Latest / Skin Anarchy / Celebrating National Sunscreen Day 2023 W/ The Queen Of Sun Protection, Dr Loretta - E. 511

Transcript

Celebrating National Sunscreen Day 2023 W/ The Queen Of Sun Protection, Dr Loretta - E. 511 · Skin Anarchy

0:01
SPEAKER_00: Diablo 4 has arrived as the forces of hell gatherer.
0:05
SPEAKER_00: Only you can stand in their way.
0:07
SPEAKER_00: Journey across the expansive open world of sanctuary.
0:10
SPEAKER_00: Used from five powerful classes to progress them to figure play style adventure with your friends of the four-player co-op with cross-play and cross-progression on all platforms.
0:20
SPEAKER_00: Welcome to L Diablo 4.
0:23
SPEAKER_00: Available now, rated and premature.
0:25
SPEAKER_00: Help the banner or visit this episode's page to learn more.
0:30
SPEAKER_01: This episode is brought to you by Liquid IV.
0:33
SPEAKER_01: When life gets busy, you grind, you push, you reach for a stick of liquid IV powder.
0:40
SPEAKER_01: It hydrates you two times faster than water alone.
0:44
SPEAKER_01: So you can crush goals and your to-do list.
0:47
SPEAKER_01: Because real life is extreme enough.
0:50
SPEAKER_01: Real people, real flavor, real hydrating.
0:53
SPEAKER_01: Buy a stick in store or at liquidiv.com with the code podcast for 20% off your order.
1:18
SPEAKER_03: She literally, I feel like, wrote the book on sunscreen.
1:21
SPEAKER_03: She is um the expert in our industry when it comes to SPF, and her entire line is really just our huge testament to that.
1:29
SPEAKER_03: So um without further ado, I want to introduce Dr.
1:32
SPEAKER_03: Loretta again to you guys.
1:33
SPEAKER_03: Welcome to the show, Dr.
1:35
SPEAKER_03: Loretta.
1:35
SPEAKER_03: I'm so, so honored and excited to host you.
1:38
SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much.
1:40
SPEAKER_02: So happy to be here.
1:41
SPEAKER_03: So happy to have you.
1:42
SPEAKER_03: And with National Sunscreen Day right around the corner, I wanted to really kind of, you know, um ask you some general questions for consumers because I know sunscreen is a big area that a lot of people don't understand, you know, and how to use it, when to use it, you know, how frequently to apply, those kind of things.
1:59
SPEAKER_03: So um just to get started, I just wanted to catch up with you a little bit and see, you know, um what's been up?
2:06
SPEAKER_03: Like, you know, how have you been?
2:07
SPEAKER_03: And just give us a little bit of a background again about yourself, if you could.
2:10
SPEAKER_03: Um, just for the listeners that didn't touch the first episode.
2:14
SPEAKER_02: Yes, thank God all is good with me.
2:16
SPEAKER_02: And my background is uh actually have to tell you, I just celebrated my 70th birthday, and I'm super happy still with how my skin looks and how I feel, uh, relying so much on skin care.
2:29
SPEAKER_02: Okay, so my background goes all the way back.
2:32
SPEAKER_02: Why I had to tell you my age, which I'm proud of, is that my research background goes all the way back to 1975 when I had been, I was in medical school in New York City, but I took a summer job in what were called the photobiology labs of the Department of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School.
2:50
SPEAKER_02: And I got to be one of the first investigators studying the effects of UVA from the sun on human skin.
3:00
SPEAKER_02: We knew that if you took, and in fact, the lab that I worked in had had Westinghouse make up very concentrated UVA bulbs to treat diseases like psoriasis.
3:10
SPEAKER_02: But what we weren't sure of is if you didn't have intensified UVA, if we were just using the doses of UVA or exposing skin to the doses of UVA from the sun, we really were not sure if it was going to have enough of an impact.
3:24
SPEAKER_02: Because believe it or not, in 1975, we hadn't yet developed the concept of broad protection UVA, UVB sunscreens.
3:36
SPEAKER_02: So I really have a very, very long history.
3:41
SPEAKER_02: And um, you know, then I went on to be so fascinated by the dermatology research that I became a dermatologist.
3:47
SPEAKER_02: I headed up the cosmetic dermatology at the University of Miami for a number of years, and then I also uh started to formulate skincare first for professionals only 30 years ago, this year, this May, this month actually.
4:02
SPEAKER_02: And then five years ago, I broke out with my own brand called Dr.
4:07
SPEAKER_02: Loretta.
4:08
SPEAKER_03: That's amazing.
4:09
SPEAKER_03: And I I know that on the first episode you had mentioned that you were really kind of this, you know, just a pioneer in this understanding of UVA and its impact on our skin.
4:19
SPEAKER_03: And, you know, I I find that to be so, so amazing about you is that you really, really know this stuff.
4:25
SPEAKER_03: And and that's one of the biggest things that I, you know, I have a hard time telling people when they reach out to me because I'm like, I'm not the expert here, you know.
4:32
SPEAKER_03: So that's really why I wanted to get you on here is to really explain to our consumers and our listeners, you know, what really does what does sun protection really mean?
4:42
SPEAKER_03: You know what I mean?
4:43
SPEAKER_03: Like if you could kind of get us started there.
4:45
SPEAKER_03: Yes.
4:46
SPEAKER_02: Okay, so I love the question that you just asked because you actually substituted out a word.
4:53
SPEAKER_02: Well, really, we're going to be talking a lot about sunscreen, but true sun protection, according to our American Academy of Dermatology, it's really three-pronged.
