Category Archives: Sun Damage

2012 Sunscreen Protection

Dr. Bonnie Marting DNP ARNP

New Sunscreen Rules From FDA

It’s been widely known, especially in the medical community, that some of the most popular sunscreens were pretty worthless in actual use. Beginning this summer, the FDA is requiring new labels on sunscreens so the customer will know what level of protection they’re buying.

Previously, sunscreen could be advertised and labeled as being “waterproof, sweat-proof, or a sunblock”. While common sense may tell you these words are just advertising promotion, they did sell a lot of sunscreen. Unfortunately, we now have record rates of skin cancer, some due to skin protection we thought we were getting.

Skin Facts
Very quickly, here is everyday language I give my patients about the suns radiation:

There are two types of skin radiation. UVA and UVB.
UVB rays cause the actual sunburn and weaken the skins ability to keep out the more harmful UVA rays.
UVA rays penetrate deeper and cause long term effects of wrinkling, leathering, sagging and the spots you grow to hate later in life.

What’s The SPF Number To Use?

To protect yourself, always buy no less than 50 SPF Broad Spectrum. The new rules now state anything less than SPF 15 has to have on the label that it has not been shown to prevent skin cancer. Anything between 15 and 50 will help, but if you are going to the trouble to put on skin protection, why wouldn’t you not just put on the most protection? There is no real difference in cost.

Tips To Stay More Beautiful Longer

Sunny days between 10 AM and 4 PM are when the most damaging rays occur. Stay inside or under shelter.
Being under a top or shade when you are on a boat does not help. The waters reflection can do almost as much damage as being directly in the sun.
Reapply sunscreen often. Sweating and swimming remove the protection pretty quickly. The new labels must now tell you how long they last in sweat and wet environments based on standardized testing.

If you have any questions about these new FDA rules, or how to select the best protection, just let me know, I will be glad to help you stay beautiful longer!

Four Minutes Of IPL And Look Eight Years Younger!

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Dr. Bonnie Marting DNP ARNP

I know Four Minutes To Look Eight Years Younger sounds like an infomercial ad, but its true and has been tested by Skin and Allergy News!

The magic is Intense Pulsed Light, or IPL for short. In my office this treatment is met with a wide variety of emotions ranging from unbridled fear, to trepidation, to optimism, to exhilaration. The technology behind this treatment arose from Israel in the mid ’90s, and has been modified and duplicated by company after company due to its predictable and near-immediate improvement in the appearance of its target. Recently, Skin & Allergy News reported a retrospective analysis of patients who received this treatment at least once per year over 8 years. These patients appeared to have only aged 6 months over the previous 8 years, so they looked eight years younger! Let me say that again: the aging that took place in these patients over 8 years really looked like they had only aged 6 months!

You may ask “who decided that?” In this case, 490 (51 were dermatologists) individuals were asked to rate 11 women who underwent this treatment at least once per year over an 8 year period. At year one, the mean age appeared to be 45. At year eight, the mean age appeared to be 45.5. This was a mean of 9 years less than the actual ages.

So what is this mysterious yet completely feared treatment? It is IPL, short for Intense Pulsed Light. Various frequencies of light are emitted through a crystal and are captured by various targets in the skin. These targets may be dilated blood vessels (what most patients refer to as “broken vessels”), sunspots, age spots, large pores, and acne. There is some science to suggest that these light emissions also help with the growth and functioning of cells, making the cells healthier and younger-looking.

Why the fear? The treatments are not comfortable and can be, well, downright creepy. The patient wears metal goggles to prevent any eye damage yet the light is transmitted through bone and tissue. It appears as though there are little explosions going on inside your head. The light also accompanies heat, so each little blast is hot, and then the crystal immediately cools to prevent damage of the top layer of skin. This is not a treatment to undergo on a very stressful day. Often my patients will take our “squeeze-balls”, courtesy of Allergan®, and my assistant also offers to hold their hand, which most of them take. I talk them through it, tell them where it is the creepiest and the most uncomfortable (from personal experience) and help them make it through the entire 4 minutes worth of treatment. That’s it. Four minutes. But what a four minutes!

The exhilaration comes from the result achieved after about a week. But you must have caution: Be sure the provider you use has done hundreds of these treatments as burning or scarring is possible in the wrong hands. In the right hands, you too can enjoy your Fountain of Youth!

