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The Best and Worst Holiday Foods for Your Skin Health 🥧ðŸ¥â€¢Ã°Å¸«

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Holiday parties mean decorations, dressing up, and all sorts of indulgent dishes. Most health-conscious adults know they should watch finger foods and heavy entrees for sodium, saturated fat, and overall excess calories. However, did you know that what you put on your plate can also transform your skin’s health and appearance?
To help you protect your complexion and make healthy decisions at the buffet table, we’ve rounded up a dermatologist-approved list of the best and worst holiday foods (and drinks).
The Worst
  • Creamy dips: The dairy in these can boost androgen, a hormone that increases oil production.
  • Chips, pretzels, or other salty snacks: Excess sodium causes skin to puff up, reduces radiance, and makes fine lines more noticeable.
  • Cookies, pie, and other desserts: Refined sugar releases free radicals in the body, which diminish the skin’s elasticity and damage it overall.
  • Alcoholic drinks: In general, alcohol dries out the complexion, increases the risk of acne, and disrupts restorative sleep, but the antioxidants in red wine can actually help to protect the skin—as long as you don’t overdo it!
  • Eggnog: Eggnog combines all the hazards of dairy, sugar, and alcohol, with the added disadvantage of high fat content, which can prompt your skin to supply more oil.
The Best
  • Crudités: Carrots, in particular, have beta carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin C, all antioxidants that defend skin against free radical damage and sun damage.
  • Fish: The omega-3 fatty acids in fish promote collagen production and boost skin’s elasticity.
  • Mixed nuts: Nuts contain both antioxidants and omega-3s, but watch out for nut mixes that overuse sugar or salt.
  • Salads with leafy greens: Not only do leafy greens pack an antioxidant punch, but they also fight inflammation and promote good digestion.
  • Cocoa: Again, it’s all about the antioxidants in dark chocolate, but be careful of eating too much sugar.
Of course, it won’t destroy your complexion if you eat an indulgent meal once in a blue moon. Most people do over the holidays! Just be sure that your diet is healthy overall, and your skin will thank you. That said, a healthy diet alone won’t guarantee good skin health. To truly protect your complexion, you should schedule a skin check at least once a year. Our nationally renowned dermatologists, including current and former American Academy of Dermatology board members, are ready to listen to your concerns and help you make smart choices. Happy holidays, and enjoy the food and your good health!

We Did It! ☀️ We Told Skin Cancer to Take a Hike!

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This past Saturday, West Dermatology and 300+ team and community members participated in hikes we held in California, Nevada, and Arizona to send a message: We can prevent skin cancer—and save lives—through education and encouraging healthy habits.
Through our three hikes, we raised more than $65,900 (Yea!) for free skin cancer screenings, new shade structures, new sunscreen dispensers at large outdoor areas, and educating the public on the importance of skin cancer detection and prevention. To put this in the proper perspective, via the leadership of Dr. Kimberly Butterwick, Dr. Paul English, Tom Powell, Veronica Rooney, Minerva Navarette, Henry Whitehair and many other committed team members, our collective efforts resulted in the second-highest contribution to the American Academy of Dermatology in the entire United States!
As a community of healers, nothing is more important to us than disease prevention and early treatment. That commitment is especially important right now, since men’s death rates from melanoma have shot up around the world, and an estimated 9,000 US adults will die from melanoma this year. Both Chris Kane, our CEO, and Dr. Kimberly J. Butterwick, one of our nationally recognized dermatologists, gave rousing remarks that reminded everyone of what’s at stake—and the bright future we’ll have if we take action now.
Skin cancer is a serious topic, of course, but the fundraiser still made space for fun. Designated sunscreen sprayers with hot pink signs sprayed hikers and passersby, so participants could treat their own skin as they protected the health of others. As a bonus, some hikers won prizes from the dermatologist-recommended skincare brands SkinCeuticals and EltaMD. And everyone went home with a goodie bag full of sun safety products from Heliocare, SkinMedica, Colorescience, La Roche-Posay, Coppertone, EltaMD, and ALASTIN Skincare.
Most importantly, the hike met its aim: helping people in underserved communities, including kids, live longer and healthier lives. The funds raised will allow doctors to teach sun-smart habits and clear a path to early treatment for people from all walks of life—which saves lives about 97% of the time! We’re confident that we, along with our community, made a difference. Thank you to everyone who donated!

