick. If you don’t use concealer this may not be your bestie. But if you use eye cream and concealer you can now put those in one step. It has the best applicator that cools the undereyes in the AM and wakes you up. It’s has sunscreen to protect too! It’s a 3 in 1 product and is my new go-to everyday during my get ready routine. Check out the details on our product highlights on IG.
  3. Lumivive. It’s the newest product from SkinMedica. It’s a two product packaged deal. There is a day and a night. The day protects you from blue light and considering that’s what comes off your iPad and phones if you’re reading this you need it. It’s very thin so you won’t feel like you’re adding a product but your skin will be happier and in turn I got a new glow up! The night helps restore your skin as you sleep. This allows your current products to be amped up. When I started accumax I got a little peely, red and inflamed. I started the Lumivive and it restored my skin to a very happy place. After a month of use my skin is glowing like never before AND I know I’m a step ahead of all my friends. I know that in 10 years when I go to my high school reunion they will all be 10 years of blue light protection behind me. So my skin will be healthier appearing. They will have brown spots and wrinkles that I won’t. We all know it’s a competition for who has the best skin and I’m in it to win it! If you feel like your skin regimen needs a pick me up then try Lumivive. It won’t disappoint.

Here is my one month change in my skin, always getting better! One step closer to aging backwards! Want to age backwards with me? E-mail brooke@johnsondermatology.com for a free consult and to learn more about my September Favs and more!

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Obvs this is my bathroom selfie and not a professional before and after but WOW!

Stay Skintastic, Nina

Sunscreen Tips from JD staff

Some of you may not know that we have an in house lab at Johnson Dermatology. We have a board certified dermatopathologist, Dr. Amy Hudson right here at JD. That may not sound like a big deal but she is one of only five in the entire state of Arkansas! That’s the type of specialized care you get at JD right here in the River Valley. One of our awesome lab team members Beth might be who processes your skin sample if you have a biopsy at Johnson Dermatology. I can only imagine that looking at pieces of skin cancer all day would enhance your motivation to wear sunscreen. Beth has become a sunscreen expert over her four years at Johnson Dermatology and she wanted to share that knowledge with you. Knowledge is power. Let her give you the power to keep your skin young and beautiful!

From Beth:

Being quite pale, sunscreen has always been a staple in my outdoor life.  As a child, I was envious of my siblings who were allowed to continue swimming past the one hour mark while I had to move to the shade, dry off, reapply and wait fifteen minutes.  Despite my parents and my own vigilance against the sun, my father and I spent a lot of time applying cold Aloe Vera to each other’s sun burns (I inherited his skin tone).  Even into adulthood, I kept sunscreen in my purse, car, and backpack at college, pretty much anywhere I could possibly have need of it.  I also avoided sun exposure of more than fifteen minutes (I will burn in that time), because honestly sunburns hurt.  When I began working at JD, my eyes were opened to a whole new reason to avoid sunburns, skin cancer.

I had heard of skin cancer before. I knew it was a possibility, my grandmother had it when I was younger.  I even accepted that I would probably have it at some point in time.  What I didn’t understand was how serious it could be.  Research shows that as few as five blistering sunburns in your lifetime double a person’s risk of melanoma, the worst kind of skin cancer.  But getting any sunburn as little as every two years can triple your risk of getting skin cancer.  That’s not just the blistering ones, that’s if you just turn a little pink.  I cannot count the times I have been burnt in my lifetime.  So knowing that I have a high probability of getting skin cancer at some point, I made it my goal to protect my children to the best of my ability.  I learned a lot about what I had been doing wrong.

Did you know that sunscreens expire?  My grandmother had a pool in her backyard, and I know we just used whatever sunscreen we could find that hadn’t dried up.  This meant digging through the medicine cabinet to find a bottle stashed behind five years’ worth of old pills.  When we went fishing, we grabbed the pink bottle of Coppertone baby that had been under the seat for years.  How many sunburns did I get because we were using a sunscreen that was well past the three year mark?  Well not anymore. Now I buy new sunscreen every year just to be safe.

