ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) is marking National Healthy Skin Month with a simple message: love and protect the skin you're in. The AAD is encouraging people to give their skin the everyday care it deserves, while understanding when to bring in a board-certified dermatologist, who can serve as the expert that can evaluate your skin, hair, and nails for clues about your overall health, not just what is happening on the surface.
"Healthy skin is skin that can do its job well," said board-certified dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, MD, FAAD. "It keeps our bodies comfortable, regulating temperature and acting as a shield that protects us, both from physical debris and harmful germs, viruses, and bacteria. It is skin that has been loved and cared for through gentle cleansing, hydration, and sun protection. In a nutshell, healthy skin is skin that takes care of us while we take care of it."
Protecting and repairing the skin barrier
The skin barrier is at the center of healthy skin. It is the outermost layer of the skin and acts as a protective shield. It serves as the first line of defense against pollution, environmental damage, inflammation, and infection. It also keeps moisture locked in, helping the skin remain hydrated, smooth, and balanced.
When the skin barrier functions well, the skin is able to better protect the body and stay healthy. A damaged skin barrier allows germs to get inside, which can lead to infection. It can also cause water loss, resulting in dryness, flaking, or a tight or rough texture. A weakened skin barrier can make skin more easily irritated or inflamed, which can worsen conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, and acne.
If a person's skin is sensitive and reactive, leading to redness, discoloration, burning, or stinging when products are applied, it might mean the skin barrier is compromised. The skin barrier can be damaged by common factors including over-cleansing, harsh products, hot water, and excessive sun exposure. All of these can strip away the protection needed to keep your skin intact and hydrated. Over-exfoliation and layering too many active ingredients, can leave skin inflamed and more vulnerable to irritation. The best approach is usually the simplest one.
The AAD recommends the following steps to help protect and repair the skin barrier:
- Follow a simple skin care routine that includes a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer, and a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher.
- Introduce new skin care ingredients gradually rather than all at once.
- Use warm water instead of hot water when washing the face and body.
- If you choose to exfoliate, find the right exfoliating schedule to avoid over-exfoliating, which can leave the skin red and irritated.
- Seek shade, wear sun-protective clothing, and apply sunscreen when outdoors, since the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage skin even on cloudy or cool days.
Beyond routine care, Dr. Nazarian encourages patients to build a positive relationship with their skin.
"During skin exams, I routinely point out harmless findings that I think are special and unique," Dr. Nazarian said. "Many skin findings are found in multiple members of the same family, so I ask patients who else has these same spots. I remind them that their skin is a kind of anatomical family diary, and that reminder often helps patients love and care for the skin they have."
Skin: A window into overall health
Board-certified dermatologists are trained not only to treat skin, hair, and nail conditions, but also to recognize when a skin finding may point to a broader, and sometimes serious, medical condition. Dermatologists frequently see patients whose skin conditions are connected to other health conditions, including issues affecting the digestive system, heart, and hormones.
"The skin is a reflection of everything underneath," Dr. Nazarian said. "A board-certified dermatologist is well versed in identifying external signs of internal disease. There are signs on the skin of diabetes and insulin resistance, poor blood circulation, liver and gallbladder dysfunction, autoimmune disease, and even inflammatory bowel disease, among many others."
According to Dr. Nazarian, skin findings can prompt further evaluation for conditions such as diabetes, lupus, Crohn's disease, or ulcerative colitis, and can also reveal more common issues such as vitamin or iron deficiency. In some cases, findings on the skin, hair, or nails do not point to an exact diagnosis on their own, but they allow a dermatologist to begin narrowing down the underlying cause, as is often the case with hair loss.
"Dermatologists have the training and expertise to diagnose and treat more than 3,000 skin conditions," Dr. Nazarian said. "The differences between one diagnosis and another can be incredibly subtle, and the room for error is significant. Board-certified dermatologists have the skillset to identify the slight differences in the skin, hair, and nails that only become recognizable with experience and proper education."
Dermatologists' knowledge has direct implications for successful treatment and care for serious conditions, including skin cancer. Many potentially life-threatening skin conditions, including melanoma, have significantly better survival rates when diagnosed early. Seeing a board-certified dermatologist, who has years of formal training, gives patients the greatest opportunity to have these conditions identified early, which can improve their quality of life and long-term survival.
During National Healthy Skin Month, the AAD reminds the public to appreciate and protect the skin you're in. The AAD encourages people to learn how to perform a skin self-exam so that you can check your own skin for signs of skin cancer, adopt a simple and consistent skin care routine that protects and strengthens the skin barrier, and remember that skin changes can sometimes signal a health issue elsewhere in the body.
Board-certified dermatologists are there to help, with the training to spot what others might miss. To find a board-certified dermatologist in your area, visit aad.org/findaderm.
