It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy.  Well, unless it’s 103 degrees outside.  My fellow Texans know what I’m talking about!

Summer is high season for dermatologists.  We are really, really busy this time of year.  My patients frequently ask me why that is.  Well, there are many reasons.  Yes, we see a lot of teachers and students who take advantage of time off to come in for routine checks.  We also see more skin cancers.  I really think, but cannot prove, that cancers grow faster in the summer.  Or maybe it’s just that with more skin exposed, people notice more growths and lesions.   Maybe a little of both.

We also see lots of skin rashes.  In fact, the hotter it gets, the more rashes we see.  And if you have a rash, it is going to get worse, i.e. redder and itchier, if it’s hot.  Overheating from any cause, from a hot shower, to a strenuous workout, to getting into a hot car, will cause blood vessels in the skin to dilate, making things worse.

Here, in no particular order, are some of the most common heat-related rashes I see in the summer:

• Intertrigo:  This is a fancy term for a heat rash that occurs in body fold areas, such as under the breasts, on the inner thighs, and under the abdominal folds.  It tends to be more common in people carrying extra weight.  Heat and sweating cause skin irritation that leads to redness, itching, and sometimes secondary yeast infections.  The best treatment is prevention.  Try to keep cool, wear loose clothing, use anti-perspirants in the areas if needed, or try talcum powder.  Avoid corn starch as this may provide a nice food for yeast.  One of my favorite products is Zeasorb AF powder, which can be ordered from your pharmacy.  Some cases do require antifungal treatments; you can start with over the counter Lotrimin AF cream twice daily.  If that doesn’t do the trick, see your dermatologist for a prescription cream.

• Photosensitivity:  This word means an abnormal sensitivity to the sun, and is a common reaction to many drugs.  The reaction may simply be an exaggerated response to the sun, such as sunburn, or in less common situations, the combination of a drug with sun exposure results in an allergic reaction, causing a dermatitis.  There are many drugs that can potentially cause photosensitivity reactions.  For a good list, click here: http://www.totalblock.com/PhotosensitiveDrugs.html.   Be aware that many natural supplements may also cause sun sensitivity, including St. John’s Wort, kava, and yohimbe.  Photosensitive reactions may also occur when certain drugs or plant oils are applied to or come in contact with the skin.  Many plants are known to cause toxic reactions on the skin when combined with sun exposure.  The most frequent offenders are dill, fennel, fig, mustard, and parsley, and, perhaps most importantly, lime.  So be careful when drinking those margaritas at the beach!

• Folliculitis:  This word literally means inflammation of the follicles.  It presents as scattered red bumps and pustules that occur on hair bearing areas including the face, trunk, arms and legs.  Acne is one form of folliculitis.  “Back acne,”, or “Backne” is a form of folliculitis that is frequently associated with warm weather.  Folliculitis may be caused by infection of the follicles with bacteria, yeasts, or other
  agents.  It may also have a noninfectious origin, such as trauma or occlusion.  Factors that make the follicles more prone to irritation and infection include heat and humidity, wearing tight clothing, and excessive perspiration.  Pre-existing skin rashes, diabetes, obesity, prior antibiotic therapy, and a weak immune system can also make you more vulnerable.  The best prevention is to try to stay cool, wear loose clothing, and shower as soon as possible after working out.  I frequently recommend Oxy wash, which contains benzoyl peroxide, to kill most of the surface bacteria and yeast.  Be careful, though: it can bleach your towels!  By the way, if you do use benzoyl peroxide products (or your kids do,) there is a new towel that is bleach-proof.  Click here for more info:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2InPaklVHJ4&feature=autoshare

Next month, I’ll discuss more heat related rashes.  Until then, turn up the AC, chill out and stay cool!

Tags: Aging Gracefully, baby boomer women, beauty over 50, fabulous over 50, fitness over 50, health over 50, How not to look old, life after 50, life over 50, Nutrition, self-care

This entry was posted by Dr. Katherine Farady on August 16, 2011 at 11:42 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Posted in Health & Fitness Skin care by Dr. Katherine Farady 3 Comments