A Healthy Lifestyle Includes Good Skin Care
It surprises most people to learn that their body’s largest organ is their skin. Skin keeps people healthy and works consistently around the clock to protect the human body.
A good skin care regimen is part of an overall healthy lifestyle, but lots of people don’t think about going to a skin doctor or doctor of dermatology until they have a problem. Whether it happens to be acne, a rash, or a change in the skin that could indicate skin cancer, many people find themselves searching for a dermatologist when such a situation arises because they have never established themselves with a doctor of dermatology. Individuals should note that part of their responsibility in taking care of their overall health involves taking care of their skin.
See the Doctor of Dermatology Annually
Scheduling regular visits with a medical skin care expert (a doctor of dermatology), is the best way to ensure the skin stays healthy throughout one’s lifetime. Doctors of dermatology in Sterling Heights perform regular skin checks on a routine basis for their patients. Most individuals elect to have the skin check done one time per year, but patients who have spent a lot of time in the sun, have a family history of skin cancer, or have had severe sunburns in their lifetime may elect to see their dermatologist for a skin check more frequently.
Getting Established with a Doctor of Dermatology in Grosse Pointe
Visiting the dermatologist for a baseline appointment is advisable for everyone—even for toddlers. By having a Grosse Pointe dermatologist examine the body’s largest organ—the skin—a baseline check will aid in spotting any changes that occur down the road.
Known for identifying and treating skin cancer, a Sterling Heights doctor of dermatology can help with so much more. There are a myriad of other conditions that affect the skin, hair, and nails. A dermatology clinic in Sterling Heights is the place to go for any of the following conditions:
- Skin cancer
- Moles
- Nail fungus
- Skin discoloration
- Skin growths
- Skin allergies
- Hives
- Skin infections
- Itching
- Spider veins
- Excessive sweating
- Sun damage
- Hair loss
- Warts
- Ringworm
- Rashes
A Person’s Skin Tells All
Looking at a person’s skin reveals to the general population how healthy they are, how old they are, and whether or not they take care of themselves. Lots of life choices impact a person’s skin, including alcohol consumption, diet, exercise, personal hygiene, stress level, sun safety, smoking, and hydration to name a few. Making healthy choices in life is one way to keep the skin looking good, and getting established at an early age with a Sterling Heights dermatologist is advisable to combat any issues that may come up with the skin in the future.
Age Spots – One of the most Notable Signs of Aging
Age spots, liver spots, sun warts, no matter what they’re called, these types of brown, pigmented marks on the skin are pretty undesirable, especially when in prominent places like the forehead or hands. Lots of people think they’re just an inevitable part of aging, and that there’s no alternative other than to “live with them.” This couldn’t be further from the truth. Doctors of dermatology in Grosse Pointe see many patients with these types of age spots that seem to erupt with more birthdays.
Can Age Spots be Prevented?
Melanin is a skin pigment that provides human skin, eyes and hair their color. Individuals with a darker skin tone have more melanin in their skin as opposed to people with a lighter skin tone. Melanin provides the human body some protection against the harmful effects of sun exposure. Age spots and freckles are small, concentrated areas on the skin that result from increased melanin production. Doctors of dermatology do not have conclusive information about why age spots and freckles develop, but sun exposure or being exposed to ultraviolet (UV) rays via tanning salons are possible causes. It’s no surprise that the parts of the body that receive more sun exposure tend to have a higher concentration of age spots, but it’s not unheard of to develop them even where the sun doesn’t shine.
Safe Skin Care Practices Can Help
Protection from the sun is critical for all individuals. No matter how old a person is, or what their race is, it is important to start protecting the skin. Sterling Heights dermatologists recommend applying sunscreen every day, with an SPF of 30 or higher. Doctors of dermatology also remind their patients that it’s important to reapply sunscreen every two to three hours, and that step is often overlooked.
Another way to protect the skin is by wearing sun-protective clothing. Lots of clothing is now readily available that has the ability to reduce sunburn-causing ultraviolet rays. Such clothing is rated with an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) similar to the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) used to rate sunscreen.
Speaking of clothing, don’t forget the hat! Covering the head with a ball cap or a wide-brimmed hat can go a long way in protecting the skin from sun exposure. Especially when people have light-colored hair, thinning hair, or a bald scalp, wearing a hat and using sunscreen on the head, neck, ears and forehead is extremely important.
Are Age Spots Permanent?
Removing age spots is actually a pretty simple process. There are easy methods to treat and eliminate these troublesome spots for good. Rather that put up with age spots, lots of people visit a doctor of dermatology to remove them.
Bleaching creams for the skin are readily available over the counter, and these creams will help age spots fade, but it is very doubtful they will disappear entirely—especially if they have a lot of dark pigment present, and if they have been on the skin for some time.
Dermatology clinics in Sterling Heights are able to write prescriptions for creams that will fade these spots and make them less noticeable. Another option is for patients to have the doctor of dermatology perform a procedure that will remove them for good. Setting up a consultation with a dermatologist in Sterling Heights is the first step in learning about the options available for patients who seek to rid themselves of these unsightly age spots.
People who get these dark spots many times have more than one. Doctors of dermatology in Grosse Pointe recommend that patients who hate seeing these spots on their skin make an appointment to remove them when they first erupt rather than waiting. Age spots often grow thicker with age, making the removal process more complex. Dermatology clinics in Grosse Pointe have a high success rate of removing these spots, and the sooner they are treated, the easier they are to remove.
Cryosurgery is a removal method that uses liquid nitrogen. The doctor of dermatology applies this very cold gas with a spray gun, or topically with a cotton swab. Once the liquid nitrogen comes into contact with the age spot, it forms a blister, and ends up drying into a scab, which will eventually fall off, leaving the skin free of the spot.
Curettage is another method used by doctors of dermatology, which involves numbing the skin with local anesthetic and scraping the spot off, and then cauterizing it.
Both of these methods of treatment get rid of these undesirable spots, and provide patients with clearer, younger-looking skin. These growths may keep appearing, so staying vigilant about visiting a Grosse Pointe doctor of dermatology regularly to keep up with removal is advisable. If a person waits too long to deal with them, there can be so many spots that the removal would be very time consuming, and the scabbing over and healing part of the recovery could encompass a large portion of the skin, and take a lot longer to heal not to mention the chance of an infection.
People simply don’t have to live with bothersome age spots. Sterling Heights dermatologists readily partner with patients to remove these telltale signs of aging. Scheduling an appointment is the first step in taking charge of removing unsightly growths. People may think they have to just live with age spots, but there truly is a fix, and the doctor of dermatology is the answer.