Accutane—easing the side effects

There can (and probably will be) many reactions from taking Accutane, or any drug really. In this case, I hope the following information will help ease any effects you may be experiencing if you are indeed taking the acne medication Accutane. Take care to treat any symptoms that you can so you will be more comfortable during the time you are on this drug. And please contact your prescribing doctor if you have any questions about the side effects you are experiencing. Don’t be shy!

If you think you have cheilitis (inflammation of the lips, usually concentrated around the corners of the mouth, common with Accutane use) or another severe lip condition, I recommend calling your dermatologist and informing him or her of this occurrence. Your doctor can prescribe a potent medication to help get rid of this uncomfortable skin problem. Keeping a non-petroleum lip balm constantly on the area will help to ease the dryness. Try not to lick your lips as this will just further the problem. For women, not wearing lipstick would help keep the lips from drying out as well.

Chapped, flaky skin is something you will probably have to contend with while on Accutane. It is the most common side effect from taking this drug. Using gentle exfoliators will help to keep the dead skin from getting out of hand. I highly recommend using body oils (vs. lotions) to keep the skin on your body from getting too flaky and dry. Generally, you want to keep your skin well lubricated to keep the dryness down to a minimum.

Dry eyes can be soothed by using eye drops. Dry skin inside your nose can be helped by either putting some cream there or better yet an oil or balm. Balms are thicker than oils or creams and have better sticking power.

If you are experiencing excessive peeling of the palms and soles, brittle nails, or inflammation of the nailbeds, I would recommend getting a manicure and/or pedicure. This might seem like an extravagance, but these services can really help relieve the symptoms you may be experiencing on your hands and feet. If you can’t afford one of these nail services, at least get a pumice stone (very inexpensive) and get rid of the dead skin that way. Using the stone on dry skin works best, although it can be used in the tub or shower as well. Just massage the area with the stone (only on palms and soles!) and enjoy smoother skin afterwards. You could put some body oil or even oil from your kitchen on your cuticles if they are dried out.

Because being on any medication can make your skin more photosensitive (unusually sensitive to the sun), you must wear sunscreen on a daily basis. This is true whether you are on Accutane or not, but be especially diligent while on this medication. 

What you may not know. You cannot get waxed anywhere on your body if you are currently on Accutane or even recently have been. The reason is your skin is so incredibly dried out and fragile that the wax will (or can) actually pick up several of the deeper layers of skin when it is pulled off. I have heard of people going in for facial waxing, neglecting to tell the aesthetician about the fact they are using Accutane. When the wax strip was ripped off, a good deal of skin came off with it!

Don’t forget, no breast feeding your child while taking Accutane. And you also cannot give blood for at least one month after ending your treatment. This is a small fact, but an important one you may not think about. If you give blood and still have Accutane in your system, guess what? You can potentially pass this medication along to another person who might be pregnant or is about to get pregnant. I recommend waiting longer than a month to allow this powerful drug to be totally eliminated from your system. Taking supplements like chlorophyll might help to clear it from your body faster than just leaving it up to nature.

As I have said in any and all of my articles on Accutane: please do your due diligence. Plan on doing research, and read up to examine in detail the facts and concerns surrounding this powerful drug—and if you think it is the right thing for you to consider taking.

For additional information, see:

• Accutane—side effects to understand what possible side effects that can occur from taking this drug
• Kiss Chapped Lips Goodbye!
• How chlorophyll can help your skin (and ease constipation)

Proper pH & your skin care products

Hello, I just bought your book, Timeless Skin, and love it! I took your advice in Chapter One about testing the pH balance of my facial products. I bought pH strips with a 0-14 range. [This is the range of all pH papers.] I tested all 7 of my facial products. Three of my cleansing supplies matched 8, my toner was a 4, my sunblock was around 5, and my warming mask was an 8. Is this OK?? I am a bit confused about this process.

Your skin is naturally acidic on the pH scale. pH (defined as the percentage of hydrogen) refers to how acid or alkaline a substance is. The scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. Your skin has a pH of 5 or 6; soaps usually come in around 10. In order to maintain the natural acidic state of your skin, you always want to use acidic or non-alkaline products. If you are unsure about the pH of your cleanser (or any product), you can purchase nitrazine papers at your local pharmacy.

If your research finds a product you’re using is alkaline, I would toss it. Don’t bother trying to make it work for your skin. It won’t. Although the department stores abhor people testing their products, take your pH papers whenever you plan to purchase products. And at the very least, be sure to know what the return policy is for skin care products wherever you buy them. You may find they will have to be returned due to a high pH and you certainly don’t want to pay for any of these experiments.

Looking at this emailer’s products specifically, anything above a five or six is, in my opinion, too alkaline to use on the skin. Her toner and sunscreen sound like they are the correct pH, all the others are alkaline and therefore I don’t recommend using them.

Simply put, using any products that are alkaline on your face is not a good idea if you are looking to create a balanced skin care regime and therefore healthy, balanced skin.

For more information, see:

• Questions about pH and pH papers
• The Basics 1-2-3 Program
• Product Recommendations Q & As—#1

 

Get every last drop of your creams with a tube wringer!

Are you cutting the tubes of your skin care products so you can get every bit of your creams? I have a better solution:

• Use a tube wringer!

What is one, you ask? A tube wringer wrings tubes, squeezing the remaining product to the top of the tube so you can use just about every drop of cream—without the messy action of cutting your tubes.

Traditionally, tube wringers have been used by painters. They, too, utilize tubes for their art work and they, too, want to get every last drop of those expensive paints. I have used a tube wringer in my facial room since I began using Yonka products almost 30 years ago—and still do.

