view past issues | RSS update list profile
Email not displaying correctly View it in your browser
Dermandlaser Skin Scoop - June 2010
Its June already Last month was Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month and this month June 7-12 is
National Sun Safety Week If you think you can forget about protecting your skin from the sun think
again Lori Wrightington our Certified Laser
Technician and MediSpa Manager has written a great
article about continuing cosmetic and laser treatments
in the summer months June is also Acne Awareness Month Read Rebecca Becky Repaires informative
article on acne causes and myths First take a look at Dr Schlesingers feature story on earlobe repair Is your ear piercing torn and unsightly Do you have a scar or keloid on your earlobe We can help
Dont forget our June Specials Theyre at the bottom of the newsletter
E-mail karadermandlasercom with any stories or
suggestions for next months newsletter
Earlobe Repair Piercings and Keloids
By Todd E Schlesinger MD FAAD
Ever thought that those spit earlobes from the time
your earring was pulled too hard (ow) could not be
fixed Had you thought you had to live with unsightly nodules on your ears Well you donrsquot
There are several common problems that affect the
earlobe and outer ear The most common two are split earlobe and keloid or nodular scar I will address the split earlobe first Split earlobe usually results from some kind of trauma Usually it is when an earring is pulled forcefully sometimes from getting
caught on a piece of clothing What results is either an unusually long or loose hole in the earlobe or a
complete split to the edge Thankfully with experience this problem is easily repaired Typically I will remove the affected skin including the hole and
suture the underlying tissue together in the most
cosmetically attractive way possible
Once the area has healed for six weeks a new
piercing can be placed In the case of a complete split the affected sides of the split are removed and
the resulting edges are sutured together in such a way
as to prevent a notch at the margin This technique can be likened to a lock and key fitting together Again six weeks should be allowed before re-
piercing Re-piercing can be done here in our office in
a sterile manner
For earlobe and outer ear keloids the situation is
more complicated We have to be able to remove the keloid and prevent it from coming back Therersquos
always a risk that a keloid will come back the same or
bigger when removed To combat this problem we use cortisone or sometimes other agents that are
mixed with the medicine we use to numb the area with
before removal After the surgical removal of the keloid and the stitches are out we perform a series of
follow-up injections that are quite reliable in
preventing the return of the majority of keloids Some keloids require a complicated repair of the
remaining tissue due to their size or location If you wanted to re-pierce your ear the same procedure of
injections would have to be done or you would face a
higher risk of a new keloid forming there
BEFORE
AFTER
(Actual Patient Photos)
I like to perform these two operations as they have a
high rate of success and patient satisfaction If you happen to have either of these two problems or any
other problem involving your skin hair or nails
please donrsquot hesitate to contact us to see how we can
help
Acne Awareness Month Causes Myths and Cures
by Rebecca L Repare PA-C
June is here Which means school is out vacation time and fun in the sun But did you know that June is National Acne Awareness Month Why do we need a National Acne Awareness Month Acne affects 60-70 of Americans making it Americarsquos most common
disease The problem is there are many myths out there about acne and a lot of ineffective treatments
The exact underlying cause of acne is unknown but
we do know that genetics play a major role We also know the 4 main contributing factors that form the
acne comedones (or bumps) The main factors include excess dead skin cells excess oil production
P acnes bacteria and inflammation Hormonal fluctuations usually are the initial trigger for excess
dead skin cell production and excess oil production P acnes bacteria is found on the skin and in the acne
lesions Buildup of this bacteria triggers an inflammatory response Inflammation is your bodyrsquos
response to try to get rid of things that it feels does
not need to be there Like calling in an army to fight off an intruder many different factors rush in The actual process of the formation of an acne lesion
happens when excessive dead skin cells mix with the
excess oil on the skin and creates a plug in pores The P acnes bacteria builds up within that plug and
your bodyrsquos defenses rush in to try to get rid of that
plug and bacteria Inflammation causes the lesion to become red and tender
BEFORE
AFTER
(Actual Patient Photos) Because we are all individuals each person with acne
has more or less of each contributing factor which
causes their type of acne For example not everyone has the same inflammatory system so not everyone
necessarily has red and sore bumps Therefore appropriate treatment for acne should be customized
for each individual At DLCC we aim to treat each of
the 4 individual contributing factors to greatly reduce
the acne lesions
Now that you understand the main causes of acne
letrsquos discuss some of the myths and why they are
myths
1) ldquoOnly teenagers get acnerdquo or ldquoI am too old for
thisrdquo According to an article in Cutis magazine 12 of
women and 5 of men at age 25 have acne and by
age 45 5 of both men and women still have acne If you think about the above mentioned causes
hormones contribute to 2 of the 4 factors Even if you are not going through puberty stress and diet can
greatly affect hormonal levels
2) ldquoMy acne always gets better in the sunrdquo Sunlight
may either improve or worsen acne In any case the sun exposure will age the skin faster and make any
dark ldquoleftoverrdquo acne marks darker The sun is damaging to your skin cells and if a lesion is healing
from a recent breakout the sun is even more
damaging to the healing cells
3) ldquoAll I need is an antibiotic to clear up my acnerdquo Antibiotics only address 2 of the 4 problems that