Did you know that sunscreen left in the heat doesn’t work as well?  Heat degrades the components of sunscreen much faster than if they are left at room temperature.  That sunscreen that I left in my car thinking I was being smart, it probably wasn’t protecting me as well as I thought it was.  If sunscreen is separated, meaning it has a watery layer to it, you most likely need a new one.  The sunscreen in the boat definitely wasn’t working.  Now I have a bottle in the house to apply before we leave for a day in the sun and one that I carry in my purse or the diaper bag for reapplication.  If they separate out, I throw them away.

Did you know you can get cancer in your ear?  My parents were always reminding me to get the backs of my ears when I applied sunscreen, but never once did I slather it around inside my ear.  Working in the laboratory at JD, I see cancers from all over the body.  I was shocked when I began to see multiple cancers from inside the ear, not just the outer rim.  I was even more shocked when I started seeing how much had to be cut out on ear cancers.  Entire chunks down to or even through the cartilage sometimes have to be removed to clear the cancer.  If my fingers can reach it, there is sunscreen on it.

Did you know that your hair may not protect your head from the sun?  I have always had really thick hair so I never thought about this, but when my daughter was born I could see her scalp.  Now you’re probably saying no duh, and yes I knew babies start out with thin hair, but if I could see her scalp so could the sun.  I had to rub sunscreen into her scalp through her hair.  It gave her a very funny hairdo and didn’t want to wash out, but at least I felt she was protected.  I even started wearing hats to keep the sun from burning my scalp where my own hair parts.

I now no longer envy my siblings ability to tan.  In fact they are quite tired of me nagging them to wear sunscreen.  So that’s what I’ve learned about sunscreen since working at Johnson Dermatology.  Hopefully it will help you better protect yourself and your family.

 

Thanks Beth! That was awesome! Stay sunscreentastic! Nina

Psoriasis

Do you know why Batman was so good at fighting crime? Because he recruited all of the best team members. What would Batman be without his extraordinary Butler Alfred? Or without Robin? And for the toughest of criminals what did he do? He called for help from the Justice League. He worked with only the best of the best. He teamed up with Wonderwoman and Superman and Flash and more! That’s why he is a successful super hero. If you want to be a successful Super hero in all that you do then you better start recruiting your team. That’s exactly why Johnson Dermatology is a superhero line-up for skincare. We have the best front office, the best lab, the best clinical staff, the best laser team, the best surgical techs, the best board certified dermatologist, the best physician assistant and quite frankly the best Nurse Practitioner in the tri-state area. And Muhammad Ali said it’s not bragging if you can back it up! Honestly and seriously we are a team and that’s what makes Johnson Dermatology a clinic that makes you go zero to superhero status real quick! Honey has an honest passion for treating psoriasis and has made treating it her specialty within the Dermatology specialty. She is the psoriaisis Batman and her Robin is Kirsten. Kirsten is a surgical tech that works with our psoriasis patients to make sure they are taken care of and have access to their medications. She wanted to write a blog and tell you more about Honey, herself and psoriasis at Johnson Dermatology. Enjoy her blog and remember Batman can’t beat any bad guys without Robin and Alfred. Find your side kick, find your Alfred and fight crime with success! As always be successfully Skintastic!

From Robin, I mean Kirsten:

Johnson Dermatology’s mission statement is as follows: “To deliver efficient, quality, compassionate, comprehensive, patient centered care.” In the four and a half years that I have worked for Dr. Brad and Dr. Sandra Johnson, this has been nothing short of the truth. We see surgical, medical and cosmetic patients, all treated under the same mission statement.

As a Certified Surgical Technologist, all of your schooling, training, and clinical rotations are focused in the operating room, at the hospital. You all could not believe what a culture shock clinic life was like for me when I was fortunate enough to rotate at JD as a student. Patients were awake, talking, and some were visiting with a provider in less than 5 minutes — emphasis on efficient. I caught a lot of grief from my friends at the hospital when I was blessed with and accepted a position to be Dr. Sandy’s scrub. In the medical field, there is a large misconception that Dermatology’s time and attention goes to just acne and warts… And, while our providers love to treat those conditions, there is so much more to the Dermatology world than just those conditions.

