Happy Halloween! Time for candy, decorations, and cute little painted faces. What could possibly be wrong with painting your little one’s face?

According to a 2009 report titled "Pretty Scary: Could Halloween Face Paint Cause Lifelong Health Problems?" by the U.S.-based Campaign for Safer Cosmetics, many kids' face paint products labeled as “non-toxic” actually contained toxic products. Ten out of ten face-paint products tested contained lead. Six out of ten contained metals such as nickel, cobalt and/or chromium at higher-than-recommended levels, which commonly cause allergic contact dermatitis. Lead poisoning, we all know, is harmful for brain and nervous system development.

Face paint may cause other skin problems, as well. For children prone to acne, thick makeup may exacerbate or trigger breakouts and clog pores. Other ingredients in the makeup may irritate the skin or cause allergic reactions.

So what’s a health conscious parent to do? Check ingredients of face paint carefully. If you’re unsure, skip it. Many websites have homemade makeup recipes using natural ingredients.

Have a safe and fun Halloween filled with treats!

What can brighten dark spots, improve acne, even out skin tone, and treat mild photoaging, but with minimal downtime?  Chemical peels! 

What kind of peels are available at Premier Dermatology, MD?  We offer glycolic acid peels, salicylic acid peels, the Miami Peel, and the Vi peel. 

Glycolic acid peels: Contains glycolic acid: an AHA, alpha-hydroxy acid, which is a naturally occurring compound made from sugar.  The depth or strength of the peel depends on which concentration is used.  20-50% glycolic acid is a very superficial peel, while 50-70% is a little stronger (deeper), but still considered a superficial peel.  Superficial peels affect the very top layers of the skin.  There is generally little to no physical peeling with these treatment.  These peels are done monthly. 

Salicylic acid peels: Contains salicylic acid: a BHA, beta-hydroxy acid. This is a great peel for acne, clogged pores, and oily skin types.  These peels are superficial and may result in mild peeling, but overall there is minimal downtime.  These peels are done monthly. 

Miami peel: Contains hydroquinone, lactic acid, salicylic acid, citric acid, and kojic acid.  This peel is good for all skin types, but works especially well for hyperpigmentation and melasma.  There is no peeling with this peel, and it can be performed every two weeks for best results. 

Vi peel: Contains trichloroacetic acid (TCA), phenol, retinoic acid, and vitamin C.  This peel is great for hyperpigmentation, melasma, fine lines, sun damage, improves skin tone and texture.  It is safe for all skin types.  Skin will peel for 3-5 days following the peel.  It can be done monthly.  And then?  Radiant, healthier looking skin! 

Call 305-521-8971 to schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Bilu Martin and see which peel is right for you!

Dr. Billu Martin practices what she preaches: getting her Vi peel!

October is Eczema Awareness month.  So what is eczema? 

At Premier Dermatology, MD, Dr. Bilu Martin sees and treats eczema regularly in babies, kids, teens, and adults.  It can be very itchy and is often annoying to patients.  In Greek eczema means "to boil over," which refers to the blistering or weepy phase of the disease.  Eczema can start in infancy as crusted patches on the scalp, cheeks, bottoms, arms, and legs.  Later, as kids get older, it often shows up on the inside of arms and backs of knees.  Adults usually develop hand and finger dryness and cracking, which is often painful. 

Although there is no known exact cause, it seems to run in families and has a genetic link.  The immune system may be more sensitive to certain triggers.  Often, asthma and seasonal allergies run together with eczema.  People that have two of three of this conditions are called "atopics."  They have skin that is easily irritated.

People with eczema are very sensitive to fragrances and chemicals.  All soaps, detergents, and moisturizers should be mild and fragrance free.  Some good options are dove, cetaphil, cerave, eucerin, and vanicream.  Make sure baths and showers are lukewarm, not hot.  MOISTURIZING is a must.  Moisturize right after coming out of the bath, when skin is still damp.  A great choice is aquaphor.  It's great for any skin area, as a lip moisturizer, for laser and peel after-care, for wound healing, on areas after biopsies and surgeries, etc.  Slather it on.  If it seems too greasy to use during the day, put it on at night and sleep with it.  For dry, cracked hands, slap on aquaphor and then cotton gloves on top.  Avoid soaking hands in water; use gloves when doing the dishes or housework.  And certain fabrics, like wool, can be very irritating to atopic skin.

When moisturizing is just not enough, there are prescription steroid and non-steroid creams for the skin, as well as antihistamines that can be recommended by a doctor.  Also: raw, scratched areas can easily become superinfected with bacteria and viruses, so it's important to see a dermatologist regularly.  Although many kids will outgrow eczema, there are still plenty of adults affected by it.  Lucky for us Floridians - summer months are usually better for atopic skin than cold, dry winters.  

Finally, with any skin condition, taking care of your overall health is essential.  Sleeping a full eight hours, eating a healthy diet rich in antioxidants (green tea, vitamin C, vitamin E, resveratrol, acai, blackberry, etc), exercise, and stress relieving activities (yoga, breathing) are vital to a youthful, energized, beautiful, you!

Halle Berry.  Michelle Pfeifer.  Megan Fox.  Chances are, when you hear these names, you think of the word beauty.  But what makes us label these women as beautiful?  Many people will say that symmetry is what makes people look beautiful.  To a certain extent, this is true.  Our eye is automatically drawn to what is abnormal, or "stands out" on someone's face.  An imperfection or asymmetry on one side of the face is often considered less appealing.  Think of Austin Powers, where Mike Myers can't stop focusing on the "moley moley moley mole."  Or when you have a large pimple on your face and you feel like everyone in the world is staring right at it.  But symmetry is not the whole answer.  If you cut a photo of someone's face in half and superimpose one half on the other, you'll see that even the most "beautiful" people's faces are not perfectly symmetric.  Conversely, if you computer generate a person with both sides of their face in perfect symmetry, they actually just look...wierd.

Often we consider certain features to be more attractive.  High cheekbones, wide eyes, full lips, white, even teeth.  But what about people whose features don't conform to that?  Think of Lauren Hutton's gap in her top teeth, or Angelina Jolie's large lips, or Brooke Shield's thick, heavy eyebrows.  All considered beautiful women.

So what else?  Proportion plays a large role in shaping our perception of beauty.  Dr. Stephen Marquardt talks about the "Golden Ratio," a certain proportion found in nature (1.618:1) that describes the proportions seen in the ideal, or beautiful face.  He says that this ratio is constant in beautiful faces, regardless of culture, race, or era.  The distance between the eyes, between the nose and the upper lip, and the size of the upper lip to the lower lip have all been measured and described as what is the "ideal" distance.

I personally think that the concept of beauty is too complicated to explain with a single number, or a single answer.  I think it's a combination of facial symmetry, facial volume, proportion of features, shape of individual features, clarity and texture of skin and hair, brights of the eyes, etc.  And one important feature that can't be changed with botox, fillers, lasers, or peels: personality!