5:04
SPEAKER_02: And I want all of the listeners to remember this.
5:06
SPEAKER_02: The first thing is avoiding the peak hours of UV intensity, which is typically 10 a.m.
5:14
SPEAKER_02: to 2 p.m.
5:15
SPEAKER_02: Try not to be outdoors during that time.
5:18
SPEAKER_02: The second thing, besides, you know, really saying out of doors, the peak hours of intensity, will be to consider photoprotective clothing.
5:26
SPEAKER_02: So instead of SPF, that's labeled to UPF.
5:30
SPEAKER_02: And that I am so wholeheartedly a fan of.
5:34
SPEAKER_02: So if you're gonna be outdoors, if you're going to your kids' soccer game, stuff even like a hat on top of your sunscreen, uh, stuff like long sleeve UV, U, I'm sorry, yeah, UPF.
5:48
SPEAKER_02: That's uh, you know, instead of the SPF, it's UPF 50 clothing that's gonna protect you.
5:53
SPEAKER_02: And then the last component of the three prongs, besides the hours you're out, the clothing that you can wear is gonna be the sunscreen use.
6:01
SPEAKER_02: And I want to sort of focus on that very big picture.
6:05
SPEAKER_02: Okay, you want your sunscreen choice to go along with your activities.
6:11
SPEAKER_02: So, for instance, if you're gonna be out watching a soccer game or you're gonna be out playing tennis, you've really got to look for a sweat-proof sunscreen.
6:24
SPEAKER_02: These are often marketed as sports formula.
6:28
SPEAKER_02: But if you know you're gonna be sweating, please, please, please, during that time, put on sweat-proof, or honestly, 20 minutes before, apply sweat-proof sunscreen.
6:39
SPEAKER_02: If you know that you're going to the beach, make sure that you have waterproof sunscreen.
6:44
SPEAKER_02: And you know, one easy thing is that most sports formulas will be labeled both sweat-proof and waterproof up to about 80 minutes in the water.
6:54
SPEAKER_02: So, you know, that's the first thing.
6:56
SPEAKER_02: Um keep on going and say, besides the selection, so you know, that's going to be for your outdoor activities.
7:04
SPEAKER_02: Now, what I am a huge believer in is that so much of what we think of as chronologic, the unwanted skin changes of chronologic aging really just have to do with external aggressors that our facial skin especially comes in contact with, like the sun, and even pollutants and other things.
7:26
SPEAKER_02: But when we talk about the sun, you know, there's what we dermatologists call inadvertent sun exposure.
7:34
SPEAKER_02: That means you've got to realize when you're driving in your car, let's say you have a 20-minute commute to work each way during daylight hours.
7:42
SPEAKER_02: Well, guess what?
7:43
SPEAKER_02: The UV is coming through the window glass, especially the aging raise the UVA.
7:48
SPEAKER_02: You've got to be putting on a daily sunscreen, but that shouldn't be waterproof or sweatproof.
7:54
SPEAKER_02: That should be something that you really love to have on your skin that almost makes your skin look better.
7:59
SPEAKER_03: Right, right.
8:00
SPEAKER_03: You know, wasn't there a study, Dr.
8:02
SPEAKER_03: Loretta?
8:03
SPEAKER_03: I I think I like it was everywhere on social media where there was a truck driver and they showed his like right, like his left side or something like that compared to his right when because he was always in the sun driving.
8:14
SPEAKER_03: Like, I mean, I saw that and I was like, oh my God, like this is huge.
8:18
unknown: Yeah.
8:18
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
8:19
SPEAKER_02: The visual was that his left side looked maybe 25 or 30 years older than his right side.
8:26
SPEAKER_02: And you know, that sort of really uh I've got to tell you, for even like let's say skin cancers, I treat so many more on the left ear than the right ear.
8:37
SPEAKER_02: And there's a reason why, and it's from that car driving.
8:40
SPEAKER_03: Wow.
8:41
SPEAKER_03: Wow.
8:42
SPEAKER_03: So they see that really leads me to asking you now about the SPF component here.
8:47
SPEAKER_03: Because now, you know, a lot of people, and and since you know, the last time we had you on, like, you know, I've had people come on and tell me about what SPF levels we should be using.
8:57
SPEAKER_03: But I want to ask you that question because really I'm still confused, you know, because I hear the buzzword a lot lately where SPF 30 is all you need, you know.
9:07
SPEAKER_03: Is that true or is that just hype?
9:09
SPEAKER_03: I mean, what is what is that whole you know number about?
9:12
SPEAKER_02: Okay, so the first thing is I just want to sort of define what how the SPF gets evaluated, right?
9:20
SPEAKER_02: So the term SPF is sun protection factor.
9:24
SPEAKER_02: And basically, every time that a sunscreen gets created, it has to go through pretty rigorous SPF testing and you know, then register it with the FDA or FDA.
9:36
SPEAKER_02: And what an SPF of 30 means is that you can be out in the sun 30 times longer with that product on than if you didn't have that product on.
9:49
SPEAKER_02: So let's say that typically if you go to the beach in the summertime, within 10 minutes, you're gonna turn red, which is the effect we see from UVB, right?
10:00
SPEAKER_02: Well, if you have an SPF 30, then you have 300 minutes of protection.
10:08
SPEAKER_02: Practically speaking, most of us dermatologists really believe that for normal exposures, somewhere between a 30 and a 50 is really very adequate.