Psoriasis is a skin condition in which your skin cells are turning over in a matter of days rather than a matter of weeks. Since your skin cells are developing quicker, you can develop red, scaly plaques. Some patients only have psoriasis on their scalp. Other patients are unfortunate enough to have plaques and scaling over their entire body. It can be genetic, but it can also just happen without reasoning. Additionally, 30% of people who have psoriasis can also develop a concurrent condition caused Psoriatic Arthritis. Psoriatic Arthritis can cause joint pain in the hands, wrists, knees, ankles, and feet. Furthermore, the inflammation on the surface (our skin) and on the inside (our joints) can cause inflammation elsewhere. Patients with untreated psoriasis are at a higher risk of developing other comorbidities like hypertension (increased blood pressure) hyperlipidema (high cholesterol), diabetes, depression, and the list goes on. . . It is important to know that psoriasis is not contagious. It is a chronic condition and although there is no cure, there is help.

I work alongside Honey Schaumburg, PA-C, and National Speaker for Psoriasis daily. What an honor, right? She often tells our patients that we can be delicate in our treatments or as aggressive as the patient wants to be (when she deems necessary). Delicate treatments would include topical prescription creams, ointments, solutions, or NB-UV light three times a week. NB-UV light therapy is offered at JD. This is one of the few exceptions your Dermatologist will say it’s okay to get UV exposure. Tanning is still a no-no. Hence the only three times a week rule under supervision of your dermatologist. Aggressive treatments would include “Biologics.” These are the advertisements you see on TV. Most of these are injectables, although, there are some pills. Most of these can help with both skin and joints. Psoriasis is Honey’s favorite skin condition to treat and we do not give up easily. We do not let the insurance companies intimidate us. We will fight for you and your skin. Between all of our providers, there are over 230 patients on some type of Biologic medication at our clinic currently.

You probably witnessed our B&A on instagram of a patient that is being treated with Tremfya. If not, shame on you. Follow us on all of our social media platforms to keep up with the latest and greatest.
The patient has been treated with literally everything. Their disease was primarily on their elbows, back, and shins with associated joint pain. Luckily, Tremfya has been a life changer for them. Honey and I discussed what the patient would like other people to know about psoriasis. In jest, their response was: “There is help. You do not have to be miserable. You are not alone. You can be happy, and you can take the leap and make the decision to change your life.”

Whitney, my partner in crime, (and jack of all trades) helps me manage our Biologic patients. We can be reached at Kirsten@johnsondermatology.com or Whitney@johnsondermatology.com to schedule you an appointment or answer questions.

I would also like to mention that we frequently have clinical trials for psoriasis, eczema, acne, and other skin conditions which is a great way to be involved in research and get healthcare at no out of pocket cost to the patient. Send those inquiries to study@johnsondermatology.com. Please let us help you.

Thank you Nina for letting me shine light on Psoriasis for Psoriasis awareness month.

Stay healthy and Skintastic,

Kirsten, Biologic Coordinator

The Grind

The grind. We’ve all been caught in it at some point. Wake up, go to work, feed kids, bathe kids, sleep then repeat. Our minds can easily get set on cruise control. How many times have you left your house to go somewhere on the weekend and find yourself parking at work. Am I the only one that happens to? That is exactly what happens to us with our skin goals. We go every three months for our Botox and totally forget the bottom half of our face is starting to sag. For me personally I have been caring for my face meticulously for the past 6 years. I get Botox every 4 months, a filler touch-up every six months, laser here and there and I use the GRASS routine (e-mail Brooke@johnsondermatology.com if you don’t know about this skincare and change your skin forever)daily for skincare. Then a couple weeks ago I, figuratively speaking, realized I was parked at work when I went to get groceries when I looked in the mirror. My neck. My poor 40 year old neck holding up my flawless 29 year old face. I was stuck in the grind and totally neglected my neck. Dr. Sandy quickly injected my neck (platysmal bands) with Botox and in the blink of an eye (1 week later) my neck went from this

Before

To this…..