There are many machines on the market now, and the trick is to be treated with the “latest and greatest” version. Some of the early ones are not only more painful, but can take a lot longer to see improvement. If you have a question about the machine in your practitioners office, just drop me a line and we can talk about it.

Immediate Sunburn Relief

Dr. Bonnie Marting

Though athletes may like to say, “Feel the Burn,” when you’re sunburned, this is not what you want to hear. You want answers and you want them yesterday. You want to know how to take away that searing heat and tenderness that your skin feels. Let’s face it- a sunburn hurts. I know, I live in South Florida, and see it all the time. People forget to wear sunscreen and even on a cloudy day can find themselves resembling a lobster by nightfall.

Ever hear the expression- “Take two aspirin and call me in the morning.” Well, try it. You’ll be amazed at the relief you’ll feel in about half an hour if you take 2 aspirin (325 mg). Ibuprofen (Motrin) will not have the same pain-relieving effect at alleviating your discomfort. After taking the aspirin, apply a topical antioxidant. I like Pro-Heal from I S Clinical, or Intense Recovery Treatment from Revale’ Skin Care. You will immediately feel relief. The other great thing about using these products is you may save your skin from the ugly side effects that sun damage from UV rays can cause you later on.

Ok, so now that I’ve told you about how to seek relief from the burn, let me ask you a question- “What were you thinking?” If you know there’s the possibility you’ll be outside, especially in the summer time, please keep sunscreen on you or at least have it accessible. If you still fail to remember this, move around a lot. Don’t stand or sit in one place where one exposed area can get too much sun. A little sun on a lot of you is better than a lot of sun on a smaller area.

If you do find yourself with a bad burn, you’re more than likely going to peel. Do Not Pick It! Resist the urge to help your skin along. Really, it doesn’t want you to. The skin that hasn’t lifted yet is more susceptible to recurring damage. Your skin has a natural repair procedure. Let it do it the best way it knows how.

Lastly, try to wear a hat. Protecting your face with a hat is a must! There are some chic styles out now. If you want something you can fold up easily and carry with you, consider checking out Coolibar.com. They travel well and you can pull them out as needed. Other protective clothing is important to wear as well- especially if you’ve previously been diagnosed with skin damage. Most sports stores now sell UV Protective clothing. For the ones nearest you, just google UV protective clothing.

Remember, have fun in the sun- but be conscious of its ability to damage the largest organ in your body- your skin! Take care of it and you’ll enjoy many more sun-filled days without pain and agony!

The Right Sunscreen Will Keep You Beautiful For Life

Dr. Bonnie Marting

Over the years, Fashion magazines and celebrities have touted that Tan is beautiful.

They show bronzed models sporting healthy, glowing tans while frolicking on a sandy beach. What they often don’t tell you is that most of these tans were sprayed on for the photo shoot, and a model that truly cares about her skin would never go out without sunscreen. They know their skin and appearance is their biggest asset. If they abuse it, they could end up with a major skin cancer.

So why do so many of us abuse ourselves in the sun? Though the medical field has tried desperately to inform the public about the damages of sun exposure and skin cancer, I still see people everyday coming into my office with sunburns and repeated sun damage. Living in South Florida, I’m amazed at how many women don’t wear sunscreen. I recommend using a combination of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide when you know you’ll be in the sun. And don’t just take my word for it- Rebecca Sutton, PhD, is an environmental chemist and graduate of Berkeley- she also agrees with me. She claims that if you want to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays (the UVA and UVB) you need to choose these two ingredients.

