- Published on Monday, July 22 2013 09:42
1. The summer HEAT RASH….Who has not had an annoying, itchy summer heat rash also known as prickly heat or miliaria. This is a pretty common condition in which areas of the skin feel prickly or sting due to your body overheating. Do you have tiny bumps surrounded by a zone of red skin? It usually occurs on parts of the body which are clothed, such as the back, abdomen, neck, upper chest, groin, or armpits and usually gets better once the skin has cooled. Heat rashes mostly happen in hot, humid conditions. It’s most common in infants, active people, newborns in incubators, and patients confined to bed with fever. Tip: 1. Wear lightweight breathable fabrics. Tip: 2. Avoid heavy creams or ointments to prevent blocked sweat ducts. Dr. Resnik suggests applying Our NO-ITCH LOTION Sooooo soothing. Also Hydrocortisone Cream 2.5% after the Dr. gives counseling on how to use.
2. The Summer SUNBURN…..Really? Yes Really! Because I work for a dermatologist and actually have seen the damage on skin with my very own two eyes caused by SUNBURN, I freak when I see people still baking out in our Florida sun. Baking in the sun is a very bad idea. It looks bad, hurts bad, peels horribly and causes wrinkle-inducing damage. It’s especially bad for kids. Even one blistering burn may double their lifetime risk of melanoma, a serious skin cancer. And it’s totally preventable with Tip 1: a good broad spectrum sunscreen such as Our Ultra Sheer Sunscreen SPF 50+ water resistant 40 minutes. Tip 2: Even better, sunscreen plus Heliocare an oral sun-avoidant supplement. This South American fern extract helps decrease and remove the damage done to the DNA in your skin. It is as close to sunscreen in a pill as we have today, and it is available right here at Resnik Skin Institute. Tip 3: Shade and SPF clothing and or beach gear, but, alas mistakes do happen. So here’s what you should do:
A. Act Quickly if you feel any tingling of a burn or you see any signs of reddening on your skin or your child’s, get out of the sun immediately. Sunburn tends to sneak up on us. It can take four to six hours for the symptoms to develop. Start to apply cold white vinegar compresses to all desired tender areas. Warm showers ONLY with Our Non-Drying Gentle Cleanser.
B. Hydrate: Any burn draws fluid to the skin surface and away from the rest of the body. So drink extra water, juice and sports drinks for a couple of days and watch for signs of dehydration: Dry mouth, thirst, reduced urination, headache, dizziness and sleepiness. Children are especially vulnerable, so check with Dr. Resnik if they appear ill.
C. Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize…to keep peeling at a minimum and don’t pick or peel your skin.
D. Ibuprofen. Take 2 as soon as you see signs of sunburn and keep it up for the next 48 hours. This will help not only with pain but as an anti-inflammatory as well. Some sunburn can cause blisters. If a blistering burn covers 20% or more of your body or your child’s body seek medical attention.
3. Summer ATHELETES FOOT… also known as ringworm and tinea pedis is a fungal infection of the skin that causes scaling, flaking, and itching of affected areas. It is not necessary to be an athlete to get athletes foot. Fungi, either yeasts or molds are a common cause of athlete’s foot. Fungi needs a warm moist environment to flourish and can be found growing on the floors of locker rooms and public showers, in swimming pools and whirlpools. Tip 1: To protect your feet, wear shower shoes, “flip-flops,” or sandals. Tip: 2 These fungi can also be contracted by sharing the shoes or socks of an infected person. Wash your feet daily with soap, and completely dry your feet. Wear socks made of a fabric that dries quickly or keeps moisture away from the skin. Be sure to change your socks every day and sooner if your socks get wet. Tip: 3 During hot summer months, wear sandals or flip-flops this allows your feet to breathe as often as possible. If this is not possible, sprinkle an anti-fungal powder on your feet and inside your shoes or boots. Although the condition typically affects the feet, it can infect or spread to other areas of the body, including the groin, particularly areas of skin that are kept hot and moist, such as with insulation, body heat, and sweat, e.g. in a shoe, for long periods of time. If you have done all you can do and yet your condition persists, its time to enlist the help of your dermatologist… Remember Dr. Resnik is a doctor for Hair, Skin and Nails.
4. Summer INSECT BITES…Mosquitoes!!!!! Have you ever thought that mosquitoes prefer you to the rest of your family and you ask “Why Me?” The short answer is yes. They do prefer certain people over others. The fact is it’s the “Female Mosquito” that has human blood sucking preferences to develop fertile eggs, and apparently not just anyone’s will do. Carbon Dioxide is an attraction she cannot resist. Any type of carbon dioxide is attractive, even over a long distance. Mosquitoes can smell their dinner from an impressive distance of up to 50 meters (that’s 164 ft). This doesn’t fare well for people who emit large quantities of carbon dioxide. Unfortunately larger people tend to give off more carbon dioxide, which is why mosquitoes typically prefer munching on adults to small children. Pregnant women are also at increased risk, as they produce a greater-than-normal amount of exhaled carbon dioxide. Movement and body heat also attract mosquitoes. So next time you are at a family picnic op to sit and lounge back instead of the volley ball court or softball game, where the sweating doesn’t stop, the exhaling of carbon dioxide is at maximum, and the Lactic Acid is exuding from your sweat glands…buzzzzzzzz Got Ya. Tip: 1 Keep those pesky and potentially disease carrying buggers away by applying DEET, which is the most well-known of mosquito repellents but certainly isn’t the only. An alternative to DEET is Picaridin, fairly new to the U.S. it has been used in repelling mosquitoes worldwide since 1998 marketed as Cutter Advanced, picaridin has proven to be as effective as DEET but is said to be more pleasant to use because it is odorless and contains a light, clean feel. Picaridin is safe for children older than 2 months. Tip: 2 The chemical IR3535, better known as Avon’s Skin-So-Soft, also has been marketed as a mosquito repellent in the U.S. in recent years. To date, research shows it’s much less effective than DEET. Then there’s metofluthrin. This new chemical, approved by the EPA in 2006 as a mosquito repellent, “is selling like hotcakes,” Sold as DeckMate Mosquito Repellent, it’s available in two forms. As a paper strip, you place it in outdoor areas like patios and decks. You can also wear it. As a personal repellent product, it comes in a small container with a replaceable cartridge. Clipped onto a belt or clothing, it relies on a battery-powered fan to release the mosquito repellent into the area, surrounding and protecting the wearer. It is not applied to the skin.
Don’t let These Top 4 ruin your wonderful summer.
If you have any questions about this or any other blog I have written please E-mail me at Lina@drresnik.com.
Until next month,
Lina, your Beauty and Skincare Guru