| The Health and Beauty of Our Skin |
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Tonya S. McLeod MD, MPH, MD As the largest organ in the body, the skin was designed to help us maintain our health and outward beauty. Temperature regulation, sensory stimulation and protection are the three functions that make the skin so vital to our day to day living. Temperature regulation is accomplished by distributing heat throughout the skin and preventing dehydration. Sensory stimulation can be interpreted through the skin such as touch, pressure, heat, cold and pain. And last, protection from environmental elements, such as ultraviolet radiation (UV) from the sun, bacteria, viruses and other toxins, is also a key component to complete skin health.The stain resistant and waterproof nature of skin lends itself to easier and better care, however the importance of our skin is both misunderstood and undervalued and therefore often abused. Curiously, skin is gender specific based on the male predominant hormone, testosterone and the female predominant hormone, estrogen. Testosterone stimulates oil production and facial hair while estrogen promotes increased collagen and skin moisture. In general, these subtle gender differences leave women at a slight disadvantage as women have thinner and drier skin that makes them more vulnerable to wrinkles and environmental elements such as sun damage. There is some gender overlap in function, as skin has the ability to convert a small amount of testosterone to estrogen in men and the ovaries produce a small amount of testosterone until menopause in women, which can accentuate the signs of aging after menopause due to the reduction of both estrogen and testosterone. Good skin health starts with basic daily routine hygiene using mild soaps to bathe and applying a daily moisturizer all over the body to damp skin immediately after the bath or shower. Applying your moisturizer in this fashion will assist your skin in maintaining or sealing in moisture to achieve overall more youthful, softer supple skin. A daily facial moisturizer that contains sunscreen of at least a 30 SPF that covers both UVA and UVB is cornerstone in the prevention of skin cancers as well as slowing down the progression of fine lines and aging. As a general rule sunscreen of at least 30 SPF, covering both UVA and UVB should be used daily all year around on all areas not covered by clothing. Even in the winter months there is enough UV radiation that could cause sun damage which can lead to sun spots, premature aging, pre- skin cancers and skin cancers. If you are engaging in outdoor activities you should plan to reapply your sunscreen every two hours, as it does wear off. If your are swimming or sweating you should plan to reapply even more often. Companies that manufacture moisturizers are finally listening to the dermatology community and are now marketing facial as well and body moisturizers that contain adequate amounts of sunscreen for daily routine use. Taking skin health a step further, monthly surveillance and self skin checks along with annual clinical skin checks performed by a dermatologist can provide for early detection of skin cancer. Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States. Skin cancer affects every aspect of the population including individuals with skin of color. In fact of the three most common types of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma, of which melanoma is the most serious and potentially deadly type, it is also the most common of the three to affect skin of color. During a monthly surveillance or self skin check you should look for new or changing lesions that exhibit the classic ABCD changes. A stands for asymmetrical lesions, B stands for lesions with irregular borders, C stands for variations of color within one lesion and D stands for large or growing diameter. Tonya McLeod MD, MPH, MBA 5815 Blakeney Park Drive Suite 100 Charlotte, NC 28277 (704) 542-2220 (phone) (704) 941-5544 (mobile) "The love of learning should be a lifelong passion" |