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By Hope Allen, PA-C
Happy National Healthy Skin Month everyone! What do you think of when you picture “healthy” skin? When I think of healthy skin,
I think of the first time I held my niece and nephew. I remember looking down at their little fingers and toes, those big, bright eyes taking in the world around them, and most of all, their perfect, soft, smooth, newborn skin!
It can be a challenge to keep our skin healthy throughout our lives. Our skin is our largest organ and has the tough job of directly interacting with the harsh environment of the world around us.
Our skin faces potential physical trauma such as cuts, scrapes, and bruises. It is exposed to radiation from the sun’s harsh rays that can cause damage and can lead to cancer. Also, our skin acts as a barrier that protects us against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. It’s not easy being skin. So, let’s take some time to talk about what you can do to keep your skin as healthy as possible by addressing some common questions.
How do I care for skin injuries?
When it comes to wound care, the first step is proper cleansing. Strong antiseptics can sting, burn, and irritate the skin and they aren’t always needed. We recommend that you save rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide for wounds in situations where the risk of bacterial infection is high. For example, animal bites and cuts in the kitchen with knives that have cut raw meat, or wounds sustained outside from dirty or rusty objects. Also, keep in mind that most of these types of wounds should be evaluated by a medical provider since oral antibiotics, and in the later instance, a tetanus shot, are likely needed. For most cuts and scrapes, daily cleansing with your average antibacterial soap, such as Dial, in addition to thorough rinsing, is all you need to clean a wound.
The second step to wound care is moisture. Why is moisture so important? When our skin was originally formed in the womb it was in the most heavily moisturized environment imaginable! It was surrounded by amniotic fluid. It makes sense, then, that when we injure our skin and need new skin to grow, it does so the best when heavily moisturized. As we have come to better understand the physiology of skin development, the more we have learned how important this is. Covering a wound with ointment so it never forms a dry scab will decrease scaring risk and help your wound heal quickly. When it comes to choosing an ointment, no antibiotic ointment is needed for most wounds. In fact, studies have shown that the strength of the antibiotic in over-the-counter antibiotic ointments is not strong enough to offer antibacterial benefits but is strong enough to trigger allergic contact dermatitis. Our recommendations for healing ointments includes Aquaphor, Vaseline, CeraVe healing ointment, or Cetaphil healing ointment.
The third and final step to wound care is to keep wounds covered so they stay clean, and ointments are not accidentally wiped off. If the adhesives from band-aids and tape irritates your skin, self- adherent wraps and paper tape are a good alternative.
Another presentation of traumatized skin is bruising. As we age, our blood vessels become more fragile, and our skin loses collagen making us bruise more easily. It is very common in later years to experience a condition called senile purpura. This is where the forearms bruise so easily that the bruises seem to appear out of nowhere since the trauma was so minimal it is not noticed. The best way to delay the development of senile purpura is to take supplemental collagen and avoid sun exposure on the forearms, but it is a natural part of the aging process.
Who needs sun protection?
Protecting your skin from the sun is the number one most important thing you can do to keep your skin healthy! Unprotected exposure to UV rays causes damage that can alter the DNA affecting a gene that suppresses tumors and increases the risk of sun- damaged skin cells turning into skin cancer. This is true for all skin types. It is a common misnomer that only lighter skinned individuals who burn easily are at risk for developing skin cancer. The truth is that if you have skin, you can get skin cancer.
In addition to increasing your risk for developing skin cancer, UV rays from the sun also damage the skin leading to premature aging. Photoaging (sun damage) causes wrinkles, dark spots, whote spots, and loss of skin elasticity. These changes can be easily appreciated by comparing the skin on the sun exposed areas of an individual (face, chest, arms) to the sun protected areas (abdomen, upper legs, buttocks). As you age, the goal is for your skin to look and feel the same when you compare these areas.
How do you go about protecting yourself from the sun? The best sunscreen to buy is any mineral sunscreen that is at least 30 spf. Mineral sunscreens use minerals like zinc and titanium to protect your skin and are safe for all ages. They also have no harmful impacts on the environment such as coral reefs.