After

Just like that I was a new woman. Best 36 units of Botox I’ve had in a LONG time. You know what the moral of the story is? For me it was treat yourself as good as you treat your patients. For you it is make sure you don’t get in the grind with your skin regimen. Five years ago we had no injections that safely treated eczema (atopic dermatitis) and today we are changing lives with it everyday. It’s called dupilimab and if you suffer with atopic dermatitis and have been in the grind with your topical creams that never get you completely clear it’s time to make an appointment with your dermatologist. Are you going to a spa and getting Botox every three months and never changing your regimen? As we age our skins needs and wants change. Margaret, Dani, Dr. Sandy and I reassess our patients at least every three months and make changes or additions or subtractions to the plan at every assessment. Sometimes we recommend filler, sometimes botox, sometimes topical regimen changes, sometimes laser, sometimes no change to what you are already doing. You always need to stay on top of it if you want to age backwards. Are you stuck in the grind? Don’t be. Whether it’s your diet, exercise routine, skin health, social health or mental health shake it up. Change is a good thing. If you would like to change your skin. E-mail dani@johnsondermatology.com or Margaret@johnsondermatology.com

Have a great week everyone! Back to the grind gracefully! Nina

JD Turns 12!

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Everyone loves to celebrate, or at least I think they do.  That is why we are celebrating 5 days for our JD anniversary this year.  Dr Brad and I opened Johnson Dermatology on August 1, 2006. Thank you to Lynne and Shelly who have been with us all 12 years. Thank you to every team member who has been with us, is with us now or will be with us in the future.  Thank you to our team members and our families and friends for a great celebration last week at Alma aquatics park.  Thank you to every single patient who has trusted us, trusts us now and who will trust us in the future with the care of your skin.  Thank you to John Craig who was at Simmons Bank and is now at Bancorp South for approving us for the loan to open our business…especially since 2 other banks told us we were too high risk. Thank you to the medical community who included us and sent us patients and continue to send us patients.  Thank you to the community groups and businesses who allowed us and continue to allow us to speak at an event to or be a part of their group.  Thank you to everyone one of you who takes the time to read Nina’s the skinny on skin blog, even when I get to guest blog. Anyway, we have a lot to celebrate at Johnson Dermatology and we can’t stop the feeling yet.  Have you seen our 10 year anniversary video..I know it was 2 years ago…time flies.  Thank you to Regan and Mona Jones for our video.

https://youtu.be/l4FzXhX_Dkk

This year the team led by Nina, Shelly, Dani, Margaret, Brooke, and Sarah Jane have decided we need to celebrate big with 5 days.  Also EVERY elite member who comes to the clinic this month will be given a special gift and the chance to win one of the 75 special gifts that are valued up to $1000.  We will have special guests on the 5 cosmetic days for any patient to meet.  There are lots of unadvertised specials and goodies.   They are correct, we have so much to celebrate. Here are a few of the things that we are celebrating.
…You trust us with the care of your skin.
… Drs Nelson and Brad performed more than 2500 skin surgeries last year.
…Our Dermatopathology lab led by Dr Amy and Lisa are able to get you good answers to your skin condition.
…Honey is a certified dermatology physician assistant who is a national expert and speaker for the treatment of psoriasis.
…the JD clinical trials team has performed more than 50 studies and is led by Crystal, Christa and Lara to provide free care while advancing science.
…our Elite members have received lots of free treatments and savings in addition to concierge level personalized care.
…JD is a leading laser practice in the country with more than 10 devices.  The JD laser team led by Alice, Sonya and Patience takes pride in getting you great results in a comfortable environment.
…the JD cosmetic team led by Nina has been recognized nationally by Allergan (who makes Botox and Juvederm) as a top 250 practice in the country.  Allergan even invited Dr Sandy to be the only physician speaker at their national meeting this year.
…the JD skin care education team has been trusted to research new products.  We know that you can purchase skin care products anywhere including Target, Amazon, Sephora, other medical offices.  We take pride in providing products with great ingredients that we use personally.  We also take pride that we are not sales people but are your skin care partner and educator to help you use skin care products to maximize your results.  My daughter Anna had a recent skintastic skin care consult and make up session with Brooke to help prepare for her sophomore year of high school.
…the JD team worked with many local businesses and groups to increase awareness of the importance of skin care.  Thank you to the local schools, UAFS, Reynolds cancer support house, the Purple Plume, Hazels Haven, Roots hair salon, Hanging City, Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce, Doug’s, Mercy, etc.
…JD has been recognized by the readers of eFort Smith and the SW Times Record as the best dermatologist and place to get skin care.
…the JD team is extremely thankful and grateful for you.  Come celebrate with us and let us help you feel more skintastic.
If there is anything else you would like us to offer or if there is anything you think we can do at JD to be better, please let me know.  Make sure you repeatedly check out our Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and website as well as come into the clinic to stay current on all of the celebrations at JD.  After all, doesn’t everyone love a party?
Stay skintastic!  Dr. Sandy

Do You Have the Special Sauce?

