How to Look 10 Years Younger

Teresa Zawada, Licensed Aesthetician

It’s an era of youth. People are not only looking younger but are feeling younger—and decades seem to now be going in reverse. 50 is the new 40, 40 is the new 30 and communities are now being built for the “active adult.”  With such an increase in liveliness, Baby Boomers are more open to techniques to look on the outside how they feel on the inside.

The truth is some of us are too nonchalant about our skin routines, and after that, we accumulate enough damage on our skin that we will spend endless hours on dwelling on in the mirror in our later years.  Although prevention is the best way to keep yourself looking ten years younger than you actually are, let’s focus on the majority of people who are now looking for a fix later in life. 

The Value of Vitamin A and Sunscreen

Beginning in your 30s, the years of building sand castles without sunscreen, or taking a few trips here and there to the tanning salon “just to get a base tan,” have markedly diminished your skin’s collagen and elastin production.  Fine lines, crow’s feet and lines that linger after your done smiling are more noticeable.  This may be THE tell-tale sign of age.  If you want to address all those concerns at once, use a topical Vitamin A at least three times a week, gradually increasing up to nightly, depending on skin sensitivity and response. Benefits will include: 

·       -  An increase in cell turnover leading to an improvement in skin tone and texture

·        - Plumper skin contributed to the stimulation of collagen and elastin

·        - A reduction of fine lines.  

After a couple months usage, coupled with a sunscreen in the morning, you’ve now eliminated about four years.

Combatting Age Spots

Another tell-tale sign of aging are spots. Freckles are cute when we’re five years old, but not many of us appreciate an uneven sheen of dark areas when we get older. It’s worth it to take a trip to the dermatologist to be prescribed a topical hydroquinone, or a more natural kojic acid (available without a prescription), which can lift and erase areas that have been hyperpigmented over the years.  

If a more aggressive treatment is needed, lasers can be used over the entire face or just in the areas affected.  Lasers would also be beneficial for any unsightly broken blood vessels that are unaffected by topical treatments, or even for a full face refresher, keeping in mind that a potential week recovery is necessary for the skin with many laser treatments.

Pump Up the Volume

Loss of volume is another unfortunate side effect of aging.  Because no topical cream can actually plump the skin like a filler can, talk to your doctor about the fillers Juvéderm® or Restylane® for instant gratification for naso-labial folds, marionette lines and to plump up a thinning lip.  Unlike fillers that add volume, the ever popular BOTOX® cosmetic is a subtle treatment that relaxes the lines between the brows, forehead and Crow’s Feet areas—almost instantly erasing years from your face. 

Beauty Inside and Out

Lastly and very importantly, remember that the skin can reflect internal processes.  A glass of water every morning with a fresh squeezed organic lemon in it will stimulate the body, boost the immune system, help clear skin and give your body (skin included) a dose of healthy Vitamin C.

If you have specific questions about skin care, please post them on Windsor Dermatology’s Facebook page, or call (609) 443-4500 to schedule a consultation.

How Hyperhidrosis is Treated: Controlling Excessive Sweating

By Dr. David Nieves

We recently reviewed a serious condition affecting nearly 3% of the population—excessive sweating, or hyperhidrosis. This disorder affects individuals who sweat more than the body would normally need to maintain optimal temperature—in some cases, even four or five times more than the normal amount of sweating. There are a variety of treatments for hyperhidrosis. Let’s take a closer look at the successful treatment methods to help you determine what might be right for you if you suspect you might have this disorder.

Finding a Treatment that is Right for You

The role of a dermatologist is important in this treatment since they have to be accurate in gauging the severity of the condition. There are surgical (for extreme cases) and non-surgical treatments (injections, topical treatments and pills). Many people are alleviated by using the prescription topical treatment Drysol. For individuals who do not respond to this treatment, options include BOTOX® injections, oral medication and tapwater iontophoresis.

