Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Those adorable wedges and why I made you take them off.

If any of you have come in for a full body skin check, I probably made you shed those adorable shoes you were wearing...possible some super tall and stylish wedges this summer, so that I could look between your toes, at the bottom or your foot, and at the nails.

The important reason for this is that acral lentiginous melanoma is a type of melanoma that is often detected very late because people don't think about skin cancer happening on their foot or in areas that didn't get sun exposure.  In dark skinned races, this is the most common type of melanoma.  Be on the lookout for changes in moles on your feet, even if the mole is completely flat.  It can even happen as a dark spot or streak in your toenail.  Check your feet every time you get new tennis shoes so that you can remember to do it on a regular basis and come to know which moles are there and if they have grown or changed. 

The ever-popular reggae artist, Bob Marley died of acral lentiginous melanoma.  I would have loved it if he could have been around longer to create more tunes. 

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Get Ready for Summer

If you are worried about bathing suit season, join the crowd.  It is best to start a month or two before swimsuit season thinking about your skin texture and tone so that you'll look better without makeup at the pool.  A few chemical peels, skin lightening creams, or Retinol/Retin-A creams help with blotchiness.  The chemical peels and Retinol/Retin-A also help with pore size and fine lines.  A good daily sunscreen is a must, but you may wish to switch to a lighter daily sunscreen than you might have used in winter.  Elta MD's UV Physical is a good one, but if you have acne or blotchiness the UV Clear is a great choice.  For the day at the pool, consider a waterproof one such as UV Sport 50 and reapply often, at least once an hour if you are swimming. 

A second big problem at the pool/beach is the runny mascara.  Try Latisse, a lash lengthening medication, for 4-6 weeks and you probably won't even need mascara any more. 

If daily shaving is a problem, schedule a consult for laser hair reduction for the bikin area or underarms.  You'll be glad you did when you spend more time at the pool and less time shaving!

Finally, don't forget to get your feet in shape for the poolside.  Start with a foot paddle to exfoliate dry skin around the heel.  Consider using a cream with lactic acid or urea in it to keep the dry skin at bay.  I like AmLactin cream or Eucerin Intensive Repair Body Creme, both available over the counter.  If that doesn't do the trick, prescription products are available with stronger ingredients.