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If you are ready for summer activities in the Southlake area make sure your skin is healthy by seeing if there are any dermatology procedures or precautions that can be done to help you enjoy your summer. If you’re someone who has a history of skin conditions then you’ll want to pay attention to ensure that you are doing all you can to protect yourself from the beating sun and keeping yourself safe for years to come.
The One You Hear About Most
The first thing you may be thinking about to prepare yourself for summer is tanning, but that isn’t a simple dermatology cure all. Tanning on beds before summer has many risks and can actually cause more harm than good. Most professionals do their best to warn their clients that tanning beds can be harmful. They can cause more damage to your skin from the UV radiation in the bulbs and that can lead to things such as wrinkles, loose skin, brown spots, melanoma, and skin cancer. It is not recommended by dermatology experts to use tanning beds.
Sunless tanning, or procedures you may more think of as “spray tans” can be considered safe as they don’t subject your skin to UV lighting so you don’t have excess absorption into your skin. Sunless tanning can be done in a lot of places and does not take that much time to get a coloring you are hoping for. Another big plus is that the cost is generally significantly lower than tanning bed rental, which is great considering the risks you are leaving behind by not using one. The biggest dermatology risks with sunless tanning is that you need to be scrupulous about the ingredients in the bottles. There are no regulations requiring full ingredient disclosure so make sure you research brands of coloring so you know what is in them, and your dermatology specialist may be able to help you.
Preparing for Oily Skin
This one is simple, when it’s hot you sweat. That sweat can then make your skin oily and lead to breakouts or close up your pores. With the amount of sun and the average summer temperatures in the area if you are someone with a history of acne you should reach out for recommended dermatology products that are especially for you. To help prevent breakouts of acne it is recommended that you blot sweat using a clean towel or cloth. They suggest blotting because just wiping can irritate your skin and cause a breakout anyway. It is also recommended that you use oil free products on areas that may breakout like face, back, neck, and chest. The final one is just good hygiene, wash clothes that are sweaty before using them again.
Preparing for Dry Skin
Now we turn around and look at what we can do and what dermatology experts recommend for when your skin dries up in the summer. We just said that sweating leads to oily skin but things like using a chlorinated pool or staying in low humidity air conditioned environments can lead to dry and irritated skin. Professionals have a few tricks to help you. If you are using a pool make sure you shower after use and use mild cleansers. They also, without surprise, recommend sunscreen rated above 30 SPF with water resistance to ensure that pool water isn’t evaporating on your skin and drying it up. If you’re trying to stay ahead of dry skin while in the cool confines of air conditioning carry moisturizer with you and apply it after you wash your hands. It is also suggested to turn your air conditioning temperature up a few degrees to increase the relative humidity some, as air conditioning does dry the home up.
Rashes from the Outdoors
When you think of getting a rash from outdoor activities you probably think of the poisonous plants Ivy, Oak, and Sumac. There is more to the rule of “leaves of three let it be” because that only applies to certain types of Ivy and Oak. Generally poison ivy will have a larger leaf at the end of a sprig and has an oily look to it. For most poison Oak, which aren’t as common in the Southlake area, there are generally three leaves per cluster and they have rough stems. Finally Poison Sumac is generally more of a bush and leaves per stem very wildly, but you can identify them more with the berries that form and the reddish color of the new growth where the leaves are. If you believe you have come into contact with these plants, clean all your clothes and take a shower if possible right away and avoid contact with any surfaces. The more you touch the more the rash will spread. You will want to get in touch with a dermatology specialist as well so you can get advice on what medicine or treatments should be done so you can get over the issue as quickly as possible.
The other big summer rash has nothing to do with plants and all about biology. If you are someone who has had sweat glands blocked from swelling or excessive heat entrapment you may be getting a heat rash. Your dermatology expert may be able to prescribe medicine or treatment therapy to reduce the risk of this but there are some common sense items you can take care of as well. Make sure you wear light-weight and loose fitting clothing during the day. Also try to do outdoor exercises during cooler parts of the day so you don’t overexert yourself. If you have a condition that causes this heat rash try to stay inside in an air conditioned environment.
If you have questions about what summer readiness tips you should be following reach out to the experts at Compassion Dermatology in Southlake. They serve the local area and have tips and procedures you can follow to get your skin through the summer safely.
