jmarkus's blog

All natural, fragrance free, safe for sensitive skin. These are words that we see a lot on beauty products. But what do they really mean? Many assume that using such products is somehow beneficial, but marketing terms may not actually mean what we assume. Here are a few thoughts about common product descriptions and what you need to know about them.

We’ve slathered them with sunscreen all summer and forced them to wear shirts and hats on the beach. Now, as we send them back to school, our kids may be exposed to common skin infections, more likely to break out in groups where they play, roughhouse, and sometimes share personal items.

With concerns about the H1N1 swine flu and other infectious diseases, many schools are adding hand sanitizer to their list of required supplies this year. But this policy leads to several questions: What should we look for when selecting a hand sanitizer? Do these products really work? If they do work, will using them create drug-resistant organisms?

No doubt some of you have seen concerning e-mail reports of children becoming gravely ill after ingesting hand sanitizer. I have two school-aged children, and I decided to find the answers before I set out to buy our school supplies.

While the ideal scenario is to avoid getting mosquito bites in the first place, that’s certainly easier said than done. But here’s a helpful preventive tip: about 30 minutes before you go outside, take Claritin® or Zyrtec® to get antihistamine into your system before your first encounter with a mosquito. I find I have a very mild reaction if I’m bitten, with little swelling, redness, or itching.

Ah, the joys of summer. Time for outdoor activities, picnics, family play – and mosquito bites. For those of us who live in mosquito territory, it can negatively impact our enjoyment of the outdoors.

Mosquitoes can spread disease like West Nile virus, malaria, and dengue fever. The cycle starts with the bite, when a hungry female mosquito pierces the skin to gain access to blood. In the process, she leaves behind saliva, which irritates the skin and causes itching and redness.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer found in humans, and greater than half of all new cancers diagnosed are skin cancers. Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are respectively the first and second most common forms of skin cancer, and nearly half of all Americans who live to age 65 will be diagnosed with one of these types of cancer. These common cancers are usually found in the most sun-exposed parts of the body, appearing in the skin’s top layer as a scaly area or bump that doesn’t heal. They can occasionally bleed. If detected and treated early, these cancers have a greater than 95% cure rate.

Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the greatest cause of the most common skin cancers. UV radiation, in the form of light, can come either from the sun or from indoor tanning beds. Basal cell and squamous cell cancers, by far the most common types of skin cancer, are directly related to the total dose of UV light that the skin receives over a lifetime of exposure.

Dermatologists are very concerned about you and your skin. See this month’s featured articles to understand more about skin cancer and how important early detection can be. And here’s some good news:

Dermatologists throughout the nation will perform free skin cancer screenings during the month of May. There is likely a location near you that will offer more information about the prevention, detection, and treatment of skin cancer, as well as a free examination by a board certified dermatologist. Most of these are advertised in local newspapers or on television stations, but you can also find locations and times here.