Infinity Skin Care and Spa

Did you know that, although the risk is small, getting a sunburn can actually cause a case of shingles? One of our Infinity employees recently spent the day at a local waterpark. Although she was diligent about applying sunscreen at regular intervals and wearing a hat, she missed her lower back and ended up with a painful and unexpected burn in the spots that didn’t receive adequate protection. After a week of pain from the sunburn, and another week of peeling, she started feeling sore, itchy bumps on her back. A few of them started to blister and throb. Writing them off as bug bites, she ignored them until the burning, itching and tingling intensified. She was eventually diagnosed with shingles, an outbreak caused by the varicella zoster virus, the virus that causes chicken pox. In her case, the sunburn triggered the varicella zoster virus to reactivate a shingles outbreak.

What are the symptoms of shingles?
•           A blistering rash, typically on one side of the body.
•           Burning, itching and tingling sensation at the rash site.
•           Pain that seems to radiate deep into the nerves or away from the rash.
•           A rash with pain that lasts up to 30 days.

Who can get shingles?
Anyone who has had chicken pox is at risk of developing shingles. Although young people can get shingles, this condition usually occurs in people over age 50.

Are there treatments?
If caught in time (within 72 hours), shingles can be treated with an antiviral medication. Based on the severity of the outbreak, the medication can help speed the healing process and lessen the pain and itching associated with shingles.

What causes the varicella zoster virus to become active?
In addition to sun exposure or a cold, the following may lead to a shingles outbreak:

•           Weakened immune system
•           Anticancer and immunosuppression drugs
•           Stress or depression, especially if associated with a major life change or trauma

While premature aging, sun spots, unwanted wrinkles and skin cancer seem like reasons enough to avoid overexposure to the sun, the risk of activating the virus that causes shingles is yet another reason to be liberal with the sunscreen, wear sun protective clothing and avoid getting a nasty sunburn! Take it from anyone who has had shingles and you’ll know… they are no fun at all!

Not all brown spots are created equal! While some brown spots are moles and some spots develop from years of accumulated sun exposure, there are some “brown spots” that occur in large patches on the faces of women (and rarely men) which are completely different. Melasma is the name of this common condition and with the medications and procedures available at Infinity Skin Care and Spa, you will finally be able to rid yourself of this unwanted discoloration once and for all!

The large tan to brown patches of melasma are typically irregular inshape and occur most commonly on the cheeks, upper lip and forehead. They worsen in the summer and improve in the winter due to the increased ultraviolet light exposure in the warmer months.

The most common treatment for these unsightly patches is a prescription medication containing hydroquinone used in combination with excellent sun protection. Hydroquinone essentially “bleaches” the skin by turning off the cellular machinery necessary to make pigment in the skin. It is important to see your dermatologist to uncover possible underlying causes for the condition and to discuss the proper prescription medication for you. The medications can take weeks to work, sometimes months, and in some unfortunate patients with deeper forms of melasma, topical medications can never completely eradicate the discoloration.

Melasma patients MUST use excellent sun protection with a combination of sun avoidance and sunscreen use. Sunscreens work by absorbing most of the sun’s rays before they penetrate the skin, but some still get through. Effective sunscreen includes an ingredient called Parsol (avobenzone) that blocks the full spectrum of UVA light. Many ingredients block UVB light as well. Avobenzone should be 3%. Sunblocks such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide block or reflect the sun’s rays.

For maximum benefit, apply a chemical sunscreen containing Parsol or Mexoryl, let dry, and then apply a chemical free sunblock containing titanium dioxide or zinc oxide prior to any significant sun exposure. The products you need are available at Infinity! Let our experienced staff help with your sunscreen and sunblock selection.

Finally, for those patients whose melasma doesn’t respond adequately to topical therapy or who desire a quick fix, a series of chemical peels or microdermabrasion can significantly hasten improvement in conjunction with prescription medication. Fraxel laser treatments offer the very best results available for melasma and are the only treatments which will offer adequate clearing of melasma in those with deeper pigment. Your dermatologist can help guide you to the treatment approach which meets your specific needs.

It is estimated that 60 million Americans suffer from acne. Acne is best known as a condition of teenagers, but acne is a common condition along the entire age spectrum. In fact, 25% of adults suffer from acne! 20 million Americans have acne scars. Only 11% of acne sufferers receive medical attention.

First, acne is generally caused by two things, hormones and heredity. Eating a junk food diet won’t do your complexion any favors, but it doesn’t cause acne. Stress will definitely aggravate acne but it doesn’t necessarily cause it. One of the biggest misconceptions about acne is the belief that finding that miracle cleansing product will cure acne. If you have acne your complexion will certainly suffer if you fail to cleanse twice a day, but spending lots of money on fancy cleansers won’t solve the problem of inflammatory acne. Aggressive cleansing or rubbing can actually make inflammatory acne even worse! Acne treatment requires medication, period. Only after beginning a rational, customized medica- tion regimen should patients consider enhancing their results with procedures such as microdermabrasion, chemical peels or extractions.

People with acne should see their dermatologist to discuss their treatment options. Early treatment of acne is the key. If you notice any big red pimples on your adolescent son or daughter, do them a favor and bring them to see a dermatologist as soon as possible.

Studies on psychosocial development of young people with acne show a significant emotional burden from acne, even though it often goes unmentioned by the affected individual. Many patients and their parents don’t realize that help is available or they believe that acne is a normal right of passage into adulthood. Please help avoid both the physical and emotional scars from acne and see a dermatologist early.

What is acne? It is an inflammatory condition of the skin’s pilosebaceous unit, also known as the pore. Hormones (androgens) cause the oil glands to produce more oil. The oil mixed with dead skin cells produces a plug in the pore. Normal bacteria proliferate in this plugged pore environment and cause pimples, both small and large. Plugged pores are improved with topical medications called retinoids. Retin-A and Differin are two common brands of retinoids for acne, which are applied to the skin, typically once per day. The small pimples can be treated with a topical antibiotic applied to acne prone skin daily. The deeper, tender pimples require an oral antibiotic taken for at least several weeks, possibly longer depend- ing on each patient’s situation. Because so many patients have whiteheads and blackheads as well as small and large pimples, many patients require all three kinds of medication to treat their acne. Acne treatment takes time. Most oral antibiotics take full effect after 4 weeks of therapy. Topical retinoids take 8-12 weeks to show significant results.

Are there special treatments for women? Absolutely! The traditional therapy outlined above is typical for a teenage boy with acne. Girls and women with acne have other options. First, a hormonal intervention will get at the root cause of the acne rather than just treating its aftermath. Both oral contraceptives and a medication called Spironolactone may, in certain circumstances, offer effective acne treatment for women without the need for multiple topical medications or oral antibiotics. For severely affected patients of both sexes, Isotretinoin (Accutane, Clarivis, Amnesteem and Sotret) can offer long- term remission after approximately 20-24 weeks of the medication.

What about enhancing results with procedures? I’m all for anything that increases ex-foliation (exfoliation is IT when it comes to acne, an even complexion or anti-aging). Retinoids, glycolic or salicylic acid, microderm-abrasion, chemical peels and use of the Clarisonic MD cleansing brush all exfoliate the top layers of dead skin, increase cellular turnover and improve overall skin quality with or without acne. And of course, if you have acne, ex-foliation is key to cleaning out the pores and diminishing whiteheads and blackheads. But remember, these procedures don’t replace medication, they augment it.