Friday, December 23, 2011

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Sunday, November 20, 2011

Back to School Skin Care - Advice From a Sarasota Dermatologist

!±8± Back to School Skin Care - Advice From a Sarasota Dermatologist

Summer ends bringing that time of year when students all over the country are going back to school. I have found one of the things on a student's worry list is how their skin looks, especially the skin on their face.

Here are some tips to help prevent breakouts and clear them up as fast as possible:

Keep Your Skin Clean

Cleansing is an important step to skin care, especially for teenagers. You should wash your face twice a day with a warm water and a mild soap or cleanser.

Teens prone to acne should use a wash that includes salicylic acid to control oil production and/or a benzyl peroxide to treat pimples. We carry NeoCeuticals Antibacterial Facial Cleanser, a moisturizing, soap-free, foaming gel that is especially suited for use on oily and acne-prone skin.

Teens with more sensitive or skin that is a bit on the dry side should use products with more soothing ingredients like aloe vera. Abrams Dermatology has Neostrata Facial Cleanser, an oil-free and soap-free, non-drying cleanser that we make available to our patients. You can also go to your local department or drug store and find other mild less drying soaps like Dove, Neutrogena Dry Skin Formula (unscented), Aveeno Cleansing Bar for Dry Skin, and Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser.

Protect Your Skin

Products that treat acne can cause your skin to dry. It is important to use an oil-free moisturizer to replenish your skin's moisture balance. It is always best to use a moisturizer that contains an effective sunscreen, especially for the face. Neostrata Oil Free Lotion - SPF 15 is a oil-free moisturizer with sunscreen that we have available for patients.

Don't forget sunscreen!!! The sun is very damaging to anyone's skin and can cause skin cancer. Teenagers should always use sunscreen before heading outdoors. It's a good idea for teenagers to get into the habit of applying sunscreen everyday as part of their morning routine.

Dermatologists usually have available samples of many skin care products to give to their patients. Feel free to grab a few the next time you have your skin exam.

Acne Treatments

There are a number of effective acne treatments for mild to moderate acne. I always recommend you see a dermatologist to ensure you receive the proper treatment for your acne. As a dermatologist, I offer a variety of treatment options, like medication, products, facials and laser treatments that can usually clear up even the most stubborn cases of acne.

One new product offered by Obagi is CLENZIderm M.D., a prescription-strength acne therapeutic system available at Abrams Dermatology. This three-step system, CLENZIderm M.D. uses a smaller liquid form of benzoyl peroxide to effectively penetrate the skin. Ask your dermatologist if CLENZIderm M.D. is the right treatment option for you.

Do's and Don'ts

Don't:

Pop a pimple! Popping a pimple can lead to scarring.

Use a harsh soap to wash your face.

Stay in the sun without proper protection.

Worry too much. Everyone experiences an occasional breakout.

Do:

Keep your skin clean.

Ensure you use an effective sunscreen.

Watch for and treat pimples correctly.

Eat a healthy diet that includes fruit, vegetables, and plenty of water.

See a dermatologist to receive proper skin care treatment.


Back to School Skin Care - Advice From a Sarasota Dermatologist

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Friday, October 28, 2011

Shaving Your Head - Advice For the First-timer

!±8± Shaving Your Head - Advice For the First-timer

Shaving your head is an art, one committed baldies perfect over years of figuring out what works for them. But for the first-time head shaver, a few simple guidelines will help your first head shave go smoothly.

Shaving your head bald, for some, is a scenario they've gone through mentally many times before actually taking a razor to their scalps. For others, their first head shave is an impulsive, spur-of-the-moment thing. I'd have to say my first head shave was a bit of both. I did have the benefit of some knowledge of head shaving technique, but I basically had to figure it out for myself. A good beginner's guide to shaving your head sure would have been nice. In that spirit, here's a fairly comprehensive outline of the basics, from somebody who has been bald by choice for 17 years.

Be careful

One of the mistakes people often make when shaving their heads for the first time is to forget that a previously unshaven scalp is very sensitive.

It's understandable to want a perfectly smooth head right away. I know I did the first time. Bald means smooth, and you want to be bald. But this can lead the inexperienced head shaver to shave the same areas repeatedly from multiple angles, pressing too hard on the scalp and often continuing after the shaving cream has stopped offering any lubrication and started to get sticky. The result can be nicks, irritation and ingrown hairs marring your beautiful bald head the following day. Not good.

