A quick glance through the latest fashion ‘IT’ magazines makes it clear having golden skin is “Beauty Hot” representing health, vigor, and youth. The desire for this tanned look also presents the flip side of the increasing awareness of accumulative hazards affiliated with prolonged UVR light exposure and a yearly-renewed interest in ‘artificial tanning’ products as summer approaches. Using the term ‘artificial tanning’ is by description only a ‘marketing idiom’ and not accurate in present day sound skin science. Although the potentially dangerous photon energy of the sun is not accountable for this ‘artificial’ pigment reaction, the skin none-the-less is chemically responding with darkening consequence.

Within the past 10 years there has been a new awakening for sun care. Tanned bodies and naturally high-lighted hair was the sign of beauty because it symbolized recreation and free time as the majority of jobs were indoors and pale skin was a sign of labor. My how times have changed; tanning beds are out and sunscreen is now in! As professional skin care providers, we know that sunscreen is the key product in any skin care regimen because of the many benefits it provides for protecting the skin and preventing premature aging.

Welcome to the second part of the series looking at skin disorders. In this part we will look at the next level of common skin diseases. Previously we defined diseases as abnormal appearance, feeling, or sensation of the skin requiring diagnosis by a medical practitioner, which may need treatment either by prescription medicines or procedures performed by a medical professional. This information is important for your practice to help your patients with skin abnormalities receive proper care. As a skin care professional, you can also help them cope with their disease, encourage compliance with treatments, and provide complementary non-prescription adjuncts for control and prevention.

Gaining a New Perspective
Both modern medicine and spa services have tended to be symptom-based in their approach to disease. Symptom-based approaches are short-term fixes that don’t affect the cause, or necessarily the recurrence, of the problem.
If instead you develop an understanding of the underlying mechanisms of disease, and tune your perspective to eliminating them or protecting the body from them, you have turned a corner and are taking your services to an entirely new level.

The Melanocyte
The melanocyte is a cell located within the basal layer of the epidermis. The primary role of this specialized cell is to produce pigment and provide color to the skin. There are approximately 1500 melanocytes per square millimeter in the skin. They produce two types of pigment melanin; Eumelanin, which is a brown/black melanin; and pheomelanin, which is a red/yellow melanin. Our individual skin color is dependent upon the ratio of eumelanin to pheomelanin, and that ratio is dictated primarily by our genetic makeup.

The human body is an incredibly complex organization of systems. In order for each organ to perform in a structured and synergetic matter, all the components of the body must be functioning properly and healthily. Most people may not know this, but the lymphatic system's irreplaceable function within the human body serves many natural purposes, some of them still being relatively unknown.
The lymphatic system consists of lymphatic channels and an intricate capillary network. The lymph contains a clear fluid known as extra cellular fluid. This liquid closely resembles the blood plasma; however, its consistency is more diluted and adaptable.

In our aesthetic culture today, the word ‘cellulite’ has come to represent a hideous fat condition of the human body where by we will do just about anything to rid it. The term was first used in the 1920s and began appearing in English language publications around the late 1960s. The earliest reference appeared in Vogue magazine, the prestigious fashion journal. Vogue introduced this new word for ‘fat’ into American society and from then on, controversy has surrounded cellulite for decades whereby medical doctors, scientists, and other professionals cannot agree if this foundation of fat really exists. Many doctors have flatly refused to acknowledge the existence of cellulite and still do despite the overwhelming scientific evidence.

In my article “Guidelines for Recognizing Common Skin Disorders," we looked at the most prominent skin diseases including acne, rosacea, atopic dermatitis, hyperpigmentation, and actinic keratoses. In this article, we will cover the next level of common skin conditions skin care professionals will face, which can be improved with or without the use of prescription topical therapies for which a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant is needed. It is also important to know that several conditions, when severe, will have increased size or number of lesions that indicate there is a significant risk of an underlying potentially serious disease. These will also be addressed.

Not a single one of the Webster’s definitions seems all that flattering, especially when relating to my skin, and most certainly not when relating to the skin on my face! However, it is what it is, and mature is mature, whatever that means!
OK, let’s get serious and talk about “mature” skin. For the purpose of this article, I am going to refer to relating to, or being an older adult, as mature. Of course we can now ponder over exactly what does “older adult” mean. For simplicities sake, our clients easily classify themselves as “older,” and are generally quite quick to refer to their own skin as “mature.”

Chances are you have already included men in your business plan, your marketing, merchandising, décor, and service menu. For years now, salon and spa owners have noticed the increase in male clientele and have planned accordingly. If this is the case for you, then continue to keep men in mind as you grow your business. But if stacks of Cosmopolitan magazines fill your lobby and you don’t carry any products for men – they might just feel like they’re not welcome in your business! It’s never too late to add this very important demographic to your salon or spa with some creative strategies.