Skin Deep

If you don’t take care of your skin, where are you going to live?

                                                               ~  Some smart Broad.

What is the first thing we notice as we age? A wrinkle here or there, a sag here or there, or the dreaded “age” spot.  Our skin gives us away and I don’t just mean our faces.  And damn don’t we just get pissed off at it? Well, we shouldn’t. After all don’t most of us just wish for summer and the almighty Sun King? So 4Broads who are out there soaking up all life has to offer, including the sun this is what you need to know.

Our skin is a big deal, that many of us take for granted beyond our face and neck.  Skin needs some respect. Skin is our largest organ—I mean who knew that adults carry some 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) and 22 square feet (2 square meters) of it!? This fleshy covering does a lot more than make us look presentable or older, as the case may be. In fact, without it, we’d literally be a puddle on the floor.  

Your skin is so awesome that it can stop germs in their tracks with immune cells, they sound alarms triggering your immune system to fight shit off.   Your skin can act as an AC unit.  You know that saying don’t ever let them see you sweat, well let them, because that keeps us cool.  As your sweat evaporates, your little teeny tiny blood vessels just below the skin’s surface react to the cooling effect and then cool down your whole body! Who knew??  And it has feelings, yes it does.  It is your sense of touch, your nerves are buried in that skin.  It can feel pain, hot, cold, itches, as well as react to more sexual healing touches… let that sink in for a minute.   Lastly it can produce vitamin D, which is important to bone health when combined with calcium.  This one is a bit tricky because in order to do that it needs to be exposed to sunlight.  Here comes our catch 22.  It just needs a little exposure every day.  Ok, maybe we just take supplements.  So let’s get on with it.

You might wonder why I am telling you all this.  It’s because I want you to know how truly important this organ is to take care of in total, all of it, every inch!  It is a big complicated organ, with different thicknesses, that require different care especially as we age.

So let’s get started.  There are two important things, we need to keep every inch of our skin in tip top shape, and that moisture and SUNSCREEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Theresa Camberis RN, BSN

Rather than trust me on this.. I am going to an expert to get the answers you may be most curious about.   Enter – Theresa Camberis * RN, BSN, Aesthetic Nurse Specialist to help answer my questions.

Theresa, before we start, did I get most of the information above, correct? Is there anything you want to add?

Dee Dee, You did a great job explaining the basics of skin. Another fact people are generally not aware of is that we stop making new collagen at age 25 approximately. Anything we do to age our skin after that ie: sun exposure, sugar intake….will age the skin.

What happens when the skin gets damaged or aged is the collagen collapses and becomes deformed. This is where Hyaluronic acid comes into play. It will plump up aged collagen temporarily.

The real challenge is in how to keep the body producing collagen and how to protect the collagen we have. Scientist have used lasers and Radiofrequency devices for decades to stimulate the Dermal layer of the skin to stop aging and produce rich collagen. Recently, Microneedling has taken the number 1 role for collagen remodeling because of the efficacy and lack of down time for the patient.

Theresa,   So the dermis houses that all important collagen.  Can you talk a bit more and how collagen breaks down and what are some of the causes of that and what does that do to our skins appearance in general?

We talked above about UVA and UVB sun exposure. It damages the collagen permanently and the damaged collagen is what causes wrinkles in the skin. Over consumption of sugars and elevated blood sugars have been found to damage both Collagen and Elastin in the skin. It is one of the reasons why diabetics have a difficult time healing wounds. 

I know I left out our outermost layer, the stratum corneum.  This is a layer we notice the most I think.  Can you tell me a bit more about it and how we can better take care of it?

The Stratum Corneum is the outer most layer of the skin. It is responsible for protecting the lower layers from infection and regulating hydration. It is mostly composed of dead cells. Our skin goes through a cell turnover every 28-40 days. Overtime, the stratum corneum will become thick. This layer needs maintenance by either doing an occasional chemical peel to gently peel off excess dead cells or microdermabrasion it is beneficial to “clean up” this layer at least 3 times a year. Avoiding harsh waxy bar or body soap to wash your face is imperative. Harsh soaps can over stimulate the skin causing inflammation and redness and premature aging of the skin. 

What if you can’t afford to do chemical peels or microdermabrasion? Many older Broads are strapped but still want to do the right things for themselves.

Over the counter scrubs can be harsh and tear the skin unevenly.  If you want to exfoliate your body use a lemon cut in half, dipped in sugar and run that over your body then rinse.  Works Great!!!

Can we talk some hard stuff here? Can we talk skin cancers?  What are the different types?

The Three main types of skin cancer are:

Basal cell: this skin cancer develops in the epidermis. It is slow growing and usually occurs in areas of high sun exposure (head and neck) It can present in different ways but generally if you have a scaly  bump or pimple that keeps coming back in the same area or bleeds and wont heal, these are signs of abnormal changes in the skin that need to be seen by a dermatologist.

Squamous cell: develop from epidermis, usually found on areas of the body that were exposed to the sun. Neck, ears, face, and back of hands. It has also occurred in skin ulcers and genital areas. It is slow growing and generally doesn’t metastasize. It can penetrate the fatty layer.

