The sun and hot temperatures can come with risks to your skin. Sun damage can lead to premature skin aging, wrinkles and even skin cancer. Led by Dr. Kevin Dawson, Dr. Douglas Chun, and Dr. Sarah Grekin, Dawson Dermatology in Honolulu, HI offer a range of dermatological services to their patients. Here are 7 skin care tips for maintaining healthy skin.

1. Clean and moisturize your skin. You may shower more often during the summer, but harsh soaps can remove protective oils from your skin, so limit your shower time and use warm water - not hot water- to avoid drying out your skin. Apply moisturizer to your skin soon after showering.

2. Avoid the sun during peak hours. Avoid the sun during the peak hours of UV radiation, from 10 am and 4 pm. This is the time the sun’s rays are most intense and damaging. You want to avoid getting sunburns because they increase the chances of skin cancer. If you're outdoors during peak hours, seek shade under a large umbrella, tree, or other shelters.

3. Use sunscreen every day. Sunscreens are designed to reduce your risk of skin cancer. Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, on both clear and cloudy days. Put it on about 20 minutes before you go outside. Apply sunscreen to all bare skin. Reapply every two hours, or after sweating or swimming.

4. Rinse your skin after you swim. Both salt water and chlorinated water can dry outy our skin. Always wash or rinse after a swim to remove residues which may later react in the sun or interfere with your sunscreen.

5. Know the risks of tanning. Tanning bed sessions and sunbathing increase your chances of damaging your skin and getting skin cancer. Self-tanners can give your skin a sunkissed look without exposing it to harmful UV rays. Self-tanners are commonly sold as sprays and lotions you apply to your skin. Professional spray-on tanning is also available.

6. Do a skin self-exam. Examine your skin head-to-toe every month, so you can find any changing or new lesions that might be precancerous or cancerous. By examining your skin once a month for spots that might be signs of skin cancer, and bringing those changes to your dermatologists' attention, you can play a key role in protecting the health of your skin.

7. Get a skin cancer screening. Get a professional skin exam, or skin cancer screening, at least once a year. A skin cancer screening is a visual inspection of your skin by a healthcare professional. Annual skin exams are the key to diagnosing the disease at an early stage.

Ready to take control of your health? A professional skin exam could save your life! If you need a skin cancer screening, call Dawson Dermatology at 808-599-3780 right now to schedule an appointment in Honolulu, HI. You will experience exemplary service and state-of-the-art care at Dawson Dermatology.

Warts are small, harmless growths that develop on the skin. You may notice only one or they may grow in clusters. While they are usually painless, sometimes they can develop in places like the soles of the feet (known as plantar warts), which can be uncomfortable. Common warts often appear on the hands and arms while flat warts develop on the face and forehead. Plantar warts are typically found on the soles of the feet. Apart from developing these skin-colored growths, there usually aren’t any other symptoms associated with this condition.

What causes warts?

Warts are caused by an infection known as the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are more than 100 strains of HPV that can develop in different areas of the body, from the mouth and skin to the genital region. The type of HPV that causes warts on the hands, feet, or rest of the body isn’t the same type that causes genital warts.

How do I treat warts?

Warts usually go away on their own once the body fights the infection; however, it can take months to years for the wart to go away. Therefore, if you feel embarrassed by the wart or if the wart is in an awkward or uncomfortable place then you may choose to visit a dermatologist to have it removed. If you are a healthy individual you may also consider trying an over-the-counter wart removal option before turning to a dermatologist.

You should see a dermatologist if:

• Warts are spreading or getting worse
• Warts aren’t responding to at-home treatment
• Warts are developing on your face or genitals
• Warts are painful, bleeding, or itching
• You have a weakened immune system
• You have diabetes

When you visit your dermatologist, they will first need to make sure that the growth is a wart. Depending on the type and location of the warts, your skin doctor will talk to you about your treatment options. Common ways to treat warts include,

Salicylic Acid

This topical treatment is often used on warts of the hands, feet or knees, and you will need to apply the topical treatment daily for several weeks. After the solution is applied you will also use a pumice stone to file away the dead outer layer of skin from the wart. The acid treatment will continue to kill the wart layer by layer until it’s completely gone.

Freezing the Wart

This is another common method for removing a wart. Liquid nitrogen is sprayed on the wart to freeze it. This is also referred to as cryotherapy. More than one liquid nitrogen treatment session may be needed in order to completely remove the wart.

Other options for removing a wart include burning, cutting or removing the wart with a laser, and these treatment options are often used on warts that don’t respond to the other treatments above. If you are dealing with warts and want to turn to a dermatologist to have it removed, then call to make your next appointment.

Find out how this pigmented skin condition is treated.

Are you or someone you love dealing with vitiligo? The Mayo Clinic reports that there are more than 200,000 new cases of vitiligo each year in the US alone. Vitiligo is a chronic disease where the melanin, which gives your skin its pigment, either dies or the body stops producing it. As a result, there are white patches of skin all over the body. So, you may be wondering how this condition occurs or how you can treat it. This is when it’s important to turn to your dermatologist.

What causes vitiligo?

Unfortunately, researchers still do not know why some people develop vitiligo. It may be the result of an autoimmune disease, where the body attacks the melanocytes in the skin. Some researchers also believe that something as simple as a sunburn or even emotional stress could cause vitiligo; however, the cause is still unknown.

Who is at risk for developing vitiligo?