cause acne You need topical medications as well to help treat the remaining causes Some people donrsquot need antibiotics Long term antibiotic use can cause additional problems so most providers will only
prescribe them for short periods of time When the antibiotics stop their effects stop which is another
reason that topical medications are important
4) ldquoIf you just wash your face you will not get
acnerdquo Obviously from what you already read dirt on
the skin has very little or nothing to do with acne In fact too much scrubbing or washing may result in
more inflammation
Most importantly if you have acne that is not
improving with over the counter products come in for
an office visit so that we can help you get on the best
program for your skin And be patient you skin goes through cycles every 6 weeks It may take 1-2 cycles
or more for the acne to clear
June Specials
Buy One Get One FREEFacials and
Vibradermabrasions
DLCC Dazzlers20 OFF glominerals makeup
Happy Fathers Day
June 20
Remember Dad this month
Pamper him with
Buy-One-Get-One-Free Facials
during the month of June or
20 off Clarisonic Skin Care
Brushes June 14-18
Product of the Month
Clarisonic Skin Care
Brush
Clarisonic is a professional skin
care brush that is an innovative
choice for deeper skin cleaning and
exfoliating
Great gift idea for Fathers Day The Clarisonic will make Dads
whiskers stand up to reduce
razorburn and ingrown hairs
20 off June 14-18
Laser Lessons
Continuing Cosmetic
Treatments in the Summer
by Lori J WrightingtonCertified Laser Technician
MediSpa Manager
I often hear from patients ldquoIs it
okay to continue my laser
treatments during the summerrdquo the answer is definitely ldquoYesrdquo In
fact it is important with most
treatment plans to keep a regular
appointment schedule to ensure
the most positive results
When we see patients during a
cosmetic consultation and are
discussing treatment options with
lasers peels or other modalities
one of the most important pre and
post care instructions is to limit sun
exposure The reason being is to
achieve the best results we prefer
to treat the skin pigment in the
most natural state to ensure
safety maximum results and
patient satisfaction When patients
hear this especially in the summer
months a red flag usually goes up
in their mind I always hear ldquoMaybe I should wait until the fall I
am on the boat or at the pool with
the kids It is hard to stay insiderdquo We understand all of these
concerns However contrary to popular belief the patient can
continue to have their treatments
during the summer months Patients can continue to enjoy the
pool boating fishing and all the
summer fun by following some
important rules
First and foremost always apply
sunscreen A good rule of thumb is to apply every two hours with a
product containing Zinc Oxide and
Titanium Dioxide with at least a 30
SPF Always wear a hat with a large
brim to cover the face neck and
ears If other body parts are being treated apply and reapply
sunscreen to those areas When scheduling appointments be sure
to let any tan fade for at least 10
to 14 days prior to treatments This also applies to self tanners
lotions and spray tanning Again to
ensure best results the skin
should be treated at its most
natural pigment
Patients are treated all summer
long at DLCC and very seldom do
we have to reschedule due to a
tan In fact most patients find it
easy to stay compliant We find
that the savvy patient is also the
smart patient and realizes that
following pre and post care
instructions are important and good
for their skin
Dr Schlesinger will be appearing on
Lowcountry Live on Wednesday
June 9 Turn on Channel 4 to hear him talk about sun safety
Skin Screening Success
The third annual Roper Saint
Francis Healthcare Free Skin
Screening was held on May 19
Dr Schlesinger and Rebecca
Repaire PA-C along with eight
other providers successfully
screened over 200 participants If you missed it call to make an
office appointment We offer free skin screenings through July
843-556-8886
Buzz About Becky
Our own Becky Repaire PA-C was
featured on the new website
thecharlestonchickscom She was interviewed about Melanoma
awareness and what to expect
during a skin screening Check it
out
Can Sunscreen Be
Dangerous
The Environmental Working Group
(EWG) recently said that the
chemicals found in sunscreen can
actually cause cancer The EWG report talked about studies of two
chemicals retinyl palmitate
(Vitamin A) and oxybenzone
These substances were applied and
tested on rats in much greater
amounts than humans would ever
use on their skin The Food and
Drug Administration (FDA)
contested the claims due to
evidence that rats are much more
likely to develop skin cancer than
humans and the two should not be
compared to each other
The other problem is that Vitamin A
compounds are commonly used
topically to reduce skin cancer risk
and have proven anti-cancer
properties and promote the
normalization of sun-damaged skin
cells via their action on DNA
receptors
Our conclusion sunscreen still
works Wear it on all exposed areas cover up as much as
possible reapply regularly and
minimize sun exposure to reduce
your risk of skin cancer
Read more here
Fight Childhood Obesity
with Fun and Play
The Bees Landing Recreational
Center is now open in West
Ashley Their ergonomically correct playground encourages children to
use strength and balance to
navigate through the many
complex structures Some studies
have linked an increase in outdoor
activity with a decrease in childhood
weight problems
The playground was built mostly
through volunteer efforts Read more about the playgrounds
construction here
Like us on
Follow us on
Thank you for providing your email address on your first visit We hope you enjoy our new monthly newsletters and other email-based services If you would like additional information please contact our office by calling 8 4 3-5 5 6-8886 or visit our website at wwwdermandlasercom
Unsubscribe lydiaexpressodesigncom from this list
Our mailing address isDermatology and Laser Center of Charleston PA2093 Henry Tecklenburg DriveSt 300Charleston S C 2 9 4 1 4
Add us to your address book
Copyright (C) 2009 Dermatology and Laser Center of Charleston PA All rights reserved
Forward this email to a friendUpdate your profile
translate