What is your Skin Story?

You know how a picture is worth a 1000 words?  Well, imagine if you could peer into the body through a window and understand what is going on inside or gather information about someone before they said a word.  Wouldn’t that be cool?  Well, this is why I became a Dermatologist!  

I learn so much about people by examining their skin.  I know about their medical history-if they suffer from anxiety, recent emotional trauma, diabetes, or a thyroid condition; I know how they spend their time -if they like to garden, play tennis, golf, or ski; I can guess if they have pets or go to a gym; I know how important sun protection is to them. Hopefully, this doesn’t freak you out that your dermatologist can know so much about you without talking to you!  

Let’s pause at the importance of sun protection. From the doorway, I can already tell if a person is serious or not about their sun protection. Despite patients’ strong convictions that they apply sunscreen correctly, their skin often tells another story.

I see a tremendous amount of skin cancer and precancer in my practice, on patients who believe they are doing a great job protecting themselves.  I am not here to judge, but to educate my patients on “sun smart” habits to help them avoid preventable skin damage and cancer and treat any precancerous or cancerous changes that have already occurred.  While it is also possible to reverse premature aging signs (wrinkles, dull skin, brown spots) caused from sun-worshiping “bad habits,” it is so much more rewarding to help people take control of their skin with good habits, good treatments and products and see improvements from one exam to the next.  

Subtle skin changes tell a rich story to an astute dermatologist…and you don’t have to say a word!  What is your skin story? I tell my patients, if they don’t like “the story” it is not too late to take charge, slop up (sun screen), sleeve up and take cover (clothing). It’s pretty easy!