Bill Klaproth (Host): This Columbus Community Hospital Healthcasts. I'm Bill Klaproth. With me is Dr. Dillon Clarey, a physician at the Columbus Dermatology Clinic, here to discuss how seasonal changes affect your skin, what to watch out for with viral skincare trends and how to build a simple, effective routine, from the importance of sunscreen in winter to knowing when to see a dermatologist. Dr. Clarey, welcome.

Dillon Clarey, MD: Hi, Bill. Thanks for having me.

Host: You bet. Great to talk with you. Important topic here as we're heading into the winter months. So, how does our skin typically respond to seasonal changes and what are some common skin issues you see more frequently during the fall and winter months?

Dillon Clarey, MD: So, especially here in Nebraska, as the fall and winter approach, everybody's skin gets dry. So, the humidity's much greater During the summertime. People go out and they say, "It just feels kind of dewy or moist, or it's just humid out." As we go into the fall, the weather gets colder. It gets a little bit crisper outside. People's skin starts to dry out a little bit. What they're starting to notice with that is their skin can kind of itch. Maybe they're worried about getting some sort of upper respiratory tract infection, like a cough or a cold so they're washing their hands a lot. The hand sanitizers, the soaps, the strong products we're using on them can kind of strip away some of the oil, so our hands start to dry out. They get red, they get irritated, they get flaky. So, the biggest things that we can do inside or outside the clinic is making sure we're using a strong moisturizer. So, something like Vaseline or Aquaphor, or CeraVe, Cetaphil, Vanicream, something that you like that doesn't have a whole lot of fragrance in it, that can really help to provide some moisturization to the skin in hopes that that is all you need in order to get through the winter season.

Host: So, fall and winter, our skin typically dries out, as you say. So using a strong moisturizer is usually a good way to combat that in the fall and winter months, so that's great. So, Dr. Clarey, there's a lot of buzz around skincare trends on social media from DIY routines to viral products. From a dermatologist's perspective, what should people be cautious about when trying new skincare?

Dillon Clarey, MD: I probably tell somebody, once a week, they come in with a product they've been using. And I say, I've never heard of that product in my entire life. And I think I'll probably say that every week for the rest of my life because there's these new companies and there's a big market for skincare. I think a lot of it comes from places like TikTok or Instagram. I don't use a whole lot of those. So, I wouldn't say I'm the most up-to-date on viral skincare trends.

My biggest advice for people is always, if you find something that works, stick with it. Sometimes less is more in many elements of life, but especially when it comes to skincare. If you've started a new product or if you say, "Hey, I saw this online. It seems like it's working well for people. I've tried it. My skin irritates, it burns. Is there a chance that maybe that's just my skin getting used to it?" Potentially, I wouldn't say anything's out of the possibility, but probably not. So if you find something you like and it's been working for you, stick with it. Otherwise, if there's something new that's potentially causing you some problems, like some irritation, maybe just back off.

Host: Does it make sense to ask someone like you, a dermatologist-- if they say, "Hey, I saw this on TikTok, and it's supposed to be the greatest thing for skincare ever," good idea to ask you first or bring it into the office. Make an appointment or, if you're there for something else, bring it in and say, "Hey Doc, I've been using this. I saw it on TikTok. What do you think?" Is that a good idea?

Dillon Clarey, MD: Yeah, I don't think it's a bad idea. Typically, when people come in with that, I actually have to look it up, because I haven't heard of most of the things that have come out. I know probably last year, I think-- I don't know, I think it was like elephant honey or something along those lines everybody was talking about, I hadn't heard much of it, so I had to research it. And it sounds like it was safe at the time. I haven't really read on it much since then. But when you look at these products, a lot of times, even if you look at like a lot of like the mainstream products we sell at the store, you look at the ingredient label. Oftentimes there's a lot of different things in those. And all it takes is your body to be irritated or allergic to one of them for them to cause problems.

Host: I would say if you haven't heard of it, maybe not a good idea to use, but that's just me.

Dillon Clarey, MD: Yeah, you just stick with what you know sometimes.

Host: That's right. So, what are a few foundational skincare habits you recommend people follow year round, regardless of age or skin type or time of year?

Dillon Clarey, MD: Yeah, that's a good question. So definitely, sunscreen's going to be one of the biggest things that we go over in the clinic. There's been some concern by a lot of people who come in regarding sunscreens and regarding whether or not they might cause problems, not just on your skin, but in other aspects. So when it comes to sunscreens, there's chemical, there's mineral sunscreens. If you're at all concerned, I would say consider a mineral sunscreen. So, they're titanium or zinc.

One thing you can note about those is sometimes they go on the skin a little bit whiter and chalkier. So, you put it on, it might be kind of hard for it to work into the skin. There are some lighter weight ones that you can try. Typically, have people reapply, sunscreen, especially when they're out about every two hours if they can. And then, just note like if you're out doing things like swimming, to try to find one that will stick, that's like water resistant.

Definitely finding a good cleanser and moisturizer, especially if you like to exercise or sweat. Find something to get that dirt off when you wake up in the morning. And then, if you feel like your skin is dry, so kind of going back what I mentioned before, if you put stuff on, it feels like it's irritated or red, just putting a little bit of moisturizer on. Again, less is more, finding something. It's not always the high-end products, the fancy products that work best. If there's one that's within your kind of price range that you seem to like and that works well for you, I think that's probably totally fine.