Clean your scalp, and lather well

The first thing to consider is a clean scalp, free of dirt, excess oil, etc. If you're shaving your head for the first time and don't happen to have a friend who is skilled with a straight razor, I'm assuming you've clipped your hair to the scalp and are now covered in hair clippings. Before you go any further, wash your head with soap and water. Better yet, take a shower. If this is not practical in your particular circumstances, at least wipe your head down with a warm wash cloth.

Your next concern is good lubrication. There are lots of good products out there, some specifically for shaving your head Some commercial shaving creams are better than others. I recommend if you're going the canned shaving cream route to get a moisturizing shaving gel specifically for sensitive skin. I rather like Aveeno shave gel, with colloidal oatmeal.

Canned shaving cream should still be used with a shaving brush. Put a generous amount of gel on your head, wet your brush and work that shaving cream into your scalp with a firm circular motion, kind of like brushing your teeth. Work your way around your head, wetting the brush occasionally. Don't be in too much of a hurry. Lathering up is an important step, and it can also be fun.

Myself, I haven't used shaving cream in years. I find good bar soap (natural handmade soap, not your typical Irish Spring or Zest) does a great job. Some kinds of hand lotion are nice, as are sugar scrubs made with natural oils. I personally like to use a sugar scrub, which exfoliates and leaves a light coating of oil that I just lather right over top of. I'll get into scrubs in more detail in a future post.

Use a good razor

Now that you are lathered up, get a razor with a brand new blade. Always use a new blade on virgin scalp. I can't stress that enough. You'll be experiencing a bald head for the first time, so don't make it a sore, itchy, reddish one.

I've tried just about every popular razor, and the best one for shaving your head, in my opinion, is the Gillette Mach 3. There are cheaper razors, there are fancier ones, and there are ones made specifically for shaving your head, but of all the options, the Mach 3 is just about the best head shaving razor out there. Its design allows lather and hair to pass right through, so it requires less rinsing and unless the hair you're shaving is longer than an eighth of an inch, it's virtually clog-proof. And it also seems to give the greatest number of comfortable head shaves per blade than any razor I've tried. One blade can last me two or three weeks, and still give a good shave when its indicator strip has not only changed color, but just about worn away completely in the middle. But I'm a head shaver of almost 20 years. For a beginner, I'd recommend changing razor blades much more frequently. If the razor seems to pull or drag or feel at all uncomfortable on your scalp, change the blade. As your scalp gets tougher and you get more experience at shaving your head, you'll figure out what works for you.

Direction of hair growth

There is some debate over shaving with the grain vs against the grain. If you want a smooth head, you have to shave against the grain. However, I don't recommend shaving the back of your neck against the grain, at least not at first. Anything above the ears is generally fine, but being a little overzealous on the first shave can make a mess of your neck. It might not be obvious at first, but by the next day it's going to look like a pepperoni pizza.

What I recommend for a first-time shaver is a simple front-to-back shaving motion. Start at the forehead, and shave toward the back of your neck in nice smooth strokes, trying not to go over the same spot more than a couple of times. You'll get the top and sides nice and smooth. The back will feel rough if you stroke upward with your hand, but it will still be pretty smooth in the other direction. Do it this way for a week or two, and then you can try angling your strokes slightly across the grain. After a while, your scalp will get used to the shaving and you can go against the grain at the back.

Never forget that if your head starts to get dry or sticky while shaving, put some more lather on, or at least wet it a little, to keep that razor gliding smoothly. This is also a good time to wet a couple of fingers and move them in little circles on your scalp. You'll feel any spot that you didn't get smooth, and you'll know which direction that hair is growing in. There will be areas that require shaving in more than one direction. The crown is particularly tricky, but you also have to be careful around the hairline, behind the ears, and where the sides meet the top of your head. Feel while you shave. It will make the job easier, and it will keep your lather from drying out. For the sake of neatness and maintaining moisture, you might want to try shaving your head in the shower.

Care and maintenance

As for caring for your shaved head, I've never been one for creams or lotions, but you will want to keep from getting a dry scalp. An oily scalp is more likely to be a concern, as your bald scalp continues to produce oil for a head of hair that isn't there. An occasional wipe with a washcloth or a cleansing pad in addition to your daily shower is all you need.