The Burning Truth About Base Tans!

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Sounds silly when we say it out loud, doesn’t it?
We’ve all been there – a tropical getaway is coming up and it has been a while since our skin has been exposed to that much sunlight (and we refuse to look like a lobster on day 2 of our vacation). So, we start preparing our skin for heavy sun exposure with…more sun exposure.
Sounds silly when we say it out loud doesn’t it? That’s because base tanning in the sun or worse, in a tanning bed, is really just exposing our skin to twice the amount of skin cancer causing UV rays. Protecting ourselves from skin cancer by tanning is like preventing lung cancer by smoking.
You aren’t fooling the sun!
Sunburns come in all kinds of colors, not just red. Your skin’s production of pigment (regardless of the color) from UV damage is simply an attempt to protect itself. 
So, that bronzed tan you had been working on all summer long could have been just as harmful as a stereotypical blistery, pink one.
The more sun exposure, the more skin damage.
A base sun tan is only equal to about 2 SPF and one from a tanning bed is equal to even less, so it’s doing more harm than good.
When you have a nice tan going and your skin ins’t giving you any visible signs of sun damage, it is also easy to forget about applying and reapplying sunscreen which can then lead to even more harmful sun exposure.
We encourage you to ditch the base tanning all together and make this fall an excuse to explore healthy alternatives to baking in the sun. Click here to learn more!

ðŸÅ  You Are What You Eat ðŸÅ …so don’t be fast, cheap, easy or fake ðŸÅ¸Ã°Å¸â€

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Most of us have a basic understanding of what would make a healthy food choice. We understand that fast food probably isn’t the best option when it comes to our overall well-being. We’re aware that eating an apple a day really does keep the doctor away ðŸÅ½…but french friends (Correction: *FRIES) likely do not ðŸÅ¸ But do we ever stop to think about how the food we eat affects the appearance of our skin? Well, cliche or not, we are most definitely what we eat! Especially when it comes to our skin!
Your cardiologist advises you to steer clear of fried chicken, but what would your dermatologist say?
Dr. Lorrie Klein, a colleague and board-certified dermatologist at OC Dermatology says “Basically, there are no specific right or wrong foods. For example, the old wives tale of chocolate causing acne is only true for a very small percentage of people. Some foods do produce inflammation in some people however, such as dairy products, fried foods and refined sugars. These should be avoided if a person notices that it flares up their acne, rosacea, psoriasis, eczema, etc. Otherwise, I recommend a healthy diet in general for everyone, which is great for the entire body, not just the skin.”
In addition to that, we wanted to drop some basic knowledge on these common food products that cause inflammation and how they often affect our complexion:

Dairy ðŸ¥â€º

The exact mechanism in dairy that contributes to bad skin is still unclear, but one theory is that it increases a hormone that ramps up oil production in our skin. Excess oil production is an increased potential for breakouts. We’re not saying eliminate it completely, but dairy in moderation is certainly key.

Caffeine ☕

While coffee has many benefits, too much caffeine can dehydrate the body. When our skin is dehydrated, that causes inflammation and collagen loss. In addition to that, dehydration means we do not have enough water flushing our system and that toxic build up can lead to breakouts. We all need a little caffeine boost before the busy day ahead, we get it! Just make sure you’re balancing with enough water to ensure your body and skin is staying hydrated.

Refined Sugar 🍭

If it’s bad for your waistline, chances are it’s not great for the complexion either. When you ingest sugar, our bodies break it down into glucose, which raises insulin levels. When insulin levels are spoked, that leads to inflammation. Inflammation produces enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, a.k.a. your glowing, youthful skin.

