All skin is not created equally....MEN VS WOMEN

Men and Women Skin Are Not Created Equal

Men’s skin is different from female.  The biggest difference between male and female skin is due to male sex hormones known as androgens.  The main androgen is testosterone.  Although females also produce testosterone, males produce 10X more than females.  Beginning with middle age, testosterone levels steadily decline every year.

Male skin is oilier due to more sebaceous oil glands and more sebum production.  The big upsurge in testosterone during puberty causes an increase in oil secretion and sebum production.  Men using anabolic steroids, a testosterone-like substance, can develop “steroid acne.”  Sebum is produced by the sebaceous gland.  This provides a perfect breeding ground for the bacteria Proprionibacterium acnes.  The presence of this bacteria and excess pore-clogging sebum contributes to acne.  Sebum in the sebaceous glands also causes more inflammation in males.  Acne in young males is more severe than females.  By young adulthood, most men normalize their oil production.  However the damage from the inflammation can cause acne scarring.  At Southside Dermatology we have specific products to improve oily skin and acne.  At Southside Dermatology we understand that the type, nature and severity of acne/acne scars are different between individuals.  This is why we offer different modalities to treat acne  and acne scarring including medical treatments and procedures, minor surgical procedures, chemical peels, microdermabrasion and lasers. 

Men’s skin is thicker due to a denser and firmer elastin and collagen network.  This is why males tend to age at a later stage than females.  Denser, thicker facial hair growth on men also protects them from the damages of the sun.  The damaging UV rays are not able to penetrate as much to the skin dermis to cause collagen degradation.  Fair-skinned men with finer hair will display photo-damage more easily than darker haired men.  Because men tend to age at a later age they do not tend to think about protecting their skin at an earlier age.  They do not think about sunscreens use.  This may be why American men have a greater incidence of skin cancers than women.  Men also have a higher death rate due to melanoma, the deadliest of the skin cancers.  Men should be encouraged to use sunscreen at a younger age not to just prevent aging but to prevent skin cancers.

Men can have sensitive skin.  The top layers of the skin contain a mixture of ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids to impede water loss.  Testosterone can have negative effects on epidermal barrier function.    Increase in epidermal water loss can lead to dry, flaky skin.  Older men are also not able to heal their skin wounds as quickly as women.  This is why it is important for men’s skin care to be formulated to effectively protect the epidermal barrier and to replace moisture.

Men tend to have darker, coarser facial and body hair.  Facial hair is thicker than scalp hair and have a flatter shaped follicle, making it curlier.  The curlier hair can reenter the skin, causing inflammation, razor burns, and ingrown hairs.   Darker ethnic men may also experience bumps due to these ingrown hairs.  This condition is called PseudofolliculitisBarbae (PFB).  The skin sees the ingrown hairs as a foreign body and will initiate a foreign body response causing redness, itching, irritation and keloids.  Ingrown hairs can be the result of shaving against the direction of growth or shaving too close.

Men’s lifestyles also effect their skin.  Men tend to spend more time in the sun, get less sleep, and experience more stress.  Men also tend to more likely have a history of smoking.  These extrinsic aging factors can greatly accelerate skin aging with deeper facial lines and creases.  During the middle aged years they start experiencing a decline in their testosterone levels.  They lose more collagen at a rapid rate after the age of 30 then women.

How can you slow down this aging process? 

• ·       Protect your skin from the sun.
• ·       Do not smoke.
• ·       Avoid stress.
• ·       Eat a healthy diet.
• ·       Make sure you drink a sufficient amount of water daily.
• ·       Use a good moisturizer every day.
• ·       Get a good night’s rest.

At Southside Dermatology we offer products and procedures specifically targeted towards creating natural and healthy skin for men.  Our products have the necessary ingredients to help moisturize, exfoliate and protect your skin.  Our procedures produce natural looking results with minimal down time. 

Procedures that we offer for men:

• ·       Chemical Peels
• ·       Microdermabrasion
• ·       Photodynamic Therapy
• ·       Photofacial (Photorejuvenation)
• ·       Botox (“Brotox”)
• ·       Fillers (skin rejuvenation, wrinkle treatment, face contouring; natural looking)
• ·       Laser hair removal (can be used to treat PFB)
• ·       Lasers for blood vessels and brown spots
• ·       Treatment for acne scarring (different modalities)
• ·       Pelleve (non-invasive procedure for eye wrinkles)
• ·       Thermage
• ·       Ultherapy (skin lifting and tightening…. sagging jowl, sagging foreheads and brows, jawline definition, neck tightening)

Please call 904-880-0622 for a free consultation with one of our skin care experts.

FDA Strengthens Warnings on Tanning Beds

By Toni Clarke | Reuters 

Washington (Reuters) May 06 - Tanning beds and sunlamps will be required to carry stronger warning labels under new regulations proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is also recommending the machines not be used by people under the age of 18.