10:24
SPEAKER_02: Certainly for like what we talked about when we're talking about, you know, putting on sunscreen on our face, which I've got to appeal to all of your listeners that this is a great beauty secret, right?
10:35
SPEAKER_02: For your face not to age, put on a sunscreen every day.
10:39
SPEAKER_02: And yes, I believe, and most of us dermatologists believe, the healthy range is from 30 to 50.
10:45
SPEAKER_02: It's very unlikely in your everyday lifestyle that you would have more than 300 or 500 minutes of sun extrousure.
10:57
SPEAKER_02: Now, the other part of this, and um, there are honestly people who are even more expert dermatologists because they follow this very, very closely.
11:09
SPEAKER_02: Uh, the other sort of caveat is that when you get over 50, you do lose, typically, you're gonna lose, believe it or not, a little bit of UVA protection.
11:23
SPEAKER_02: Because, like I said, the SPF really is just giving you a reflection of your increased amount of UVB protection.
11:33
SPEAKER_02: And uh, especially some of the dermatologists out of Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York, that dermatology department, which is part of Cornell Medical School, they've really looked at this because in the EU, there's very specific testing that is done that we don't have yet here, that looks at the proportionate UVB versus UVA exposure.
11:57
SPEAKER_02: And as a rule, over 50, you don't have quite as good UVA exposure.
12:04
SPEAKER_02: So a rule of thumb is get a product that you like having on your skin that agrees with your skin in the range of 30 to 50.
12:14
SPEAKER_03: That makes sense.
12:15
SPEAKER_03: No, I didn't know that.
12:16
SPEAKER_03: I didn't know about the um over like the you know, the over the fifth over 50, like you know, you have that decreased level of UVA protection.
12:23
SPEAKER_03: That's really interesting.
12:24
SPEAKER_02: Um that's a general rule.
12:27
SPEAKER_02: I'm not gonna say that every single uh sunscreen in the United States is over 50, it's giving you less UVA protection.
12:33
SPEAKER_02: But please remember this at the present time, our FDA does a very, they only require sort of what I call a very basic UVA protection test.
12:46
SPEAKER_02: It's just showing that that uh the sunscreen will absorb a certain uh wavelength of UVA, and then we can write on it UVA UVB protection.
12:57
SPEAKER_02: The uh EU requires much more stringent UVA protection testing.
13:03
SPEAKER_02: So that's why I have so many skin cancer patients in my dermatology practice, and I always tell them go between a 30 and a 50.
13:12
SPEAKER_03: That's interesting.
13:13
SPEAKER_03: Now, what about body sunscreen, Dr.
13:15
SPEAKER_03: Loretta?
13:16
SPEAKER_03: I like, you know, because obviously, like you mentioned, we're driving a lot.
13:19
SPEAKER_03: We're, you know what I mean, we're out in the sun, especially with the summertime.
13:22
SPEAKER_03: What about body protection, SPF?
13:25
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
13:25
SPEAKER_02: So the first thing is that I love what are called the let's let's talk about our backs, okay?
13:32
SPEAKER_02: Because so much of the time we neglect, you know, we might be at the beach uh at a picnic and we've got like a little bit of a lower cut cut out on our back, on our bathing suit, our uh clothing, whatever.
13:45
SPEAKER_02: So for this, I love you to consider what's called the continuous spray sunscreens, right?
13:52
SPEAKER_02: And what that means, and and there almost every uh sports formula has this.
13:57
SPEAKER_02: It's gonna be a spray can of sunscreen.
14:00
SPEAKER_02: And what it's meant by continuous spray is you can literally turn it upside down and it's still gonna spray out.
14:07
SPEAKER_02: So that's sort of the foolproof way.
14:09
SPEAKER_02: If you're living alone or you don't have somebody who can help you apply the sunscreen on your back, that's gonna be a great way to protect your back.
14:17
SPEAKER_02: And I've got to tell you that as a dermatologist, some of the most aggressive skin cancers I've seen that get diagnosed in the latest stages are on people's backs because we just don't really always see our back.
14:30
SPEAKER_02: So something could be, you know, festering there.
14:33
SPEAKER_02: And by the time you come in, it may have already gone to too late of a stage, right?
14:38
SPEAKER_02: So please protect your back.
14:40
SPEAKER_02: And of course, you know, if you don't like the idea of the spray, then get the UPF, the sun protective clothing.
14:46
SPEAKER_02: So, you know, that's sort of one thing for the body.
14:50
SPEAKER_02: The other thing is our hands, right?
14:54
SPEAKER_02: That we've got to remember that we get so much exposure on our hands and to keep your hands young looking, be applying and reapplying sunscreen on your hands.
15:05
SPEAKER_03: That's interesting.
15:06
SPEAKER_03: And you know, and I agree with you.
15:08
SPEAKER_03: I think hands, like I think a long time ago, someone told me, like, whatever skincare you have left, just put it on your hands.
15:14
SPEAKER_03: Like if it's too much, like you know, just you know, just put it in your hands, we'll stay youthful as well, along with your face, you know.
15:22
SPEAKER_03: So um, that makes sense.
15:23
SPEAKER_03: But you know, again, coming back to the you know, sun protection factor, the SPF portion.
15:28
SPEAKER_03: I mean, I've seen a lot of body care sunscreen that is like SPF 15.
15:33
SPEAKER_03: So it makes me wonder.
15:34
SPEAKER_03: It's like, you know, is that really the adequate amount, you know?
15:38
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, no, I don't think that you should use a 15.
15:42
SPEAKER_02: And I'm sort of glad you're even I don't think a 15, it's just not enough, right?