Melanoma: this cancer forms in the melanocytes of the skin. These are the cells that darken when exposed to the sun. Unlike other forms of skin cancer, melanoma can form in areas of the body not exposed to the sun, bottoms of feet, back of eyes, or groin. This is a very aggressive form of skin cancer. Early detection is key to survival rate. Also the prevention of sunburns throughout your lifespan will decrease your risk for developing melanoma. If you notice a brown spot that has irregular edges and multiple colors and is changing, you need to see a dermatologist for a “skin check”. It is recommended that everyone get a skin check every year. Throughout the year check your skin for changes and be your own healthy skin advocate.

Are UVA rays more our friends that UVB?

Both are bad and damage the skin. Tanning beds have increased skin cancer by 8000 percent! No one should use a tanning bed! It damages the skin and increases your risk for developing skin cancer.

Is it true that you see more sun damage on the left than the right? Why is that?

Yes, sun exposure from driving our cars.

You are a bit of a ginger with that fair skin! What do you do to protect against sun damage?

I use a minimum of 45 spf on my face and 50 spf on my body. I reapply sunscreen if I am outside every 2 hours. If I have makeup on, I use my Color Science SPF brush on sunscreen and brush SPF over my make up.

I also use long sleeve SPF shirts to protect against the sun. I also ingest antioxidants to bind with free radicals that are produced during sun exposure.

Does skin cancer play favorites? By that I mean, are people with fairer skin more prone to skin cancers or is it and equal opportunity disease?

Red heads and fair skinned people are at higher risk for developing melanoma.

Basal cell and squamous cell skin cancer are based on extreme sun exposure.

There is a recent study, saying that chemical sunblock’s get absorbed into our skin, as opposed to topical (ie; zinc oxide type products), what are your thoughts on that?

When using a sunblock it is recommended we use both a physical and chemical block together.

Okay, so let’s say, that we tried our best to protect ourselves, but one day at the pool or beach, we simply got too involved in our book, or dozed off even and got way too much sun, and even got a painful burn! What can we do to minimize the effects when we come in?

Use Aloe to soothe the burn.

Start taking antioxidants to prevent cancer cells from forming.

Be religious about sunscreen in the damaged area, it is more likely to burn in the future.

So, some of us older peeps may not have had all the advantages of this proactive advice.  Now the damage is done, so to speak.  What if anything can we do to improve the appearance of our skin, and I do mean all of our body skin? Moisturizers, drink more water? Help us out here.

You can take collagen supplements, do skin treatments that cause the skin the lay down collagen as discussed above.

Applying skin care products with growth factors is beneficial. They stimulate new collagen and elastin in aged skin.

Why is it our skin thins as we age? I notice almost a crepe like texture on some areas, like my feet, making it quite fragile.   Why is that?

Some areas of the body have less fatty layers then others making them appear thinner or more fragile.

Taking the collagen supplements will help this. Also, using a body cream with growth factors on this skin will be beneficial

Thanks Theresa for all the help and clarification!!!

4Broads who are ready to take action I have found some #BodyHacks, with natural limited ingredients, to help you protect that skin you are in!!! Each personally tested 4Broads reading this.  Just click the photo for more information.

#4BroadsTips

• Apply moisturizer while the body is still damp from the shower. This locks in moisture, and applying lotion to damp skin takes half the time rubbing it in.
•  Use coconut oil as a shaving cream. It’s all-natural and leaves skin smooth and moisturized.
•  If you have a face serum or oil and don’t necessarily love , use it on your body so it’s not just laying in a drawer
•  Use lotion on hands and feet and wrap them in socks for 20-30 minutes. The result: hands and feet that are soft, smooth.
• After applying your daily sunscreen to your face, make sure to wipe the remainder on the tops of your hands and chest. These areas get overlooked, but they’re in desperate need of SPF too

*Theresa Camberis RN, BSN, Aesthetic Nurse Specialist

Theresa earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Her professional career includes intensive care nursing, nursing management, and plastic/aesthetic surgery nursing. Her artistic eye and passion for excellence; result in her ability to exceed her clients’ expectations.  She frequently attends instructional courses and training forums with world renowned physicians, enabling her to enhance her aesthetic injecting techniques and expand her knowledge in the most recent products available for her clients.Theresa has a dynamic understanding of the “beautiful” face. She approaches each rejuvenating procedure in a uniquely individual way to enhance your own youthful, natural look. She collaborates with her clients to identify their concerns and goals. Theresa’s clients express the utmost satisfaction with their more rejuvenated, youthful looking appearances.  Theresa is a master level Aesthetic injector with 18 years of experience in this field and 30 years of experience in Trauma and management. She is one of the largest volume injectors in the Midwest Region, practicing out of Glenview Illinois. Theresa is a peer to peer instructor for Galderma (GAIN) She does trainings across the country, focusing on elevating the standards of care in the aesthetic practice, increasing patient satisfaction and eliminating complications. Theresa is a lifelong learner and is passionate about teaching others.

If you’d like to reach out to Theresa with more questions you might have , please email her at tcamberi@gmail.com or phone her office 847 209 5309.  You can also leave a question in the comments below.