Month: January 2017

Global News BC invited me to do a segment earlier this week on winter skin tips. See the link here:

Winter skin tips to survive colder, drier weather

I just love Sonia Sunger and her morning news team. She is so easy to talk to that I forget I am on camera until my patients come in later in the day and say they saw me on TV!

Here is a summary of what we talked about:

1. Sunscreen is the most important skin care step year-round to protect from damaging UVA and UVB rays.
2. You may need a more substantial moisturizer in winter, to cope with dry air indoors and outdoors.
3. Consider a vitamin C-containing antioxidant serum.

A simple but comprehensive 4-step winter skin care guide:

Step One: Cleanse. Use a gentle unscented product.

Dry skin: Cetaphil gentle face wash, Riversol Refreshing Gel Cleanser

All skin types, oily skin: Dove bar for sensitive skin.

Step Two: Antioxidant Serum. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant to neutralize free radicals and reverse environmental damage throughout the day. I love SkinCeuticals antioxidant serums, and am impressed by the research behind their products.

Dry skin: SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic.

Oily Skin: SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF

Step Three: Moisturize. I favour gentle unscented products.

Dry skin: Toleriane Ultra by La Roche-Posay.

Oily Skin: Toleriane Ultra Fluide by La Roche-Posay

Step Four: Sun protection. Last but not least, this is the best place to invest time and money. Use a broad-spectrum product with SPF of at least 30.

All skin types: EltaMD UV Daily SPF 40, La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Fluid Lotion SPF 60.

Touch-ups: Colorescience loose mineral sunscreen SPF 50.  This is my favourite touch-up product year -round, and especially on the slopes this time of year!

Don’t forget your lips: Jane Iredale Lip Drink SPF 15 with frequent re-application.

For your nighttime routine, simply drop the antioxidant serum and sunscreen, and consider adding a retinol- more on this in a another post.

The above are simply my favourite products. I did not receive any incentives toward this post.

As the weather cools down and we move indoors and turn up the heat, the dry air can wreak havoc on sensitive skin. Here are a few tips to get you through the winter more comfortably.

1. Moisturize! Applying a moisturizer helps to restore the barrier function of skin. Stick to an unscented product, and apply right after bath or shower time.
2. Avoid long, hot baths and showers. Keep these comfortably warm, and under 10 minutes. Use a gentle unscented wash for sensitive skin, such as Dove bar for sensitive skin; bars generally have fewer preservatives than liquid washes. Only use soap on areas that need it- arms, legs and backs don’t need to be lathered up every day.
3. Dress in soft, cotton clothing. Wool contains lanolin, a wool alcohol that can irritate sensitive skin, so is best avoided for sensitive skin.
4. Diet is probably not the cause of dry skin. The best scientific evidence to date suggests that diet rarely, if ever, plays a role in eczema or sensitive skin. So don’t worry about avoiding certain food groups. However, if there are foods that on repeated instances cause your skin to flare, it is only reasonable to avoid these.
5. Keep fingernails short! Scratching can damage skin and worsen itching. Short fingernails do the least damage so check these every few days.

 

For some eczema-prone individuals, these preventive measures are not enough. If this is the case, some prescription medications may be necessary. Speak to your doctor if this is the case for you.

 

This article is intended to provide general information and is not intended as a substitute for assessment and care from your doctor.

 

A dermatologist is a medical doctor with specialty training. After an undergraduate degree and medical school we spend 5 years in an accredited dermatology residency program, learning everything there is to know about skin health and disease. Like all specialist physicians in Canada, we pass a rigorous examination process to earn the designation “FRCPC”, Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada. This amounts to 12 or more years of post-secondary training.

 

Dermatology is an exciting field, in that we deal with the body’s largest and most visible organ. This means that a trained eye can make diagnoses by reading the skin, often without invasive testing. There is a tremendous amount of preventive health in what we do, from skin cancer prevention and early detection, to helping people age well, such that what they see in the mirror reflects how vibrant they feel on the inside.

 

As a medical and cosmetic dermatologist, I divide my time between general medical dermatology and cosmetic dermatology, and I am constantly reminded of how connected these two facets of my practice are. Unlike some medical conditions which patients can keep private, dermatologic disease is often in the public eye, thus presenting not just a health concern but an aesthetic concern as well. For the cosmetic consultation, the health of the individual and their skin always comes first, and we build upon this with our ability to rejuvenate and enhance.

 

Do all medical dermatologists perform cosmetic treatments?

 

Not necessarily. Most dermatologists will do some form of cosmetic treatments, such as removal of unwanted moles and skin tags, but not all perform the full range of injectable and laser procedures available. Similarly, not all cosmetic dermatologists have a full medical practice. This is the wonderful thing about our specialty- we treat such a wide range of conditions that we can each tailor our practice to our interests and skill set.

 

Stay tuned for more information about how to manage common skin problems and what is happening in the world of aesthetic medicine.