15:46
SPEAKER_02: And I'm really glad you're mentioning 15 because yes, body care can be 15, and actually a lot of makeups have SPF 15 or SPF 20 in them, and that's not enough.
16:00
SPEAKER_03: Wow, wow, yeah, because for body sunscreen, I've seen the SPF.
16:03
SPEAKER_03: I didn't know that about makeup though.
16:05
SPEAKER_03: That's very interesting.
16:06
SPEAKER_03: Um, so if that I mean, I guess that's a huge uh, you know, kind of red flag for anyone who's buying makeup or foundation with SPF, make sure you're checking them out, you know, and make sure it's between the 30 to 45 range, like Dr.
16:19
SPEAKER_03: Lor Loretta said told us here.
16:21
SPEAKER_03: So that's interesting.
16:22
SPEAKER_03: Um now when it comes to the actual protection itself, like do you prefer mineral or chemical?
16:28
SPEAKER_03: I mean, what is the can you kind of debunk that for us a little bit and tell us about, you know, what are what is the difference?
16:33
SPEAKER_03: Is there a difference?
16:34
SPEAKER_03: You know, should we as consumers be gravitating towards one or the other?
16:38
SPEAKER_03: I mean, what what do you think about that?
16:40
SPEAKER_02: Okay, the first general rule I'm gonna say to you is, and this is coming from myself, I've been a board-certified dermatologist for 41 years.
16:50
SPEAKER_02: So I have had thousands of skincare patients over the years.
16:55
SPEAKER_02: We wanna remember that the number one benefit from using SPF is to prevent skin cancer.
17:04
SPEAKER_02: So, what I tell every patient of my own is what I want you to do is find a sunscreen that you actually like to use, whether it is mineral or quote-unquote chemical-based.
17:18
SPEAKER_02: Now, uh, some people who have more sensitive skin, or people who are a little more prone to redness, maybe rosacea patients, or just if you tend to have sensitive red skin, then probably you are gonna prefer using the mineral sunscreen.
17:35
SPEAKER_02: And mineral sunscreens are really zinc-based.
17:40
SPEAKER_02: Zinc happens to be very good at lessening skin redness, but it also just really is working mostly by reflecting off the sun rays.
17:52
SPEAKER_02: Whereas all of the so-called chemical sunscreens actually absorb in some of the sun's rays, but in absorbing them in, they alter them so that they don't hurt our skin.
18:05
SPEAKER_02: Now, what's really sort of become the favorite on social media is the uh advice that everyone should use a mineral-only sunscreen.
18:16
SPEAKER_02: The problem can be that most mineral-only sunscreens really are a little bit on the chalky side.
18:23
SPEAKER_02: So if you have a skin tone that's got a nice deeper olive complexion or even a cocoa complexion, you might be very unhappy with using a mineral-only sunscreen.
18:35
SPEAKER_02: So this is a very individual choice.
18:39
SPEAKER_03: That makes sense.
18:40
SPEAKER_03: Now, see, I I personally like I love the mineral, but that that white cast is so, so, you know what I mean?
18:47
SPEAKER_03: It's it's just so annoying for me, you know, when I'm not doing my makeup or something like that.
18:51
SPEAKER_03: So that makes sense.
18:52
SPEAKER_03: Whereas like the personal choice.
18:54
SPEAKER_02: But you know, I do have to tell you, I'm very proud.
18:56
SPEAKER_02: We just launched two months ago our Universal Glow, mineral-only sunscreen from Dr.
19:03
SPEAKER_02: Loretta.
19:04
SPEAKER_02: It already has won the Harper's Bazaar Best Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin Award.
19:11
SPEAKER_02: We went on Violet Gray.
19:13
SPEAKER_02: We started with an exclusive on Violet Gray.
19:15
SPEAKER_02: It sold out in less than 48 hours.
19:18
SPEAKER_02: And because I worked really hard for about three years to make a mineral only that's gonna blend in even with cocoa-colored skin.
19:27
SPEAKER_02: And I think we I think we've hit on it.
19:29
SPEAKER_02: So if you really want to think only, uh, and but definitely we got to see if we can get you some might now.
19:35
SPEAKER_02: I'm ashamed to tell you, it might even be on backwater because we really can't make it fast enough, but we're gonna have it in real soon.
19:42
SPEAKER_02: So it's that universal we still have it on air site.
19:46
SPEAKER_02: That is amazing.
19:47
SPEAKER_02: Oh my gosh, congratulations.
19:49
SPEAKER_02: That is so amazing.
19:50
SPEAKER_02: It's it's uh it's like giving birth to my dream, dream formula.
19:56
SPEAKER_03: Really, I bet.
19:57
SPEAKER_03: No, that's wonderful.
19:58
SPEAKER_03: We need that.
19:59
SPEAKER_03: Oh my gosh, thank you for creating that.
20:01
SPEAKER_03: We really, really need that as a fellow, you know, as a woman of color, like I just, you know, I can't tell you how important that is.
20:08
SPEAKER_03: And you know, especially how many times I hear women of color or men of color say, no, I'm not using a sunscreen.
20:15
SPEAKER_03: It makes me look pasty white or you know, it leaves that grayish color on my skin.
20:20
SPEAKER_03: So yeah, that is so needed.
20:21
SPEAKER_03: And and for everyone listening, please, you know, keep your eyes on that one.
20:25
SPEAKER_03: Uh, if it's on back order, just put an alert on.
20:28
SPEAKER_03: You know, I'm sure you know, on the website, there's more.
