Category Archives: Skin problems

Tattoo’s Are All The Rage

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Dr. Bonnie Marting DNP ARNP

Tattoos are the greatest thing. Many movie and TV stars, male and female, are sporting at least one.  Just a few years ago, tattoo’s were only seen on beer belly guys on motorcycles. Now moms and daughters are getting identical tattoos as “bonding adventures”.

I get people every week wanting tattoos….Removed. Unfortunately, they’re all  disappointed when they hear the facts of life regarding tattoo permanency.

There seems to be a rumor, notion, or maybe an urban legend, that getting rid of a tattoo is easy. It’s just a simple laser treatment and your back to normal. DON’T BELIEVE IT. I have used state of the art lasers, abrasion, and even mild acid treatments. The very best you can do is change the darkness, or maybe lighten the colors if they are light blues or reds. The results will, at best, look like a half done tattoo or mottle the skin so it looks like a burn scar. The problem is basic. If you inject a colored substance under the skin that is darken than the skin, it remains visible. Forever.

I recently heard some tattoo artists claim their technique places the ink only barely below the surface so in a few years it will disappear. Here’s the bottom line…If it’s under the skin, it’s permanent. And permanent is a long time.

Also, the cost involved just to lighten or mottle your tattoo is high. Lets say you paid $1500 for a great tattoo that covers your back in a beautiful eagle with his wings spread. Tired of wearing tee shirts to your kids swim parties now that your 45? Figure high four figures, many visits and lots of pain. And no guarantee of results.

So….If a “bonding adventure” or fun thing to do includes a tattoo, I beg you to think again.

The cute tattoo of the little devil with a pitchfork on your ankle may be a great idea at age 22. At age 48, when you’re one of the moms helping out at vacation Bible school, you may be the only one in long socks.

Enlarged Pores Are Not Pretty

skin pores

Dr. Bonnie Marting DNP ARNP

Dr. Bonnie Marting

Do your pores appear to get larger every year?Or is it just your imagination?

First, the Bad news- Yes, pores do enlarge as we get older. It happens for the same reasons we develop wrinkles. Our skin has thinned out, lost collagen, and lost its former elasticity. Those things combined means our skin is less competent at closing our pores. So, that’s why you’re noticing them more as you’ve aged.

Now, the Good news! There is something that can be done. Though there is no magic cream you can buy at your local drug store, you can find help.Let me show you the light!

Pores can be shrunk with light sources and lasers. You may have heard me talking about IPL treatments before. It stands for Intense Pulsed Light and it helps minimize pores by pulsing infrared frequency to your skin. This procedure penetrates a bit deeper than lasers, but it does so to cause a contraction (yes- a shrinking effect). It then spurs on collagen re-growth in the pores. IPL’s may cause a slight discomfort during treatment, but it’s over quickly. The other option you can use to reduce pores is by using a Laser. Cutera’s Laser Genesis is an Nd:YAG laser which promotes collagen re-growth, treats oily skin, and …wait for it…it is painless! So if you’re tired of looking at pores you feel are too large, don’t wait any longer. Stop being a “poor loser and just accepting it as part of the aging process.” You can fight them, and win the battle against large pores.

Melasma Is Not Easy To Deal With

Dr. Bonnie Marting DNP ARNP

Dr. Bonnie Marting

The first thing I ask women who come in my office with patches of discoloration on their faces is, “Could you be Pregnant? or the other extreme, “Are you Postmenopausal and receiving progesterone treatments?”

These questions are asked because hormone changes in the body are known to create what is commonly referred to as “The pregnancy Mask.”
Once those factors are removed, we can begin to look at the other main reason that Melasma occurs- Sun exposure.

I receive the majority of melasma complaints during the fall season when most people begin staying in more, and start losing their tan and realize their face has gotten excessively darker in places. The patches have become more apparent as the rest of their skin lightens up, and now they want a fix. That’s where I come in. But first you need to realize that Melasma can be an unruly animal and must be dealt with accordingly.