Could I possibly have Skin Cancer?
If you burned as a child or a teenager at least three times, you’re much more likely to develop skin cancer. It’s hard to believe that burning when we were a toddler could put us at a greater risk for carcinoma later in life, but unfortunately it’s true. And if you used a tanning bed or were a frequent sunbather, your risk has been exponentially raised.
What that means to you is when you hit your 40′s and 50′s, your skin can take on a much different appearance than if it had never been exposed. You could begin to see blotchy, rough, slightly reddened and even yellowish tints to your skin. (This yellowing is known as actinic bronzing). These changes not only affect the appearance, but the texture as well. Your skin will feel rough and may flake and scale. The dry patches may clear up, flake off, and then reappear again. This is known as Actinic Keratoses, or pre-cancers.These dry peeling areas can attack your lips as well. Chap stick doesn’t do the trick, no matter how much you apply. Your lips may start to become dry, and bumps and patches form that are raised and crusty. This is known as Actinic Chelitis or Solar Chelitis in medical terms. Other common names like Farmer’s lip and Sailor’s lip have also been coined. Because I live in Palm Beach and see so many women in my office with this condition, I call it Tennis Babe Lip. It is not pretty, and you will want to treat it. Otherwise you run the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma. There are ways to treat Tennis Babe lip. Small lesions can be removed by freezing them with liquid nitrogen. Or you could opt for surgical removal. Laser therapy is also a popular treatment plan. Please ladies, protect those lips. Wear a lip protection balm that has sunscreen in it when you’re outside.

Does this mean my favorite sunblock hasn’t been protecting me?
Look at the ingredients in your sunscreen. If it doesn’t have zinc and titanium, then you’re not getting what you need for skin protection. The reason zinc and titanium are so effective is because they don’t degrade like all those chemicals in popular lotions and sprays. One would think that a sunblock should be resistant to light and heat, since that’s what it’s meant to guard against, right? Well, Zinc and titanium are physical blocks, not chemicals, so they don’t break down. And the best part is you don’t have to use the colored zinc sticks that many smart parents paint their kid’s faces with. You also don’t have to appear pasty with the white formulas. Today’s formulations are now micro-fine and can be transparent. Use it every time you go outside- there is nothing better for your skin’s protection!
If I get a base tan from a tanning bed, I’ll protect myself from burning.
Unfortunately, the above statement is one of the worst public misconceptions about tanning. Tanning Salons only cause you more damage. Tanning via bulbs does not have any redeeming healthful or protecting powers. A base tan is a myth fabricated by Salon owners to make you think it’s smarter to visit them before heading outside. Dangerous UVA and UVB rays will wreak havoc on your skin no matter how you acquire them. But because many people believe the myth, that tanning beds are safer, they may spend more time in front of these rays causing much more damage. They believe they’re less likely to burn and thus soak up more rays. They may wear less sunscreen and acquire more skin damage. This can result in making you look old way before your time. It also will result in many more frequent visits to your dermatologist. Do yourself and your skin a favor- stay out of tanning beds and always wear the right sunscreen when you’re outside. You will look better, live healthier, and be much more beautiful in the years to come.

How to Tan without Frying

Dr. Bonnie Marting

Which Sunscreen Works Best?
I get asked sunscreen questions a lot, especially from people wanting to know what I personally use here in the South Florida sun. I prefer something that is a physical blocker. I use and recommend products from Fallene, specifically TIZO for the face. TIZO is a non-chemical based sunscreen that contains Titanium di-oxide, Zinc oxide, and Iron. These physical blocks provide long-lasting protection. If you want to remove it, you literally have to wash it off. That’s a plus because it means the block is more resistant to swimming and sweating.

But don’t fool yourself into thinking that with this sunscreen, you can be out for long periods of time and be completely safe. Unfortunately, no matter what they may claim in the fancy advertisements, no sunscreen can protect you the way being indoors (and out of the sun) and wearing protective clothing can. Though I’m sure that wearing a teeny weenie polka dot bikini may be highly cute, it’s not very functional when it comes to shielding your skin from sunburn.

With that noted, I realize we don’t want to spend all our time bundled up hidden behind layers of clothing, or hiding out in our air conditioned homes. We want to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and spend time outdoors. So be smart! Wearing sun block will help protect you, just make sure it’s the right kind and that you reapply it.

What’s the right kind? As I stated earlier, I prefer the physical blockers like Tizo and feel they are the best at true sun protection. This is because they don’t break down in the heat, sunlight or while underwater. They’re your best bet.
What about SPF? What in the world is that anyway?
Good question with a not so easy answer. First ..no matter the SPF, you can’t just apply it once and forget about it! You have to reapply if you are going to be out for an extended time. One reason is because every minute you are out in the sun, you are subtracting points from your SPF. See, the SPF on a product basically tells you how long you can be exposed with their sunscreen on, as opposed to if you were wearing none. So if a sun block has an SPF of 30, it is telling you that you can stay out in the sun 30 times longer than if you weren’t wearing any protection at all. This is still a hard to understand concept- because 30 times longer doesn’t mean 30 minutes, just as an SPF of 8 doesn’t mean 8 minutes. It’s not a great system in terms of knowing how much protection you need, but with everyone’s skin type being so different, it was the best measurement they could come up with.