Salty Foods ðŸÅ¸

Ever wake up feeling a little puffy around the eyes? It happens to us all! It’s important to know that too much salt causes our bodies to retain water, which leads to swelling. It’s also important to realize that sodium decreases the amount of water intake of our internal organs, like too much caffeine. And when our organs are thirsty, they pull the water out of our skin. And when our skin is thirsty, well, I think you’re starting to get the picture.
It’s tricky to know or say what to eat and what not to eat, however, our expert board-certified dermatologists will all attest that a well-rounded diet will better support that glowy, dewy complexion we all strive for. “I typically recommend an anti-inflammatory diet. It has been shown to help psoriasis and acne in addition to other inflammatory conditions. Although, it is not the only treatment I recommend, good nutrition is a nice adjunct to the health of your body and ultimately your skin.” -Dr. Lisa Zaleski-Larsen, DO FAAD, ABVLM dipl in Hillcrest.
What’s an anti-inflammatory diet? We’re so glad you asked! Ã°Å¸Ëœâ€° It’s a simple swap from sugary, processed foods to whole, natural and nutrient-rich foods. What does this look like? You ask the best questions! Adding in foods is way easier than eliminating so here’s a quick list of foods you can start introducing to the grocery cart:

Dark Leafy Greens ðŸ¥â€”Kale, spinach, collards, basil, broccoli, arugula and more.

Antioxidants ðŸâ€™ Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, green tea and dark chocolate.

Healthy Fats ðŸ¥â€˜ Salmon, avocado, olive oil, nuts, seeds, eggs and more!

Skin types vary from person to person so it’s important to have a Board-Certified Dermatologist assess your skin in-person so they can recommend the best treatment plan that is customized to YOU!

Request an Appointment TODAY!

Sunblock Was So 7 Years Ago!

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Sunblock was so 7 years ago!

Although the words sunblock and sunscreen are often used interchangeably, the term “sunblock” was actually banned by the FDA in 2011.
If we really think about it, sunblock is definitely a false claim since no sunscreen completely blocks UV radiation. Sunscreen manufacturers have since been forced to modify the language they use on their sunscreen bottles, which is a good thing as it gives consumers more realistic expectations of their product’s effectiveness.
But, where did the phrase sunblock come from in the first place? Technically, the distinguishing factors were the ingredients…mineral based products being sunblock and chemical based products being sunscreen.

What do they really mean?

If my sunscreen bottle says that it prevents sunburn, doesn’t that mean that it prevents skin cancer too? We’re afraid not. A change in pigmentation (regardless of a burn or tan) is always a sign that the skin is reacting to potentially damaging UV radiation.
  • Water resistant, not waterpoof. Under FDA’s new guidelines, sunscreen bottles can also no longer claim to be waterpoof since sunscreens are only water resistant for a certain length of time. This means that the level of SPF mentioned on the bottle is no longer effective after the specified amount of time has passed.
  • Speaking of SPF…we buy an SPF 30+ sunscreen because that’s what we’ve been taught to do, but what does it actually mean? SPF stands for ‘sun protection factor’ and determines the percentage of UVB rays that it protects against. For example, an SPF 30 sunscreen protects you from 97 percent of UVB rays (the rays that cause sunburn). However, an SPF 50 sunscreen only protects you from 1% more UVB rays than an SPF 30 does so, moral of the story, no sunscreen protects you from 100% of UVB rays.
  • Does it say Broad Spectrum? We know SPF protects against those UVB rays that cause sunburn, but we often forget about those UVA rays that cause skin damage/wrinkles. Broad Spectrum sunscreens contain ingredients that protect from both.
  • Reapply, reapply, reapply. Regardless, it is so important that you apply sunscreen 30 minutes before exposure and then reapply every 2 hours (depending on what your sunscreen recommends) to maximize effectiveness.

What’s actually inside?

Let’s start with your most common, chemical based sunscreens typically found in grocery stores and pharmacies (often transparent and spray-on). Typically using a combination of UVB and UVA absorbing chemicals, these sunscreens produce a film on the skin to reduce UV penetration. These products take approximately 20 minutes to begin working and should be generously reapplied every 1.5 to 2 hours to maximize effectiveness.
Now for the mineral based sunscreens, which are sometimes not so transparent. With natural ingredients like zinc oxide, this sunscreen sits on the skin as it works to reflect sun rays and can sometimes appear as a white layer on the skin. Similar to chemical sunscreens, they should be reapplied as directed on the bottle to ensure effectiveness. Mineral based sunscreens are commonly recommended by dermatologists because they are often friendlier to sensitive skin.
As valuable as all of this information truly is, please remember…
All SPF 30+ Broad Spectrum sunscreens are better than no sunscreen!

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