When I’m doing a bad job posting on this blog Dr. Sandy always comes in clutch. This might be one of my favorite blogs she has ever written. Enjoy!!!!!

I was fortunate to go back to my hometown of Niles Ohio this past weekend. It was amazing catching up with family and friends…some who I have not seen for way too long.  When I saw Aunt Phyllis, my godmother and younger sister to my mom, Justin Timberlake came to mind.  My mom has been using TNS essential serum for years.  My mom (known affectionately at JD as “Mama Jo”) considers TNS-ES as the secret sauce.  My mom and her family immigrated from Italy when she was a young girl.  To us, sauce is an important ingredient in food and in life.  She has tried to get her sister to use this TNS-ES sauce but has been unsuccessful.  Aunt Phyllis really only uses sun block (important) and moisturizer (aka the juice).  She has never really bought in to the importance of the ingredients that I advise.  (Tangent:  Aunt Phyllis was a premier beautician in town and many people thought that as a dermatologist I would join and possibly take over her business when I finished with my long training.  They were disappointed to find out I was not coming back to Niles and that I would not be able to cut hair—what was my training good for?)

 

Anyway, I love my Aunt Phyllis but I was really surprised when I first saw her because her skin looked so much older, wrinkled and duller than my mom’s skin. This really surprised me because all of my life, Aunt Phyllis was always known as the beautiful younger sister.  I have decided it is time to convince Aunt Phyllis to start using the TNS-ES sauce.

 

Those of you who know me know that I encourage everyone at a  minimum to use TD&R and retinol.  I love TD&R because it is a broad spectrum sunblock protecting against UVA, UVB, and infrared radiation in addition to repairing damage caused by radiation and the environment.  Even my mom agrees this is a single product that does it all.  My mom uses the tinted TD&R because it also acts as her makeup foundation.  As for retinol, I would bet that EVERY dermatologist uses it in some form or fashion.  Topical Vitamin A is the ingredient that has the most science to support its use to prevent aging, acne, and cancers of the skin.    One cannot argue with science and results.

 

I must admit however that I understood the science of TNS-ES and growth factors but have not promoted it to everyone.  I know it is one product that has not changed its formulation in about 15 years. I know that once people start using this product, they continue to use it.  It is not an overnight success story like a moisturizer (remember juice is temporary).  By now hopefully you know that it takes at least 2 skin cycles  or 2 months to create real change and improvement in the skin.  Any product (not counting in office procedures) that  promises results in less than 2 months is just a moisturizer or colored cosmetic.  Real change takes time.  If you don’t believe me, just think about any diet or exercise program—if you lose more than a few pounds in a week it is just water weight and will come right back—real weight loss takes time, dedication, and good food/ingredients.  Real changes to your skin take time, dedication, and good ingredients.  Juice is temporary but sauce is forever.

 

After seeing the difference in skin tone, texture and brightness between my mom and Aunt Phyllis, I am going to advise everyone to add the secret sauce of TNS-ES to their regimen twice a day.  In fact, I am going to send Aunt Phyllis some TNS-ES today since I love her that much.  The   combination of growth factors and antioxidants in TNS-ES is unrivaled.  Online, TNS-ES has a 5 star rating and a 92% satisfaction rate.  If you want to learn more about this product, come see one of our skin care experts for a complimentary consult.  If you want to order some TNS-ES  from us but do not want to come to the clinic, you can purchase it on our online store https://johnsondermatology.brilliantconnections.com/search?q=TNS&lang=en_US  If you order it online, you will always get free 2 day shipping and gift with purchase.  You can also sign up for a subscription service and save 20%.  You can also order TNS-ES with some other of my favorite products in a package system.