20:30
SPEAKER_02: I think we might have a few left on our side, and actually, maybe Violet's still got it too.
20:34
SPEAKER_02: But I know that a lot of sites have ordered it a Durham store and all, and and we're just waiting for us to finish.
20:41
SPEAKER_02: I think actually, maybe end of May, the batch is supposed to be ready.
20:44
SPEAKER_03: So uh I'm gonna go ask Cassandra.
20:46
SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna ask Cassandra if they still have it in Violet.
20:49
SPEAKER_03: Right.
20:50
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, but that's amazing.
20:51
SPEAKER_03: That's so cool.
20:52
SPEAKER_03: And I and I love that you made that because that was really my question.
20:55
SPEAKER_03: Was next question was about, you know, melanin rich skin versus non and um really kind of the differences we see here, you know, in terms of whether that's you know, um uh compliance from patients when it comes to really being, you know, consistent with your sunscreen application, or just kind of the differences you've noticed, you know, from your dermatology uh practice side of things when it comes to the protection um aspect, you know, what are some of the the chain the changes or differences between groups of patients that you notice when it comes to sun protection or any advice that you have for different groups of patients?
21:30
SPEAKER_02: Right.
21:30
SPEAKER_02: I think I would say that there for sure when you have a deeper skin tone, women and men of color, you know, you've got to be really careful that you don't look like you've got some white cast on your skin.
21:45
SPEAKER_02: In fact, you don't let a doctor talk you into using a product where you feel uncomfortable in the appearance of having it on.
21:53
SPEAKER_02: Okay, so that's sort of the first thing.
21:55
SPEAKER_02: Uh, you know, the next thing is that we do know that.
22:00
SPEAKER_02: Having a tint in sunscreen, which means that that's provided by uh iron oxide, which is what gives it a tint, right?
22:09
SPEAKER_02: And having a tint in sunscreen will actually end up giving you more protection from the sun.
22:18
SPEAKER_02: So, like for instance, if you've got hyperpigmentation from old acne marks, or you've got melasma from the birth control pill or a pregnancy, there have been studies done that have shown that the same exact sunscreen formula, with or without tint, once the tint is in it, meaning that in other words, it's gonna look like a tinted moisturizer, you're gonna get a better, faster resolution of hyperpigmentation.
22:44
SPEAKER_02: So, you know, I think that that's important.
22:46
SPEAKER_02: You know, the other thing is you have to really like the way that it feels and smells and all of this.
22:52
SPEAKER_02: If you put on a sunscreen and you really do not like it, like it makes you feel tingly or whatever, you know, switch to another one.
23:03
SPEAKER_02: I think that every one of us has got to, I think, you know, right now with National Sunscreen Day, this is the day for you to make the decision that you're going to find a sunscreen that's gonna be a lifer for you.
23:17
SPEAKER_02: That's really important.
23:19
SPEAKER_02: It's of all of the products that you could possibly be using on your skin, sunscreen saves lives.
23:26
SPEAKER_02: Not only does it prevent wrinkles and age spots, it may be the one thing that's gonna save your life by preventing skin cancer.
23:37
SPEAKER_03: That makes sense.
23:38
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that makes sense.
23:39
SPEAKER_03: And I and I really think that, you know, with the cancer uh aspect, you know, really coming into play here, that's really where I want to direct the conversation now is is into this skin cancer um, you know, side of things because I know a lot of people are we are aware of melanoma.
23:55
SPEAKER_03: You know, I think there's a lot of information about melanoma out there just because you know, consumers have been more curious over the years, but you know, we don't really talk about all of the other types of skin cancers, right?
24:06
SPEAKER_03: So I would love for you to kind of give us a little uh rundown, if you could, of you know, what are the different types of cancers?
24:12
SPEAKER_03: What should we be doing, you know, in terms of preventative measures, other than obviously, you know, what we've discussed with the sunscreen and stuff in terms of self-checking and you know whatnot.
24:22
SPEAKER_03: So if you could kind of give us a little rundown of that, that would be so great.
24:26
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, beautiful.
24:27
SPEAKER_02: Thank you for mentioning this because, you know, very importantly, I absolutely recommend that we all do a once-a-month skin self-exam.
24:39
SPEAKER_02: So the first day of the month is sort of a good day to remember to do it, right?
24:44
SPEAKER_02: That involves looking under our arms, looking at the palms of our hands, looking at the soles of our feet, you know, looking at everything that you have easy access to, which is pretty much the front of your body.
24:55
SPEAKER_02: Pull back your hair.
24:57
SPEAKER_02: If you're if your ears are um, you know, being covered by your hair, make sure that you put your hair up in a ponytail or something.
25:03
SPEAKER_02: When it comes to your back, you can try to use a double mirror, you know.
25:07
SPEAKER_02: So buy yourself like a big handheld mirror and put it, you know, uh, visualize your back by uh putting that, putting yourself in front of like a wall mirror so that you can see your back.
25:18
SPEAKER_02: Or you can buddy up with somebody.
25:20
SPEAKER_02: And what you can do too is you can have them take a picture on your phone of your back, you take a picture on their phone, and then you have your baseline, and you can keep on looking at that.
25:30
SPEAKER_02: Backs are a little bit trickier since we don't see them every day, and they're not as common a place for the skin cancer to occur.
25:39
SPEAKER_02: Really, very commonly, we see skin cancers on the face, the chest, especially like the v-neck of the chest, and then the upper extremities, meaning your hands and your forearms.