The FDA said on Monday that it plans to reclassify sunbeds from low-risk to moderate-risk products, meaning they will need to be cleared by the agency before being allowed onto the market.

Faulty equipment has led to patients being burned or exposed to too much radiation, Jeffrey Shuren, director of the FDA's center for devices and radiological health, said in an interview.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Basal cell and squamous cell cancer, the two most common forms, are generally curable; but melanoma, the third most common type, is deadly.

In 2009, the most recent year numbers are available, 61,646 people in the United States were diagnosed with melanoma and 9,199 people died, according to the CDC.

The FDA's proposed regulations stop short of recommendations made by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, which in 2009 concluded that commercial tanning devices were more dangerous than previously thought and recommended people under 18 be banned from using them.

The FDA's regulations also stop short of new rules being developed by some U.S. states.

More than 30 states regulate the use of tanning facilities to differing degrees. Delaware, New Hampshire and North Dakota, for example, ban the use of indoor tanning by anyone under age 14 unless medically necessary and they require parental consent for those between the ages of 14 and 18.

Some states, including Georgia, Illinois and Maine, ban tanning beds for children under the age of 14, and eighteen states require tanning bed operators to limit exposure time to a manufacturers' recommendations and provide eye protection.

In January 2012, California became the first state to ban tanning beds for all people under 18.

The Indoor Tanning Association argues vigorously that the decision on whether a teen is allowed to suntan is one for parents, not government, and it supports parental consent. But it is fighting the growing number of states issuing bans.

"Is the next step to ban teens from sun bathing at public beaches and pools?" the association asked in a statement last year in opposition to New Jersey's proposal to ban tanning bed use for those under 17.

"You also have to consider the health risks associated with banning teenagers from using tanning salons," it said. "They will just go outside with no adult supervision and no trained staff where they are much more likely to get sunburned."

The FDA's actions follow a 2010 meeting of a federal advisory panel which unanimously recommended that the agency reclassify tanning devices. Panelists had mixed views on whether to implement a ban on minors.

An estimated 5.6% of U.S. adults reported indoor tanning at least once in 2010, with the highest rates among white, female 18 to 25-year-olds, according to the CDC, which notes that frequent exposure to UV rays for people under the age of 35 increases the risk of developing melanoma by 75%.

"For right now our proposal tries to focus on providing better information for consumers," Shuren said, "including a warning on the tanning beds themselves that they shouldn't be used in people under 18," he said.

Depending on the feedback the agency receives to its proposal, it may make changes to the final order, he said.

Ultherapy comes to Southside Dermatology

Ultherapy in Jacksonville

 The Non-invasive Solution to Lift, Tighten and Tone Skin on the Face and Neck

It’s been featured on national television shows such as Rachael Ray, The View and The Doctors. It’s been touted by big-name beauty editors from Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Shape and more…

It’s Ultherapy, a non-surgical face and neck treatment that uses ultrasound to actually lift and tone loose skin -- on the brow, on the neck and under the chin -- without any downtime. And, it’s offered here in Jacksonville at Southside Dermatology.

Ultherapy Uses Ultrasound?

That’s right! Ultherapy is the only cosmetic procedure to use ultrasound imaging, which allows us to actually see the layers of tissue we target during the treatment, to ensure that the energy is delivered precisely to where it will be most effective.

Leveraging this tried-and-true technology, we can specifically target the deep foundation below the skin – the one typically addressed in cosmetic surgery – without cutting or disrupting the surface of the skin. That means after a 90-minute non-invasive treatment, you’ll be able to return to your everyday life without interruptions…and, without hiding behind those “post-treatment” glasses or scarves.  

Ultherapy Creates Collagen and Elastin Naturally

Ultherapy is so unique because it refreshes your collagen by jumpstarting a repair process. It relies on the body’s own regenerative process to stimulate the natural creation of new collagen and elastin – yes, new collagen and elastin. This results in an actual lift of skin overtime – and just better-fitting skin.

Many people notice an immediate effect following the treatment, but the ultimate lifting and toning takes place over 2-3 months, as tired collagen is replaced with new, stronger collagen. And, as this collagen-building process continues, further improvements can even appear up to 6 months following a procedure!

Ultherapy – an Uplift not a Facelift

 Ultherapy is a non-surgical option for people with mild to moderate skin laxity – those who want some lifting for skin that has lost elasticity, but are not ready for surgery, either mentally, financially or logistically. It’s also a great option for those who want to “stay ahead of the game” as well as those looking to prolong the effects of cosmetic surgery.

Ultherapy may cause some discomfort while the energy is being delivered, but it is temporary and a positive signal that the collagen-building process has been initiated. Of course, we offer a number of options to help make your Ultherapy treatment as comfortable as possible. Our patients who’ve had Ultherapy typically leave comfortable and excited about the benefits to come!

Ask us if Ultherapy is right for you!

If you’re looking for a lift to counter the effects that gravity takes over time, it may be just the treatment you’ve been waiting for.