Robin Berger M.D. - October 2010 Archives

October 2010 Archives

How Not to Get Burned Running the St. George Marathon

Posted on Oct 02, 2010

sgu-marathon

The day looks like it’s going to be a hot one for the 2010 St. George Marathon. That means fewer clothes, more sweat, and possibly more sunburns! Sore muscles are enough of a memento without adding a sunburn and sun damage to your souvenirs from Southern Utah.

A good sunblock should have an SPF above 30 for outside activity over 1 hour AND include at least one of the following ; zinc, titanium, avobenzone, or Mexoryl®
Reapply every 2 hours- choose water/sweat resistant but don’t count on it
Wear lightweight clothes which cover – I like coolibar.com They have a great selection and a lower price point than solumbra.
Heliocare oral supplement has been proven to help protect from sun damage- take one pill in the am and another one 4 hours later for optimal protection. This natural fern extract is a great backup for sunblock, especially when you sweat/run it off, miss a spot, or forget (kids?) to reapply it. Available at our office now! Call 435-673-7546
Oops? Aloe vera gel, hydrocortisone cream, oatmeal baths, and ibuprofen really help!
Don’t count on your base tan- provides only an SPF of 4.

Toasted Skin Hot Off the Press?

Posted on Oct 04, 2010

“Toasted Skin” in the dermatology lexicon is called Erythema Ab Igne. It’s not a true burn, but weird mottled pigmentation caused by chronic application of very warm to hot items (think space heaters, hot water bottles, and heating pads) that people usually use for comfort. Often permanent discolaration results.

Placing Laptop Computer Next To Skin For Long Periods May Lead To “Toasted Skin Syndrome.”

The UK’s Telegraph reports that, according to an article published Oct. 4 in the journal Pediatrics, placing a laptop computer “next to skin for long periods of time can lead to ‘toasted skin syndrome,’ an unusual-looking mottled skin condition caused by long-term heat exposure.” The Telegraph adds, “The condition also can be caused by overuse of heating pads and other heat sources that usually aren’t hot enough to cause burns.”

The Canadian Press reports, Dr. Anthony J. Mancini, dermatology chief at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, “noted that chronic, prolonged skin inflammation can potentially increase chances for squamous cell skin cancer, which is more aggressive than the most common skin cancer. But Mancini said it’s unlikely computer use would lead to cancer since it’s so easy to avoid prolonged close skin contact with laptops.”