Other things, if you're not all that big on sunscreen or say maybe you don't want to put them on, maybe finding like long-sleeved shirt or a cap or a like a wide-brimmed hat, especially during the hours about 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, just because we know that the sun exposure is a little bit higher during those time periods.

I always tell people to look at the UV index. It is something you can find on most phones in the weather app. It's a scale, so it'll give you like low, moderate, or high or even like very high risk for some exposure. Just making sure you're watching your sun exposure during those time periods. I can't really think of a whole lot of our stuff that we routinely counsel on though.

Host: I think that's a really good tip about the weather app and looking at the UV index. I think that's really smart. And you said to consider a mineral sunscreen. Lighter weight is better. Get a good cleanser and moisturizer and a long-sleeved shirt and cap. Always good advice to protect yourself from the sun.

So, we're talking about sunscreen right now. In the fall and winter months, when it's cloudy or cold, people tend to skip sunscreen. Does it still matter in the fall and winter months when it's colder and usually cloudier? Should we still be wearing that sunscreen?

Dillon Clarey, MD: Yeah, that's a good question. I probably get asked that every single day, "Should I be putting on sunscreen?" If you feel like you're waking up before the hours of, I don't know, 7:00 or 8:00, and the UV index is zero, a lot of like moisturizers in the morning are built in with SPF in them, I wouldn't say it's imperative. I think it's probably just a routine that most people get into, put a moisturizer on their face in the morning, get their skin to just feel a little bit more smooth for them. And if there's any sunscreen in, that's an added benefit. But if you're not going out and if it's like here in Columbus where it gets dark out at 5:15, now that the clocks have changed, I wouldn't stress too much about it.

One thing I have seen is quite a number of people here, it gets cold, so people go on vacation. And I think sometimes maybe they forget that just because it's really cold here doesn't mean it's not like super hot and super sunny in Panama or Florida, wherever they're going to. So, just making sure you're watching out for that.

Host: Yeah, good advice on that. So, what are some signs that someone should stop self-treating a skin issue and see a dermatologist instead?

Dillon Clarey, MD: Common things, a spot that is not healing, a spot that maybe you shave your legs or you shave your cheek in one spot, and it keeps kind of acting up. It hurts, it's red, it's scabbed up, it's crusted, it bleeds. Those are common for things like basal cell skin cancer. The most common type of skin cancer. It typically doesn't spread anywhere, but it's like typically a non-healing wound in areas of sun exposure.

Squamous cell is going to be sometimes more of a tender spot. It can be a hard spot, typically, like in the back of the hands, the lips, the ears, the nose, the face, forearms, areas with high sun exposure. And then, we talk about the ABCDEs from melanoma. So, anything that's asymmetric or one half doesn't look like the other, anything with the irregular border to it, anything with multiple colors, a spot with the diameter over the size of the pencil eraser. And then, E for evolution, so anything that's changing.

Host: Okay. I've got another question about skin hydration. So, what's the difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin? And how can people combat both, especially again in the winter months?

Dillon Clarey, MD: From an outside perspective, I'd say it's probably pretty difficult to. Oftentimes I'll see it. And dehydrated skin to me almost just looks like there's maybe not as much fullness to it. Like, there's a lot of like crepiness to it, for a lack of a better term. Whereas dry skin, oftentimes we notice more of like a cracked riverbed appearance to it where it's kind of like these geometric shapes and you can say, "Gosh, your skin just looks dry." And if you use like an alcohol swab to wipe over the top of it, sometimes I use alcohol swabs to clean off the skin so I can get a better idea of what a spot looks like and the clinic. And then if you use it on their arms, you can say, "Gosh, a lot of like scaliness and stuff came off with it." And they almost always say, "Gosh, I know my skin's just so dry right now."

Host: Absolutely. So, there are a ton of skincare products on the market. We were talking about TikTok and social media earlier, and you were saying, "Yeah, some of these, I've never heard of them." So, there's serums and toner and moisturizers. How can someone build an effective routine without getting overwhelmed? What's the best way to do that?

Dillon Clarey, MD: Do as much research as you can. If you're looking online, try to find trusted sources. Some of the sources I feel like we go to maybe aren't the most reputable at times. But certainly, if you have a routine that you like, I think there's no reason to necessarily switch from it. If you have maybe family and friends who are using something and they say, "Hey, this has been working for me," maybe do a little bit of research into it and consider it. Otherwise, an easy answer is just to make an appointment with the dermatologist somewhere near you to say, "Are these good products for my skin?"

You can go on down a complete rabbit hole on toners, serums, cleansers, moisturizers, tretinoin, and sunscreen. You can end up with a really complicated regimen for your skin. It doesn't always necessarily mean that it's doing better for your skin, though.

Host: Yeah, that's a good point. Well, Dr. Clarey, this has really been interesting and informative. Thank you so much. Before we wrap up, anything you want to add?

Dillon Clarey, MD: No, I don't have anything to add. I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me.

Host: Absolutely. No problem. Once again, that is Dr. Dillon Clarey. And for more information and resources, just visit columbushosp.org. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out the entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is Columbus Community Healthcasts. Thanks for listening.