You can find tube wringers at most art supply stores and some hardware stores. I have tried several brands throughout the years, but always come back to Gill Mechanical’s tube wringers. They seem to hold up the best and don’t break or come undone during the wringing process. I have found so many of my clients are cutting their tubes of Yonka to get the last bits, I wanted to make purchase information available here in case you want to stop cutting and start tube wringing!

If you go to Gill Mechanical’s website (CLICK HERE), it is the “light duty” tube wringer that you’ll want to purchase. You don’t need anything “heavy duty”—you’re just wringing tubes of facial products after all! This is certainly not the only company that sells tube wringers, but back in the day (the 1980s) this was pretty much the only place I could find them. I’ve been a loyal customer ever since!

Whether you buy from Gill or find a tube wringer somewhere else, do use one! It will make a world of difference in how much extra cream you’re able to get out of your skin care product tubes. Since these creams are somewhat expensive, getting every last drop is a savings in the long run. I also use the tube wringer on my toothpaste and just about any other tube in use in my home—you will too!

For some of my favorite Yonka products (in tubes that could benefit from a tube wringer), see:

• Yonka moves to airless jars for their skin care creams
• Why are Yonka products in plastic? (they aren’t tho) (upcoming)
• Yonka’s Masque 103—Detoxifying Clay Mask

What is Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation?

You are no doubt wondering, what is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation? Yet I bet many of you suffer from this common condition. Another way to say post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is after-infection dark spots. Some people think these are scars, but actually they are spots of pigmentation that occurred due to blemishes that received sun exposure.

Without UV sunlight, the infection from blemishes would come and go and the pigmentation of your skin wouldn’t change at all. It is solely due to sun exposure that this hyperpigmentation condition occurs.

People who have darker skin, whether African-Americans, certain Europeans, and even Caucasians who have a lot of melanin in their skin, are all susceptible to this condition. I’m going to use a few questions from clients (and my answers) to illustrate what this condition is all about and what you can do to lessen its effect on your skin.

I am a 30-year-old Asian-Indian woman and have occasional breakouts that always leave very dark pigmentation after healing. It will take 3 to 4 months for the mark to lighten and disappear. I use concealer and do not enjoy being anywhere without having makeup on in order to camouflage the pigmentation. I want to be free of my makeup to enjoy a more athletic and outdoor life. Any recommendations?

You have a very common complaint, not that you should feel better by hearing that! The condition you are asking about is called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. The blessing is you no doubt have beautiful skin tone due to your heritage. The curse is you are susceptible to pigmentation irregularities.

Anytime you have blemishes, they are like wounds in the skin. The deeper the infection the more tissue that is damaged, and the longer these places will take to heal. Since you have so much pigmentation naturally in your skin, you will be prone to this condition more so than someone who has very white skin (especially redheads and those who burn but never tan).

I’m sure it is disheartening that these pigmentation spots take so long to clear. Three or four months is a distinct possibility, especially in the warmer months and especially if you are outside in the sun a lot. Whether or not you can be free from makeup may be out of your control if you continue to get these pigmentation places and want to cover them up. But being able to enjoy a more athletic and outdoor life is your choice. I don’t think you have to curtail being out in the fresh air of nature; you just have to take precautions against sun exposure.

Being extremely careful about sun on your face is a lifestyle habit you will absolutely need to adopt. Any sun on your face will stimulate melanin and therefore darken all pigmentation, whether on healthy skin or skin that is damaged and healing from a blemish.

The truth is sunscreen is not enough to protect your skin. It is a manmade product with the ability to screen out only some of the harmful UV rays. Don’t feel falsely armed if you wear sunscreen; you will also need to physically block the sun from reaching your face. You do this by wearing hats and sitting in complete shade if you are outside.

Be careful about products that claim to lighten skin. There are some prescription products available through your dermatologist that might help, but the reviews are mixed on how well these products actually work to lighten the skin. Some products bleach, and others inhibit melanin production; melanin is what is causing the darkness. In the winter or colder months, your skin will naturally lighten, or the spots will, due to a decrease in sun exposure.

My top recommendation would be to become hyperaware of how much sun you are receiving. I guarantee it is more exposure than you think you are getting. Always wear sunscreen. And keep hats with you or in your car so you won’t be caught out in the sun unprotected. 

For more information about pigmentation issues, see:

• Do you have pigmentation or hyperpigmentation? Perhaps post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation? Why keeping UV rays off injured skin is important (upcoming)
• Let Bed Bath & Beyond save your skin!
• Pregnancy & Chloasma

Basal cell carcinoma: Introduction

Basal cell carcinoma is a very common form of skin cancer that you need to know about. Over 2.8 million people are diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma annually (in the United States alone), and that number is only going to increase as the years go by. Basal cell carcinomas occur in the basal cell layer of the skin and are primarily caused by sun exposure.

There are many different looks to basal cell cancers; sometimes they may just look like regular moles on the skin. They don’t have clear-cut identifying markers, like, for instance a melanoma. Unlike this deadly form of skin cancer (melanoma), basal cell carcinomas rarely spread to other parts of the body. The most common area for this type of skin cancer to surface is the face, ears, even the scalp. They also can appear on the upper part of the back and chest. Sometimes the spots can bleed, and as you will read, left untreated basal cell carcinomas can become disfiguring.

I hope you understand the importance of getting funny-looking moles or places on your face (or anywhere) you have questions about checked by your dermatologist. The key is to listen to your intuition and don’t be reluctant to get things checked out.

Don’t have a skin doctor? Click on American Academy of Dermatology to get some ideas on finding one in your area. Remember: Don’t wait—get your moles checked today!

For more information, see:

• Skin Cancer ABCs
• Basal cell carcinoma: David’s story
• Basal cell carcinoma: Cate’s story