25:52
SPEAKER_02: And really, the things you should be on the lookout for is anything that changes or bleeds, right?
26:00
SPEAKER_02: So you've got a spot forever, but all of a sudden you see there's a scab on it.
26:04
SPEAKER_02: Well, scab is dried out blood.
26:06
SPEAKER_02: Why did that thing bleed?
26:08
SPEAKER_02: You've got to bring that to the attention of a dermatologist, or you may have a primary doctor who even takes skin biopsies.
26:15
SPEAKER_02: So you're looking for something that's changed.
26:18
SPEAKER_02: You're also looking for something that's new and unique.
26:22
SPEAKER_02: By even our 40s, we can start to get some little age spots, whether they're little red dots that we call cherry angiomas or little brown rough patches.
26:32
SPEAKER_02: And if you've already started to develop these, and now you develop another one and it looks exactly like the ones you've already got, that's fine.
26:40
SPEAKER_02: But when you get something that's a new and unique appearing growth for you, something that doesn't match anything else that you've got, that needs to be brought to the dermatologist's attention.
26:52
SPEAKER_02: So the, and then uh sort of, I'm going to go through the kinds of precancers and cancers that we see.
27:00
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
27:01
SPEAKER_02: The most common kind of a skin cancer is called a basal cell carcinoma.
27:07
SPEAKER_02: These are extremely treatable in the early stages, and uh they look a little bit like a pimple that does not go away.
27:17
SPEAKER_02: So if you get a little red, sort of like a little dome-shaped spot on you, uh, or anything where all of a sudden, hey, I've got something new, it looks a little reddish, maybe it's just a pimple, fine.
27:28
SPEAKER_02: But if that quote unquote pimple doesn't go away after six weeks, you've got to go to the doctor.
27:34
SPEAKER_02: If that pimple starts to bleed on you without you picking at it, you've got to go to the doctor.
27:39
SPEAKER_02: And these are easy to remove when they're small.
27:42
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
27:43
SPEAKER_02: The next thing is that the second most common kind of skin cancer is called the squamous cell carcinoma.
27:50
SPEAKER_02: These almost look a little bit like a wart.
27:52
SPEAKER_02: They are much more rough textured.
27:55
SPEAKER_02: And the good news about them is that typically, before you have a full-blown squamous cell carcinoma, you're gonna have just a rough patch that uh doesn't have color to it typically.
28:09
SPEAKER_02: And we call that the actinokeratosis.
28:11
SPEAKER_02: These are super easily treated.
28:14
SPEAKER_02: We can even just spray them with a little liquid nitrogen spray.
28:18
SPEAKER_02: Uh, sometimes we use uh chemotherapy cream to get rid of them.
28:23
SPEAKER_02: So if all of a sudden you're getting even like sometimes you don't even see the actinokeratosis, the precancer.
28:30
SPEAKER_02: It's just a rough spot that you can feel.
28:32
SPEAKER_02: And these are common on people's faces, on their ears, and men who've lost their hair, they're very common on our scalps, uh, women on our chests, our hands.
28:43
SPEAKER_02: So if you're starting to get some rough patches that are, you know, not necessarily looking like your mom's age spots, right?
28:52
SPEAKER_02: It's really a good idea to go to the dermatologist.
28:55
SPEAKER_02: In fact, getting a baseline checkup, even if you don't see that you have anything, if you live in a geographic area where you can get a dermatology appointment, because that does not always happen, especially in rural areas.
29:09
SPEAKER_02: It can be hard to get a dermatology appointment.
29:11
SPEAKER_02: But if you live in an area where you can get to a dermatologist, I recommend you go once to get a baseline.
29:17
SPEAKER_02: Now, of course, then we're going to come to, we've talked about the basal cell, common but not aggressive.
29:23
SPEAKER_02: Actinokeratosis, the precancer to the squamous cell, much less common, sometimes a little more aggressive, the squamous cell.
29:33
SPEAKER_02: And then we have the melanoma, which is a very can be a very life-threatening form of skin cancer.
29:41
SPEAKER_02: Of course, if these are found early, they are very treatable with a more than 95% five-year survival rate.
29:53
SPEAKER_02: So again, this is why it's so important that that you do this once a month, that each of us does the once-a month skin self-exam.
30:02
SPEAKER_02: Because trust me, it's not good enough to just go to the dermatologist every year, right?
30:07
SPEAKER_02: You can go to the dermatologist, everything can be fine.
30:09
SPEAKER_02: And then, you know, two months later, you can develop an early melanoma on your back.
30:14
SPEAKER_02: You're the one who's got to really be doing that surveillance.
30:17
SPEAKER_02: You know, many times a patient who comes in and they see I'm looking between their toes and the soles of their feet, they're shocked that I'm looking there.
30:24
SPEAKER_02: But yeah, you've got to look at your whole body.
30:26
SPEAKER_02: Now, the melanomas actually they've increased a little bit in frequency in the United States in the incidence of melanoma.
30:34
SPEAKER_02: But the good thing is that we have multiple forms of what's called immunotherapy now to treat melanomas, uh, because melanomas aren't very responsive to chemotherapy.
30:46
SPEAKER_02: So we excise them and then, you know, we really, after excising them and maybe taking out lymph nodes and stuff, it used to be that melanomas didn't really typically have a super long survival rate.
30:59
SPEAKER_02: Now, with new immunotherapy, the survival rate has increased and we're very, very hopeful.
31:06
SPEAKER_02: But again, the early detection is the most important approach to treatment of any skin cancer.
