Dr. Rosio Emphasizes the Importance of Proper Hair Care

Many patients come to see Dermatologist Dr. Tim Rosio at AnewSKIN Dermatology with concerns about their brittle, damaged hair.  Although the trendiest hairstyles and dyes may look fantastic, Dr. Rosio cautions women who subject their hair continuously to unforgiving chemicals and hot styling tools.  After prolonged damage, hair loses its luster, and becomes frail and lifeless.  Dr. Rosio emphasizes the importance of a proper hair care regimen in order to improve hair appearance and strength. 

Dr. Rosio shares some knowledge and tips from dermatologist Zoe D. Draelos, MD, FAAD, and professor at Duke University School of Medicine, who spoke at the 69^th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology on Feb. 4, 2011 about proper hair care. 

At this conference in New Orleans, Dr. Draelos taught, “One of the most common misconceptions about hair is that it is alive, when in fact hair is nonliving and does not heal itself once it is injured.  For this reason, once the hair is damaged it cannot heal itself except through new hair growth at the scalp. Women need to understand that the very things that they do to hair to make it appear beautiful, such as using hair dyes, perms and products that straighten the hair will eventually end up damaging the hair’s structure and ultimately affect its appearance.”

What Causes Chemical Hair Damage?

Dr. Rosio says that hair damage and lack of shine results when the outside of the hair cuticle, made of a protective fat layer, is stripped. One of the most common criminals of hair damage is chemicals, which degrade hair of its usual moisturizers. When hair loses its natural moisturizers, it stops holding its style and becomes frizzy.

“Many products have been developed to counter the effects of over-processed hair, and regular moisturizing is a must for women with visible signs of hair damage,” said Dr. Draelos.

Dr. Draelos offers her advice to battle chemical hair damage:

• “Use conditioning shampoos and conditioners regularly to improve the appearance of frizzy hair. 2-in-1 shampoos that remove oil from the scalp, clean the hair, then condition the hair in the rinse phase also are good choices.
• Look for products containing dimethicone, which is available in shampoos, conditioners, sprays and creams. This ingredient has been shown to decrease static electricity, increase shine and improve manageability. 
• Try newly introduced hair serums, which are applied by a few drops on the hands and rubbed through the length of the hair (but should not be applied directly to the scalp). 
• Stop dyeing your hair and opt for hair’s natural hair color instead. 
• If you must dye your hair, stay “on shade” – or dye the hair within three color shades of its natural color. Dyeing hair darker, rather than lighter, also is generally better.”

Give Hair a Break from Heat

Another frequent source of hair harm is heat. The damage results from water in the hair being converted to steam when it is heated, which causes hair to lose its flexibility when the cuticle breaks down.   Easily breakable hair, frizzy split ends, and burnt smelly hair are all results of heat damage. “Unfortunately, heat damaged hair is irreparable and will only improve when it is cut off and healthy hair is allowed to grow in,” says Dr. Rosio.

Dr. Draelos offered these tips for heat-damaged hair:

• “Allow hair to air dry when possible.
• When using a hairdryer, do not use the highest heat setting immediately. Start out on the lowest heat setting first, then gradually increase heat. 
• To straighten hair with a ceramic iron, put a moist towel in the device to protect the hair from direct heat. 
• Look for temperature-controlled devices to control the amount of direct heat to hair. 
• Moisturizing the hair regularly will help the appearance of heat damaged hair to some degree, but stopping the source of heat damage is essential.”

Straightening hair comes at a price

Keratin hair straightening, which combines chemicals AND heat, has become extremely popular at most salons. 

For women considering keratin hair straightening, Dr. Draelos offers these suggestions to women thinking about keratin hair straightening:

• “Avoid this procedure if you have tightly kinked hair, as it will not work in rearranging the natural hair bonds.
• To minimize hair damage and loss, extend the time between treatments. 
• When washing hair, use a generous amount of conditioner to make hair less brittle. 
• If hair becomes frizzy and brittle, stop the procedure and let new hair growth replace damaged hair.”

