Basic Things You Should Know About Your Skin

There are a few things that everyone should know about skin

1. Skin Cancer Risk

Sun damage is cumulative from the very beginning.
Sun exposure and sunburns, particularly before age 20, are a risk factor for skin cancer and especially melanoma.
               Teaching children about sun safety and skin cancer prevention is of utmost importance.
               Sun light avoidance should be practiced during the peak hours between 10 am and 4 pm.
                Sunblock should be used regularly and reapplied often, particularly if swimming or sweating.
               Any new or changing lesion on the skin needs to be examined by a dermatologist.
              People with fair skin, light colored eyes and hair are most susceptible to skin cancer BUT it can and does happen in every skin type.
              80% of everything we consider aging changes on the skin (sallowness, wrinkles, loss of elasticity, etc) is due to sun damage.That way your eyes are familiar with everything on your skin and will be able to pick up new or changing lesions.
                     After age twelve, see your dermatologist once a year for a full body skin examination.Please do not use any of the "natural" skin mole removal products available on the internet.
                 First of all, you don't know what you are removing and whether it is benign or not. Second, these products leave awful scars.

2. Basic Skin Care

Avoid things that dry and irritate the skin, such as fragrances and dyes in soaps, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, etc.

particularly during the cold months when the air is hot and dry inside and cold and dry outside.Washcloths, loofahs, sponges or anything that abrades the skin will contribute to skin dryness.

Not everyone needs moisturizers or toners as the cosmetics companies will have us believe.

There is no use for a moisturizer for oily skin. And using a toner that dries your skin and then a moisturizer afterwards makes little sense.

Don't squeeze out pimples. That contributes to scarring.

Topical medications that contain neomycin, bacitracin, lidocaine, diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and vitamin E can cause allergic reactions in a significant number of people

Applying vitamin E on scars does not improve scar appearance and may even worsen it according to studies.

Make sure to check yourself, kids and pets for ticks after being outdoors. Ask your doctor if the tick can be sent to the lab to be analyzed.

I am sure I will come up with other thoughts on the subject and will update this list. Thanks for sharing your wonderful time with me.