Time of day makes a difference. The most convenient time to shave your head is most likely in the morning, but it does come at a small price. Your scalp swells ever so slighly while you sleep horizontally, and then shrinks again after you get up. That means your smooth morning head shave will not stay smooth for long. If you're up for a little while before you shave, the swelling will have a chance to come down and you can get a closer shave. Evening is a great time to shave, as you get a very close shave, and it actually feels great to go to bed with a freshly shaved head. But evening is not usually the time for a daily shave, since it won't be fresh for the following day.

However, it is sometimes a good idea to have a second shave in the evening if you're going out, just to freshen up your head and get rid of that five o'clock shadow.

As for how often to shave your head, that's entirely up to you. Personally, I'm so accustomed to being bald, I don't feel clean if I get any stubble up there, so I like to shave my head every day. Some people go a few days because their scalp gets irritated. I used to, but it's been my experience that daily head shaving actually conditions the scalp better in the long run, and keeps it cleaner, thus avoiding break-outs. Skipping days actually seems to increase my chances of skin irritation, razor burn or acne.

Try it for a while

The other deciding factor for me is that I see myself as a bald man, and that's how I want to be seen. To me, occasional stubble detracts from my baldness. It's a reminder that there is still the potential for hair there.

In the end, you can ask ten head shavers for advice and get ten different answers. Shaving your head is a very personal thing, and if you're committed to maintaining a bald head, you'll do a fair bit of experimenting, which is really the only way to determine what works for you. But I hope I've given you a place to start.

And to stray for just a moment from the nuts and bolts of being bald by choice, there is a psychological and emotional aspect that should not be ignored. Emotionally, that first shave and the knowledge that you really are bald is an intense rush, but it can also be accompanied by initial doubt or regret, as well as a significant amount of self-consciousness. You might feel just fine, but you might also feel like everybody is staring at you. For the most part, they're not, and that feeling will pass in time. If you do decide to shave your head, commit to keeping your head bald for at least a month. You'll be much more comfortable with your baldness by that time, your scalp will be used to shaving, and that pale, never-shaved skin tone will have evened out to match your face. And although you might be tempted, do not cover your head up with hats unless you need protection from the sun (and you will). Constantly wearing hats will just trap dirt and oil next to the most acne-prone parts of your scalp. And besides, what's the point of being bald if people can't see your bald head?

By the way, after 17 years, baldness might feel more comfortable and natural to me, but reaching up at any hour of the day and feeling my smoothly shaved scalp is still a rush.

Happy head shaving.


Shaving Your Head - Advice For the First-timer

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Monday, October 24, 2011

7 Crossdressing Secrets to a Long Lasting Shave

!±8± 7 Crossdressing Secrets to a Long Lasting Shave

Crossdressers and transsexuals face many challenges, but perhaps not as frustrating as the battle of the beard. Shaving is fast and simple, but can lead to ingrown hairs and razor burn, not to mention the frustration of seeing a beard shadow after only a few hours.

While there is nothing to grow a beard (aside from painful electrolysis) can stop, it is possible for any crossdresser or transsexual have a soft, smooth, feminine face.

Here are seven secretsgetting the smoothest, longest lasting shave possible:

1. Avoid shaving first thing in the morning. Most people wake up with slightly puffy skin in the morning. You'll get a closer shave if you wait 20-30 minutes for the skin to tighten, exposing more of the hair shaft.

2. Prep your skin. Take a shower or wrap a hot, moist towel around your face and neck for several minutes before shaving to soften your beard and open up the hair follicles.

3. Always exfoliate. Use a washcloth or an exfoliating scrub on your face to eliminate dead skin cells and raise hair stubs for a closer shave.

4. Use a regrowth slowing shaving cream. For a long lasting shave, use a shaving cream, such as Aveeno's Positively Smooth Shave Gel, designed to slow hair regrowth. Avoid shaving creams containing menthol, as they can dry out the skin.

5. Select a great razor. A great shave depends upon a great razor. Most crossdressers agree that the Gillette Sensor Excel is the ultimate tool for the job.

6. Don't use a dull blade. Never use the same blade more than two or three times since dull blades can lead to razor burn and ingrown hairs. As a matter of fact, I suggest using a fresh blade every time you go en femme.

7. Do a two step shave. A great pre-femme shave should be done in two steps: first, shave in the direction of hair growth. Then lather again, this time shaving against the grain for an even closer cut. Be sure to use small, gentle strokes to avoid irritation.


7 Crossdressing Secrets to a Long Lasting Shave

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