The other thing a sunscreen can’t tell you is when you need to reapply. Though the directions may read, “every two to four hours”, you really need to gauge it based on how likely you were to have rubbed it off. You must factor in your swim time, your sweating, how much you scratched off when you were bitten by that sand flea, and how many times you brushed the hair away from your face causing your forehead to now be free of lotion.

Obviously, if you have removed some of the sunscreen doing these normal things, you’re going to be less protected and more likely to burn. We’ve all seen the difference on our skin when an area you thought was protected didn’t quite get the sun block you applied everywhere else. I could never get to that place directly below the area between my shoulder blades. I finally realized this spot on my back is now a mandatory husband duty whenever we’re out in the sun. One only needs to see and feel the big red tender area that was missed to know just how much you appreciate all the other places that were covered.

So be sun-smart and use protection often. Not only will you feel better at the end of the day, but you’ll be beautiful right now for many, many years to come.

Start Early To Look Younger

Dr. Bonnie Marting

Every day I deal with mistakes made years earlier by my patients. As we (my patient and myself) work our way through the sun damage having a great tan earlier in life has done, we talk about how many of these skin problems could have been avoided, and what they would have done if they knew what damage they were doing.

These patients now want to know how to prevent their children from having to face the same skin problems they do. They know first hand how ignoring their own skin for years has made them look older than needed.

Get your daughter and take a look at this brief video where we talk about anti-aging skin products, sunscreen, SPF ratings, zinc, titanium, skin damage from smoking, and finally,and how much a balanced diet can help your skin.

Seven Secrets For Sensational Skin

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.

Too Many Appearance Changes?

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To Many Appearance Changes?

Dr. Bonnie Marting DNP ARNP

Recently I talked about the FDA’s future recommendations for sunscreen makers. But preaching sunscreen does nothing if you’re dying to look tan. It seems some people get “addicted” to the feeling of sun on their skin, and relish the change in color. It’s hard to believe, but they actually become “addicted” to making their appearance change. Unfortunately, these changes are almost always unattractive….You look weird…And you can permanently damage your body.

It seems appropriate here to mention Patricia Krentcil, the 44 year old “super-tan mom” from New Jersey. In May she was arrested for allegedly bringing her daughter into a tanning booth. True or not, a bigger issue is the apparent addiction this woman has to tanning. I found a video on you tube that says it far better than I ever could. It’s only just over 2 minutes long, but it made me cringe just watching.

Here is a photo of Patricia when she was younger. A beautiful, vivacious looking lady, probably between 19 and 25. Incredible…

While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I doubt there are many beholders who would find her tan beautiful. Or even safe. At least I hope not!

Unfortunately, while Patricia Krentcil may be “tanorexic”, being “over-done” is not reserved for just the tanning booth, no pun intended. In today’s world I see lips that would put the average duck to shame and cheeks so big and puffy they need a bra. Yet most of these people (victims?) cant see their own extremes. As a practitioner my question is- “why would a medical professional do this to them”?

To the patient I would say the answer is two-fold; they forget what they looked like at their best, then become hooked on the idea of change.

To the provider I would say they need to get an objective opinion of their own appearance first. I have noticed that “over-the-top” providers seem to spawn over over-the-top patients. Not all, but many.

Then, somewhat sadly, there’s the “elephant in the room” nobody wants to mention… The provider treats because the patient is willing to pay. I wont belabor this other than to say that I, and most in the medical profession, will decline rather than have a patient leave with a treatment they would be ashamed to admit was their work.

Even those of us who want to look better but are more conservative should keep a favorite picture for reality checks. If the picture was many years ago, consider what about the picture makes you most attractive. Also take note of how natural and relaxed you look. Thats the look you want to preserve.

One final note. Providers welcome you bringing in a pleasing photo and your comments about what you find most attractive. That can start a great dialogue which will give you a happy result.

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