The Dermatology Blog

My skin is dry. I know, I know, I’m a dermatologist, but it’s not my fault — I went home for the holidays. Read more…

Summertime lends itself to showing a lot more skin. There are plenty of opportunities for checking out that mole on your back while you are walking around in spaghetti strap tops. In wintertime, your skin often doesn’t see the light of day, so you might be unaware of a suspicious mole on your back that is fully covered by a heavy sweater. Read more…

Are you using up your moisturizer within two weeks? If not, you might not be applying enough. Read more…

Cold, dry air and indoor heating make winter the season for dry skin. It’s more important now than any other time of year to protect your skin from dryness. The first way to do this is to limit the damage you do to your skin everyday. Some things, like the weather, you cannot control. But, some of the things you do everyday to your skin might be making already dry skin much worse. One area where you can make a big difference is in the shower. Read more…

Should I use different moisturizers for different body parts?

Yes. You wouldn’t use shampoo to wash your hands, so don’t use the same moisturizer on your face that you use on your feet.

• For your face, which is more delicate and often less tolerant to heavy moisturizers, try Oil of Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum for women and L’Oreal Men’s Expert Hydra-Power Invigorating Moisturizer for men.

• For your hands, which take the brunt of harsh, cold weather and excessive hand washing to prevent catching the flu, use a cream that contains dimethicone (silicone). Eucerin Plus Intensive Repair Hand Creme moisturizes well and isn’t greasy, so your keyboard won’t get sticky when you blog. Have multiple tubes (for your purse, office, and home) so you won’t forget to reapply every time you wash your hands. Don’t forget to massage the cream into your nails which also get dry and brittle.

• For the body, my patients have had success with Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing Cream, made with colloidal oatmeal, an ingredient that helps hold in moisture.

• For dry, cracked feet, use a moisturizer that contains a mild acid, such as lactic acid which softens thick, scaly skin. My patients like AmLactin Cream.

What is the best way to moisturize?

• Shower or bathe in comfortably warm, not hot water.
• Use a mild cleanser such as Dove instead of soap. I can’t tell you how often patients’ dry skin is caused by some “natural” or “organic” soap. Unless these soaps are specifically designated as moisturizing, they are often too drying for your skin in the winter.
• Pat dry with a towel, leaving your skin damp.
• Apply cream to your damp skin, locking in moisture. Doing this everyday will significantly relieve your dry, itchy skin in just a week’s time.

What is the best way to moisturize during an economic recession?

OK. So maybe we aren’t in a recession just yet, but skin care products can be prohibitively expensive. If you are moisturizing properly, then you could easily use 5 ounces each week. That means you could use up one Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing Cream every two weeks!

Simple petroleum jelly (Vaseline Ointment) — it might be old-school, but it works.

Use a thin coat right after the shower. You can blot excess with your towel. Some patients like to use it only at bedtime since it can mark your clothing.