Many topical Retinoids (Retin-A, Tazorac, and Differin) used with a lightening cream (hydroquinone) – Try saying that five times fast…will help pull some of the darkness out; but it won’t remove it completely. One popular ready-made combo is called Tri-Luma and though it works on lightening the area, as soon as you get back in the sun, that topical cream will lose the battle. The discoloration will return.

It’s quite ironic to think that the best way to treat Melasma is with a Light Treatment. I tell people that the sun’s bright rays got them here, and now I want to light them up with an IPL (Intensed Pulsed Light) to help them. Right now, this is the gold standard for Melasma treatment.

I must note that if you had IPL and the discoloration returned because of vascularization (when new blood vessels form in the skin), there are ways to prevent that from happening. Many technicians are going one step further and targeting the vessels immediately after an IPL treatment with a vessel laser. This is done by using the appropriate laser designed to target the vessels and requires one treatment only (you still need follow up visits to check the vessels). It has a target of hemoglobin which contains the 1064nm frequency needed. (Without getting too clinical on you, this basically means we treat the skin and the blood vessels underneath it.)

Other things you must realize if you’re prone to melasma is you must wear excellent sunscreen. You may also need to take a stabilizing hormone if your progesterone or estrogen levels are too high. (This is why pregnant women are more susceptible to Melasma- our hormones are all over the place during these months.)

You also may be simply genetically predisposed to having melasma. Those with a darker complexion and darker eyes are most often affected.
The pictures above feature a woman of Latin-Italian descent who displays melasma. One day after the treatment, you’ll notice a “sunburned look”. This is normal. See the picture from 10 days later and you’ll see the amazing difference.

The last thing I want to leave you with is some good news. Melasma is not life threatening or dangerous in any way. It is simply a discoloration of your skin due to uneven pigmentation based on the melanin you are producing. We can help you diminish the appearance of it if it bothers you. But at least you can sleep calmly knowing it really is on the surface and not dangerous to your health.

Seven Secrets For Sensational Skin

Dr. Bonnie Marting DNP ARNP

Dr. Bonnie Marting

Knowing these seven secrets will give you the advantage you need to look spectacular.

Secret One: Hands Off! Frequent touching of your skin (especially your face) will leave dirt deposits that not only clog your pores, but can increase dryness by removing moisture barriers. If you have sunscreen on, (you do, don’t you?)when you touch your skin you can also remove that protection.

Secret Two: Always Use Sunscreen, even if you don’t think you will be out in the sun. Remember, you get some incidental rays just by walking to your car. UVA light is constant even in winter months and penetrates much deeper than UVB (the burning rays). UVA damage is responsible for most skin “aging”.

Secret Three: Drink plenty of water. Even though water does not directly translate into hydrated skin, it helps your body and skin remain healthy. If you become dehydrated, it can be visible in your skin, your eyes, and even your tongue. Water helps everything in your body to work properly. Please don’t skimp.

Secret Four: Cleanse skin twice daily. If twice is out of the question, at least cleanse you face in the morning, after your body has gone through the night-time regeneration process. Cleansing your face at night before bedtime has the advantage of an extra cleaning, and a reminder to use whatever product your practitioner recommends. If you use a retinoid (highly recommended unless you are pregnant) this is when it goes on.

Secret Five: Change your sheets at least weekly. It may sound silly, but not everyone changes that often. If your pillow case isn’t clean, your face will re-absorb much of the nasty residue shed by your skin as you toss and turn at night. Keeping linens clean is healthy for your skin.

Secret Six: Routinely clean your make-up brushes. I have patients who keep the same brushes for years, and never clean them! While it doesn’t need to be done every day, it should be done at least once a month. If you loan a brush to a friend, go ahead and clean it right away. You never know….

Secret Seven: This may be the most important secret: Forget About Your Skin! From my perspective, the damage caused by folks obsessing over their skin is huge. If you get a pimple, leave it alone. Spot treating can cause dryness or irritation, and picking may very well result in a scar. When is it OK to be concerned? When you have a “pimple” that has lasted for months, or a “dry patch” that just doesn’t go away. These problems are reserved for your dermatology office.