31:14
SPEAKER_03: That makes sense.
31:15
SPEAKER_03: Now that's really interesting.
31:16
SPEAKER_03: I'm so glad you went through all of them because honestly, I think that a lot of times people assume, like, especially when you had when you're like the wart like consistency or the rough consistency, people just assume, like, oh, this is just normal.
31:29
SPEAKER_03: You know what I mean?
31:29
SPEAKER_03: Like, oh, it's just something that I just have, you know.
31:32
SPEAKER_03: And that's I've seen actually my own friends do that.
31:35
SPEAKER_03: Like, you know, they're just like, oh, it's okay.
31:37
SPEAKER_03: It's just a little, and I'm like, no, you need to go to a dermatologist.
31:40
SPEAKER_03: Like, you don't know what that is, you know what I mean?
31:42
SPEAKER_03: So I think that yes.
31:44
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
31:44
SPEAKER_03: I mean, that's so, so important.
31:46
SPEAKER_03: So wow, I I did not know that.
31:48
SPEAKER_03: And I I'm definitely glad that you mentioned all of that because uh for everyone listening out there, um, I think that self-exam part is just so crucial, especially nowadays when we don't know how much.
31:59
SPEAKER_03: I mean, people go out in the sun every day now, right?
32:02
SPEAKER_03: With COVID being over, we're always outside now, you know, whether it's traveling to work, whether it's going outside with your kids, whatever that may be for you, you're being exposed.
32:12
SPEAKER_03: And so you have to be more mindful of what's on your body, you know, any new spots that come up.
32:17
SPEAKER_03: And also everything isn't a birthmark.
32:20
SPEAKER_03: Like if it wasn't there before, it's not a birthmark, right?
32:24
SPEAKER_03: So um, yes, yeah.
32:26
SPEAKER_03: No, I I I love that.
32:28
SPEAKER_03: Now I want to ask you, um, Dr.
32:29
SPEAKER_03: Loretta, I want to ask you uh one last question that's really um just advice, really, for everybody that's you know really into exfoliation, right?
32:38
SPEAKER_03: Because I feel like in the last year or two, the whole skincare industry has gone wild with exfoliation.
32:44
SPEAKER_03: Like we've gotten all these products come out that are just based on, you know, a lot of AHAs, BHAs, you know, you name it, and it's there.
32:52
SPEAKER_03: And so my question really is when you are using such products, I mean, should we be limiting them to strictly night use and then you know, using a specific type of sun protection the next morning?
33:04
SPEAKER_03: Or how does that work?
33:05
SPEAKER_03: You know, I mean, is there too much exfoliation, all of that kind of stuff?
33:09
SPEAKER_03: If you could kind of walk us through that.
33:11
SPEAKER_02: Good.
33:12
SPEAKER_02: So, you know, I think exfoliation is an important part of every skincare routine, but you've got to do it to your own skin's tolerance.
33:20
SPEAKER_02: And I do see, just like what you're saying, you know, some people are just using a little too much of these acids, the AHAs, the glycolics, and they're turning red and all this, and that's not good.
33:31
SPEAKER_02: You know, I think you only want to exfoliate on skin that's not already red or peeling or irritated.
33:38
SPEAKER_02: Now, the next thing is all exfoliants have some degree of making us more sensitive to the sun.
33:46
SPEAKER_02: And I think a mistake that's made is a lot of times people will say, oh, well, I'm using my AHA or uh my retinol, because retinol also gives us some exfoliation, right?
33:57
SPEAKER_02: I'm using it at night, so I don't have to use sunscreen in the morning.
34:00
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
34:01
SPEAKER_02: This is not true.
34:03
SPEAKER_02: When you're using an exfoliant, you always need sunscreen the following morning, even if you only exfoliate it at night.
34:12
SPEAKER_02: The reason for this is that the process of exfoliation is getting rid of the dead cell layer or some of that dead cell layer at the surface of our skin.
34:23
SPEAKER_02: And that dead cell layer is our skin's own, one of our skin's natural protections from the sun.
34:32
SPEAKER_02: It actually inhibits some penetration of UV rays.
34:36
SPEAKER_02: So all exfoliating products, and like I say, remember it's not just products that are labeled as exfoliants, right?
34:44
SPEAKER_02: Like AHAs and BHAs, but also all retinoid products are uh are a form of exfoliation.
34:51
SPEAKER_02: They do even more than that, but they're sun sensitizers.
34:54
SPEAKER_02: So uh please be sure to use sunscreen in the morning.
34:59
SPEAKER_02: Uh, I say use it whether you exfoliated the night before or not, but especially you've got to use it if you've exfoliated.
35:07
SPEAKER_02: And when it comes to exfoliation, I'm very much a fan of exfoliation, but only to the degree that your skin can tolerate it and never put it on areas that are red, peeling, or irritated.
35:22
SPEAKER_03: Okay, okay.
35:23
SPEAKER_03: So, like in terms of like actual exfoliation, though, like if we're using, for example, 30% peel, right?
35:30
SPEAKER_03: Like we go and get a peel done.
35:32
SPEAKER_03: Should we be just like avoiding the sun for like two days?
35:35
SPEAKER_03: Like, is that something that we should just do?
35:37
SPEAKER_03: Or like what do you what do you think?
35:39
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
35:39
SPEAKER_03: Yes, yes.
35:40
SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much.
35:41
SPEAKER_02: Kind of coming full circle, right?
35:43
SPEAKER_02: Because started by saying think of sunscreen as part of your three-pronged sun protection uh method, right?