Even though this condition can appear at any time in a person’s life it more commonly occurs in your 20's. It affects both men and women of all races; however, vitiligo is more noticeable in those with darker skin. Those with autoimmune disorders are often more likely to develop vitiligo than those who do not have an autoimmune disorder. Genetics may also play a role; however, parents with vitiligo won’t necessarily pass this condition onto their child.

What are the symptoms of vitiligo?

Vitiligo is characterized by large white patches of skin, which may appear anywhere on the body. These patches most commonly appear on the face, hands, feet, arms, and other sun-exposed areas. Sometimes the white patches will spread over time. How quickly the patches spread will vary from person to person; however, sometimes the patches won’t spread at all.

How is vitiligo treated?

It’s important to turn to a dermatologist that you trust if you think you or a family member is dealing with vitiligo. During your consultation, your doctor will examine your skin to determine how widespread and numerous the patches are so that we have a better idea what type of treatment will be the most effective.

We will also go through your medical history and ask you questions about your condition. Treatment for vitiligo, like most skin disorders, will not work overnight. In fact, there is often a trial-and-error period to try and find the best treatment option.

The most common types of vitiligo treatment include medication, light therapies, and surgery, all of which are designed to restore pigmentation back into the skin.

Prescribed medications may be applied topically or taken orally. Certain UVA/UVB light therapy treatments may also improve your condition. Skin grafting surgery may be recommended, in which your dermatologist will remove skin from another area of the body and apply it over the patches to hide them and even out skin tone.

Your dermatologist can also recommend a full-spectrum sunscreen to protect your skin when going outside, as well as any counseling and support you may need. If you or someone you love is looking for vitiligo treatment, contact your dermatologist today.

The effects of chickenpox may last beyond your childhood infection. Shingles, a widespread, itchy, painful rash, can break out at any time in adulthood because the causative agent, the Varicella Zoster virus, lies dormant within the body for life. Your dermatologist can help you control the awful pain and dangerous complications of shingles. He or she also has suggestions on avoiding an outbreak of this common and contagious skin disease.

What does shingles look like? A shingles rash is a reddened, itchy, oozing skin rash composed of raised blisters. Typically, it is widespread on the face near the eye, on the torso (front wrapping around to the back), or on the neck. People experience exceptional pain for at least two to six weeks, and due to damaged nerve endings, some individuals have unresolved pain for years.

What are the potential complications? Just like its childhood counterpart, shingles is contagious. So, people exposed to your shingle rash may develop chickenpox if they have never been sick with it previously.

Plus, shingles may lead to serious vision or hearing problems, fever, balance issues, and light sensitivity. People with a weakened immune system are potential shingles sufferers, and unfortunately, perfectly healthy people who have a shingles flare-up can then become immunosuppressed. In short, shingles is nothing to joke about.

How is it treated? Mild cases respond to cool baths, skin calming lotions, topical steroids and over the counter pain relievers. More severe flare-ups may require narcotic pain relievers, anti-convulsants, steroidal injections and numbing medications applied directly to the skin. Medications such as Acyclovir and Valacyclovir help dampen the spread of the virus.

Can you prevent an outbreak of shingles? Your dermatologist or primary care physician may provide you with a shingles vaccine to greatly reduce your chances of having shingles. The American Academy of Dermatology says that Zostavoax is for patients over 60, and the Shingrix vaccine may be administered beginning at age 50.

Find out more

Your dermatologist is an excellent resource for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a wide array of simple to complex skin conditions and diseases. If you are starting a shingle outbreak or desire to prevent one, call your skin doctor for a consultation. He or she will inform you on the best ways to stay as healthy as possible.

Does your face sometimes appear extremely red and flushing? While a slight blush is certainly nice, if the blush is severe or widespread you may be dealing a common condition known as rosacea. People with rosacea often liken their redness to looking like they are sunburned even though they are not, and the redness often appears across the nose and cheeks but can spread to the forehead, as well.

Along with redness those with rosacea may also experience:

• Sensitivity
• Stinging or burning
• Hard bumps that look similar to acne
• Visible blood vessels
• Thicker skin (in more advanced cases)

Rosacea is more common in women than men, as well as those over 30 years old. Rosacea is characterized by flare-ups of redness that may go away and then come back when in contact with certain triggers. Common rosacea triggers include:

• Sunlight
• Heat or cold
• Stress
• Alcohol
• Spicy foods
• Caffeine
• Certain skincare products
• Wind
• Certain medications
• Exercise

It’s important to note when you experience triggers to figure out what might be causing your flare-ups so you can avoid them whenever possible.

Treating Rosacea

There are no over-the-counter medications designed to treat rosacea, so the only way to get the proper treatment you need to get your symptoms under control is to see a dermatologist. There are certain prescription medications that may be prescribed to lessen your symptoms. These medications include:

• Certain drugs and topical medications that reduce redness
• Oral antibiotics (to kill the bacteria responsible for inflammation)
• Isotretinoin (for severe and unresponsive rosacea cases)

In some cases, your skin doctor may also recommend laser therapy to reduce redness and the appearance of blood vessels. Common laser therapies for rosacea include dermabrasion and intense pulsed light therapy.

Along with medication and laser therapy it’s important to be gentle with your skin and to always wear sunscreen before going outside. Choose a sunscreen that offers full-spectrum protection and has an SPF of at least 30. Even on cloudy or windy days you should apply sunscreen. Also be aware of certain products and makeup that could also be causing flare-ups. There is also makeup on the market that can conceal redness.

If you think that your redness may be the result of rosacea isn’t it time you got answers? Schedule a consultation with our trusted dermatologist today.