BOTOX is FDA-approved for the treatment of focal primary hyperhidrosis and is covered by most insurance. Treatment with BOTOX is a five-minute in-office procedure and usually provides significant symptom relief for 4-6 months. Tapwater iontophoresis is a self-administered drug-free procedure in which a low-grade electric current leads to plugging of sweat glands and reduction of sweating. If patients are unresponsive to this treatment, or for people who decline these procedures, oral medication may provide relief as well.

Lifting the Burden of Hyperhidrosis

Hyperhidrosis is among the most satisfying conditions to treat. Patients have often been suffering for years, unaware that highly effective treatment is available and affordable. Untreated, hyperhidrosis casts a constant shadow that interferes with patients' most basic social interactions. After treatment, patients feel as if a huge burden has been lifted and feel "normal," often for the first time in years. Patients with hyperhidrosis are among Windsor Dermatology's most loyal patients because the treatment is quick, easy and helps them regain control of their lives.

As a leader in the treatment of severe sweating, Windsor Dermatology conducts clinical research for a pharmaceutical industry partner who is developing a new topical treatment to alleviate hyperhidrosis. To find out more about our clinical trial participation, please visit our website.

What You Need to Know About Skin Cancer and Mohs Surgery

QandA With Dr. Matthew Halpern, Windsor Dermatology

What is the typical Mohs patient?

The demographic used to skew much older, around 60 years of age or older. It could affect either gender, but usually the patients have light skin and fair eyes. But now we’re sadly seeing an increase in the younger population. People in their 20s and 30s are coming in for Mohs Surgery. It’s a nationally recognized trend that has come about within the last 10 years. It’s mainly attributed to tanning. 

How long have you been performing Mohs surgery? 

I’ve been performing Mohs for six years and about 1,000 cases per year. Mohs surgery is one of our highest ranking search terms. What would you say to a patient who is nervous about getting Mohs surgery? 

The Mohs procedure is similar to the biopsy a patient would have already had, and sometimes it’s less painful. Most people are surprised at how painless it is. As with any procedure, sometimes the anticipation is the worst part. But what would be worse overall is not treating the skin cancer. Some people delay treatment which can make things more complicated and they can require more extensive procedures. 

What is the success rate of Mohs? 

The success rate is really the advantage of getting Mohs Surgery done—it has the highest cure rates of any treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer. For a first time basal cell skin cancer patient, it has a 99% cure rate, and that is the most common form of the disease. For a first time squamous cell skin cancer patient, the cure rate is 97%.

Why is Mohs better than other skin cancer treatment methods? 

Mohs is the best treatment because it will leave the least amount of scarring possible and it almost always eliminates recurrence. So it has obvious medical advantages, as well as cosmetic advantages. It is really the ideal treatment for this disease. With Mohs surgery, it is an outpatient procedure, the stitches come out in a week or two and then you usually have a one month follow-up appointment.

Other treatments include ED&C (or electrodesiccation and curettage), which can be used based on the location of the cancer. We stick to the guidelines put forth by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) for Mohs Surgery indications to know when it’s appropriate. 

What do you think patients get by going to Windsor Dermatology that they don’t get elsewhere? 

Our strengths are our expertise, but perhaps more importantly, our emphasis on patient comfort. The whole team is really good at making sure patient questions are answered and the patient knows what to expect. We have a consultation beforehand and make them physically as comfortable as possible with recliners in the waiting room, snacks and a television to watch. I call my patients after their procedure to make sure that they are doing okay. We want them to feel like they are not just a number here. 

Now that so much information is available about the causes of skin cancer, do you think more patients are taking preventative measures to protect against skin cancer? 

People are definitely better protected and are doing a better job at preventing skin cancer. You can tell that many members of the older generation have passed on their experiences to their loved ones who are learning from that. It has cut down on the risk significantly. But even though people are being vigilant about sunscreen and sun-protective clothing, it’s still important to be checked by a dermatologist.