The ideal sun protection is a combination of these sunscreen lotions and physical protection. Hats, sunglasses, and UPF clothing provide physical protection against UV rays and play a critical role in sun protection since regularly applying lotion to all exposed skin is not always practical or convenient.
Do I really need to use lotion?
This is a common question I hear, especially from my male patients.
For many men, the hassle of applying lotion seems to result in thoughts of “Do I really have to do this?” and “Why do I have to if my dry and flakey skin doesn’t bother me?” One reason why dry skin can be harmful is because excessive dryness can cause activation of a disease called eczema that presents as an itchy and sometimes painful rash. Another reason that moisturizing is important is that it helps the skin maintain its barrier function. When skin becomes too dry, small cracks can form and increase your risk of infection. Our skin constantly encounters countless different types of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Healthy skin with a skin barrier that is intact and functioning properly keeps pathogens from entering our bodies.
Supplementing your skin’s moisture and hydration by applying lotion after you shower and drinking plenty of water, helps prevent your skin from becoming too dry. This becomes increasingly important as we age, and our skin can’t self-regulate its moisture as affectively. When skin is chronically dry for years it becomes more difficult to restore the moisture and barrier function. For this reason, starting to moisturize regularly is a habit you’ll want to start sooner rather than later.
Why am I getting more spots?
This final question is probably the most common we hear. The answer is usually age, sun exposure, and genetics. The following are 4 of the most common types of “spots.”
Seborrheic keratosis – The amount of these lesions you will get in your lifetime is based on your genetics. However, after the age of 30 just about everyone starts to accumulate a few. You’ll hear them referred to as “SKs,” “age spots,” “skin barnacles,” or my personal favorite, “signs of wisdom.” They can range in color from white to dark brown, and feel raised, crusty, and waxy.
Cherry angiomas – Hemangiomas can range in color from bright red to dark purple and are smooth and round. Cherry angiomas are often referred to as “red moles.” These are another type of benign lesion that have some genetic inheritance, and almost everyone will get at least a few. The prefix angi- means vessel and the suffix -oma means tumor or growth. As the name implies, these lesions are growths that develop from blood vessels.
Solar lentigo – Solar lentigos aka “liver spots” or “sunspots” are smooth, light brown areas that appear in sun exposed skin. They are associated with sun damage or photoaging, so they are best prevented by diligent sun protection.
Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis- Although we typically think of the previously mentioned solar lentigos when we hear “sunspots,” there is another common presentation of sun damage on the skin. This condition presents as countless small, white spots and is most common on the forearms. IGH is common in patients with fair skin and the white spots are consistent with their natural skin tone while the surrounding skin is darker due to sun damage.
Fortunately, these 4 types of “spots” are completely benign. Unfortunately, they can act as camouflage for cancerous lesions that like to mimic their appearance. For this reason, we recommend everyone over the age of 30 years old schedule an annual skin exam for skin cancer screening by a dermatology medical provider.
Another way that healthy skin makes me think of my nephews and nieces is that skin is like a child-It doesn’t keep secrets!
Our skin is out there for everyone to see. So, while we of course want to feel healthy, we also want to look healthy and there is no better way to look healthy than to have healthy skin.
These tips of course only scratch the surface on the broad topic of skin health, but hopefully they will propel you one step further on your journey to happier, healthier skin!
I hope everyone has a very happy Thanksgiving and remember to take a quick moment to give thanks for healthy skin!
MidState Skin Institute Services:
Medical Dermatology
The science of treating the skin, hair, and nails to relieve or cure skin disorders.
Surgical Dermatology
The practice of dermatology that specializes in surgical procedures & minimally invasive techniques to treat skin cancer.
Cosmetic Dermatology
The practice of improving the look and health of one’s skin through medical or surgical procedures, to help patients look and feel their best.
Aesthetics
Treatment for the skin, hair or body that is meant to enhance the appearance of patients through minimally invasive techniques & personalized topical skin care recommendations.
