derm sd

May is skin cancer awareness month… some of you may have even celebrated Melanoma Monday (the first Monday of May). Pretty soon, we’ll be welcoming summer to sunny San Diego with open arms.

Are you feeling like Casper the ghost as we head out of winter and spring?  Thinking about hitting up the nearest tanning salon to get a pre-summer glow?  DON’T DO IT!! According to The Panama City (FL) News Herald (5/7), “Sunburns and tanning beds are two of the greatest risk factors for melanoma.”  In fact, a column posted in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (5/3) details a 40 year study that showed  the incidence of melanoma in “women ages 18 to 39 increased eight-fold.”

Melanoma, when caught early, can be treated successfully.  However, the article featured in The Panama City (FL) News Herald (5/7) points out that malignant melanoma causes “about 75 percent of all skin cancer fatalities.”  So what can you do to lessen your chances of  getting a skin cancer?

Limit your sun exposure.  Try to avoid prolonged sun exposure during the hours of 10 AM to 4 PM, and absolutely avoid tanning beds!  When you are outdoors, wear protective clothing, such as wide-brimmed hats, rash-guards and sunglasses.  Make sure to apply sunscreen liberally 30 minutes before going outdoors.  We recommend a cream or lotion of SPF 30+ for the first application.  Sprays can be used for re-application throughout the day.  Sunscreen should be re-applied every 1-2 hours.  See your dermatologist regularly for skin checks, or anytime you’re concerned about a spot that won’t go away, or is changing in size, shape, color, or if it is itching or bleeding.

Enjoy the beautiful California sunshine, but do it safely!

We are proud to offer our patients affordable, effective skin care products, and we are pleased to introduce some great new additions:

Derm SD Deep Cleanse-  Deep Cleanse is great for oily and acne prone skin.  It’s tough enough to fight oil, yet gentle enough to remove eye makeup.  This facial cleanser is great for our acneic patients.

Derm SD Rejuvenate-  Rejuvenate is our all natural skin restoration serum.  It can be used alone, or in combination with one of the other serums from our Derm SD line.  Rejuvenate helps combat pigmentation, blotchiness, and photodamage.  It’s a great anti-aging addition to any regimen.

Revision Finishing Touch-  Finishing Touch is a  microdermabrasion facial scrub that gently exfoliates your skin.  It’s exfoliating properties are derived from black volcanic sand and ultra-fine pumice.  Finishing Touch leaves your face feeling clean and smooth.

Derm SD Deep Cleanse

Derm SD Rejuvenate

Revision Finishing Touch

To see our full line of products, stop by the office.  Can’t make it into the office?  No problem!  We can ship all of our products directly to your home or office.

You’ve got out the spring cleaning equipment… don’t forget the laser!

This spring, clean up your skin.  Eliminate brown spots that make skin looked aged with the Qs Alexandrite laser.  For the average patient, one to two treatments result in dramatic results!  Alex laser treatment for brown spots is an easy, effective way to fight back against photodamage!

And with our gorgeous San Diego weather, don’t forget the sunscreen!!

Before treatment with Qs Alexandrite laser

After one treatment with Qs Alexandrite laser

Fighting acne? Traditional therapies not cutting it?  Laser and light treatments have been used successfully for years to reduce acne breakouts, reduce oil production, tighten pores, and reduce depressed, acne scars.  

If you’re new to the idea of lasers to treatment acne, here is a brief description:

Vbeam laser- helps reduce redness 

Smoothbeam laser- reduces sebum (oil) production and to stimulate collagen production to help fill in depressed scars

BLU-U light- targets and kills P. acnes bacteria associated with inflammatory acne

Any of the above treatments can be used alone, or together, to fight acne on virtually any part of the body- safely.  Treatment with the Vbeam and Smoothbeam lasers are safe to do while taking oral antibiotics- in fact, the combination is very succesful. Laser treatment is an effective treatment consideration for those who are opposed to antibiotics or Accutane.   

Before treatment with Vbeam, Smoothbeam and Blu-u light

After three treatments

To learn more about Acne laser treatment and see before and after photos, please visit our webpage: Treating acne with lasers