 

Together, let us enjoy some sauce together and stay skintastic with an old Italian toast that I learned from my Aunt Phyllis:

May your life be like a good wine… tasty, sharp, and clear.  Like a good wine, may it improve with every passing year.  Salute!

 

Collaboration

I forgot to post this last week!! What is wrong with me? We did an awesome collaboration with Hanging City Supply Co. yesterday and it reminded me to post this! If you haven’t shopped the boutique before go now, green pointe shopping center in Fort Smith!

I have spent the past five days at a Dermatology conference in Colorado Springs, CO. It’s alway great to learn what’s new and changing in Dermatology. It’s crazy how much changes in such a short period of time in healthcare. It’s always fun to learn but one of my favorite things to do at these conferences is networking. Shocker, I know. I love getting to talk with the different companies about where they are taking things with their drugs or devices. I love talking to other NP’s  and PA’s about how they do things. Sometimes I learn more from them than I learn from all the speakers and slide decks. One of my favorite people said to me this week, “I’m an extrovert but you make me look like an introvert”. I took it as a compliment. How great is it that God made us each different. We all can learn and improve so much by getting to know each other. The world really is full of good people. On my way to Colorado I met a man at DFW that was traveling to Colorado to surprise his friend that he served over seas with for years. While in Colorado I met so many great people that taught me so many new ways to help my patients. I had an uber driver stationed in Colorado that taught me all sorts of military FAQs that made me a better American.  On the way home I met the most inspiring woman in the airport. She was a welder working in a mans world and making the workforce more diverse. She is a serious boss babe who taught me how to be more fierce professionally in a short time at the bar over a glass of wine. My point is this: the more people you allow to influence you, the better life is! God made us all different in part so that we could make an awesome team. Together our world is better. So for those of you that don’t feel comfortable meeting new people or maybe new conversations are awkward for you this is the one blog you need to read. These are my tips on networking and meeting people.

  1. Don’t hesitate to smile. Most people will introduce themselves after a simple smile. If I was walking past a booth I wanted to learn more about at the conference I would simply make eye contact and smile. That usually shows you have interest in engagement and the other party does the inviting. Seems simple but it works! 
  2. Have a go-to. Everyone is different but if you find that one thing to say that feels natural for you and you’re prepared to approach people with it then meeting someone is easy. For example, at the airport I always say “where you headed?”. At the conference I always say, “Are you enjoying the conference?”. At work I always meet new patients with “Thank you for trusting me, welcome!”. Whatever feels comfortable to you use it. Then use it. Then use it again because practice makes perfect. The more times you use it the more natural it feels and the easier it is to strike conversation. 
  3. Fear loneliness. Instead of fearing someone won’t want to talk to you or think you are weird or be annoyed by you fear what would happen if you didn’t say hello. Would I rather sit in an airport on my phone having zero interaction or would I rather get to know a little something about somebody that makes me cooler? Obvious choice! Fear the right things.
  4. Surround yourself with extroverts. My husband has never met a stranger. I joke when we travel he talks to other people more than me! When we went to Vegas to get married he almost asked a couple at our hotel pool to come to our wedding(I vetoed it thinking my parents would be offended that strangers were at my wedding and they weren’t). If someone else has the gift to gab then ride their coattails! Let them be the icebreakers and you can be introduced and reap the benefits.
  5. Make people feel like they are special. Tell someone you love their hair. Tell someone you think meeting them changed you a little. Tell people their company makes your life better. The more positivity you spread the more positivity will come back to you. Be nice. And don’t worry about alternative motives when being nice. People worry too much about making the wrong impression when being nice. 
  6. Realize how short life is. Do you want to limit yourself in this short time we spend on earth? Do you want to shut someone out because of fear? The best thing about life is the people in it. If you have this realization it will conquer all fears.
  7. Accept different. Some people will reject you. Some people will annoy you. Some people you will wish you didn’t meet. But who cares? Maybe you can learn from those differences. Maybe you won’t, but honestly, first world problems. Worse is happening everyday.

Or don’t network. Don’t socialize. Don’t meet the world. You will never know what you are missing. But that’s a whole other blog. 

Whatever you do, please! Please! Stay Skintastic, Nina