35:52
SPEAKER_02: And one of them is uh what I said to begin with is avoid the peak hours from 10 to 2.
35:57
SPEAKER_02: But if you have done some kind of in-office exfoliation, in-spa exfoliation, that's gonna be even much more profound in terms of making it sensitive to the sun.
36:08
SPEAKER_02: So, yeah, you're much better off if you can stay indoors for the next few days.
36:12
SPEAKER_02: And of course, yeah, just including it.
36:15
SPEAKER_02: I'm very glad that you mentioned exfoliation and certain kinds of products, for instance, AHAs, the FDA requires us to put on the label what's called the sunscreen alert.
36:28
SPEAKER_02: And you may want to even look for that on your uh or sunburn alert.
36:32
SPEAKER_02: I'm sorry, you may want to look for that on your products to see.
36:35
SPEAKER_03: Interesting.
36:36
SPEAKER_03: I didn't know that.
36:37
SPEAKER_03: That's yeah, that's something that we should see.
36:39
SPEAKER_03: I've been looking recently more so at those little tiny seals on packages because I've noticed that there's a lot of stuff going on there.
36:46
SPEAKER_03: So I need to I need to be more mindful as well because I don't really check those the labels as much.
36:51
SPEAKER_03: But that's really I'm so glad you pointed that out.
36:54
SPEAKER_03: And I think that um that's definitely something all of us can do um just to you know double check and make sure that we're buying the right products and all that.
37:02
SPEAKER_03: So, but Dr.
37:04
SPEAKER_03: Loretta, this has been so wonderful and you're just so amazing.
37:07
SPEAKER_03: Thank you so much for coming on.
37:10
SPEAKER_03: I mean, this is this has really been great, and I hope that everyone listening, you guys have learned a lot.
37:15
SPEAKER_03: I have for sure.
37:16
SPEAKER_03: And I think that this year, you know, for sunscreen um day, I think that we have to really be just more mindful, right?
37:23
SPEAKER_03: I mean, summer is right around the corner, you know, we're approaching the hottest months of the year and the brightest months of the year.
37:30
SPEAKER_03: So definitely take everything Dr.
37:32
SPEAKER_03: Loretta said, you know, take that advice, apply it to your daily life.
37:36
SPEAKER_03: And and also, you know, just to follow up with what she was saying, you know, go to your dermatologist, go see a dermatologist.
37:43
SPEAKER_03: If you see any abnormalities and you're doing yourself checks, whatever, don't skip that step.
37:49
SPEAKER_03: That's the best step you could do for your skincare overall, is to go see a germ.
37:54
SPEAKER_03: So um definitely do that.
37:55
SPEAKER_03: But thank you so much, Dr.
37:56
SPEAKER_03: Loretta.
37:57
SPEAKER_03: You're you're so wonderful.
37:58
SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much, really.
37:59
SPEAKER_02: And remember, it's not just the sunscreen, it's not just to prevent skin cancer, it's to keep you look young looking.
38:05
SPEAKER_02: Look on my at Dr.
38:07
SPEAKER_02: Loretta on social and you'll see I've just relied on that and skincare, not procedures.
38:12
SPEAKER_02: And at 70, my skin still looks young.
38:15
SPEAKER_02: So let's even think about the vanity motive and let's all get on that sunscreen bandwagon.
38:22
SPEAKER_03: Absolutely, and you look amazing, by the way.
38:24
SPEAKER_03: I did check out your Instagram and you look phenomenal.
38:27
SPEAKER_03: So I hope I am I am as lucky uh to look so wonderful at your age because you you really look great.
38:34
SPEAKER_03: And I and I love how much knowledge is just jam-packed in your brain, and I love that.
38:38
SPEAKER_03: You know, it's like thank you, thank you.
38:41
SPEAKER_02: And like what we do, really.
38:43
SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much.
38:44
SPEAKER_02: Have a wonderful day.
38:46
SPEAKER_02: You too, Dr.
38:48
SPEAKER_03: Thank you so much.
38:49
SPEAKER_02: Bye-bye.
38:52
SPEAKER_03: Hey guys, so I hope you love that episode.
38:55
SPEAKER_03: Please make sure to hit subscribe if you're tuning in to us on any podcast platform.
39:00
SPEAKER_03: We are available on so many different platforms.
39:02
SPEAKER_03: So wherever it is that you're tuning in, just go hit subscribe.
39:06
SPEAKER_03: You will be immediately notified when we publish new episodes.
39:09
SPEAKER_03: This way you're able to tune in to amazing insights from experts, brand founders, industry leaders, authors, all the wonderful people that we host.
39:17
SPEAKER_03: And that's very important for me because I love to hear from you guys and really understand what you love and what you want to hear more of.
39:25
SPEAKER_03: Also, make sure to give us a follow on all of our social media outlets.
39:28
SPEAKER_03: We're available on Instagram, TikTok, X, you name it, we're there.
39:32
SPEAKER_03: We also have a blog on Medium.
39:34
SPEAKER_03: So if you're a reader and you love Medium blogs, check us out on Medium.
39:38
SPEAKER_03: We publish some really great articles on there that do deeper dives than just what's available on the podcast, and it's really a great place for all of you science geeks out there that want to learn a little bit more.
39:48
SPEAKER_03: We go above and beyond with our research and making sure we're bringing you information that you usually probably won't hear about in other outlets.
39:55
SPEAKER_03: So check us out, leave us a comment, leave us a review, and we'll be back next time with another episode.
40:00
SPEAKER_03: Thank you.