Every Day Hair Care Tips from Dr. Draelos

• “The less you do to your hair, the better. Avoid over-styling or processing hair.
• Be sure to wash the scalp, which is where the oil is, and then let shampoo run through the hair. Shampoo is meant to clean the scalp primarily and can damage the hair if overused. 
• Let how oily your scalp is determine how often you wash your hair. If your scalp is oily, wash hair more frequently than if the scalp was drier. 
• Conditioner should be used on the ends of the hair, not on the scalp, for best results. 
• Pick a shampoo and conditioner based on your hair shape, such as curly or straight, and your hair condition, such as damaged, fine, or frizzy. These products don’t need to be expensive to work well for your hair. 
• Wear a hat to protect hair from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. “

Dr. Tim Rosio hopes you find Dr. Draelo’s expertise in hair care to be helpful and can take her advice into careful consideration when planning hair treatments and care.   Dr. Rosio can be reached at AnewSKIN Dermatology at his El Dorado Hills, CA and Auburn, CA offices and he urges you to contact your dermatologist with any concerns of brittle, damaged hair or hair loss.

Healty Skin is 'Made in the Shade'



Shade Structure sponsored by Dr. Tim Rosio at AnewSKIN



Dermatologists have been helping to add sun shade structures to communities, schools, and non-profit centers with grants and education. Dr. Tim Rosio, a Sacramento region board certified dermatologist in El Dorado Hills, California says that  dermatologists are receiving much more moral support now that nonprofit organizations are saying that playing outdoors is a great way to prevent or deal with growing obesity in children. 



A recent article in USA Today (6/30, Szabo) reports, "At a time when one-third of children are obese or overweight, a movement is growing to provide more shade at playgrounds, parks and pools, both to reduce future cancer risk and promote exercise." As a result, "across the USA, communities are working to make school play areas greener, with more trees, shrubs and natural shade," says Richard Louv, co-founder of the Children & Nature Network, a non-profit group encouraging youngsters to play outdoors. However, trees take years to grow.  In the meantime, some schools and municipalities are erecting shade structures over playgrounds so children can avoid overexposure to the sun. Over the past several years, both the American Academy of Dermatology and the non-profit Shade Foundation, founded by a melanoma survivor, have donated grants to construct shade structures for children. Despite the AAD’s generosity thus far, those seeking grants for shade structures greatly exceed funding, and the AAD could only award 37 grants among some 500 applicants in 2010.



Shade structure sponsored by Dr. Rosio at AnewSKIN



About the AAD Shade Structure Program Each year the American Academy of Dermatology sponsors a Shade Structure program for schools across the nation to receive $8,000 grants towards building a Shade Structure at their school to shield the children from harmful Ultraviolet rays. Each shade structure comes equipped with a permanent sign displaying the AAD’s "Be Sun Smart" messages to promote the importance of sun safety.  Additionally, each of these schools is sponsored by a dermatologist of the AAD. Stanford trained dermatologist, Dr. Tim Rosio has sponsored a total of four schools in the past three years.



AnewSKIN Dermatology Helps Those in Need with Donated Used Cell Phones

AnewSKIN Dermatology and Survivors in Action team up through the 911 Cell Phone Bank to help ensure that all crime victims, seniors, and others in the nation have an emergency cell phone!  A drop off box for used cell phones at both our El Dorado Hills and Auburn, CA Dermatology offices will be coming soon!  We will keep you updated with more information!

Visit 911cellphonebank.org for more information and ways you can help!

Special Report

New Cosmetic Skin Care Products Guide and How to Evaluate Cosmetic Manufacturers Claims

By Dermatologist Dr. Tim Rosio

People purchase billions of dollars of skin care products every year in the hope that their self diagnosed problems including premature aging, sun damage, acne, rosacea, and more can be adequately treated by over-the-counter (OTC) or mail order company products.  These manufacturers’ products bolster the public’s belief with claims like “Clinically Tested,” “Proven,” “Organic,” or “All Natural.”  Stanford trained Dermatologist Tim J. Rosio, MD, FAAD, a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology in El Dorado Hills, California breaks down the common myths and offers a skin specialist’s helpful approach to evaluating claims made for improving your skin, and where you can turn to learn more.  Dr. Rosio offers helpful tips from AnewSKIN Dermatology to guide you when selecting newer, more advanced skin care products such as active peptides, growth factors, collagen boosting enzyme blockers, and better sunscreens.

It’s Natural.  Aren’t all our lives a bit too hectic and urbanized, leaving us longing for a return to “Nature”?  Also concerns about uncertain chemicals, pesticides, and carcinogens abound.  First, claims of “It’s Natural” or “Organic” are a misleading psychological approach, says Dr. Rosio, implying that the product is safer or more effective, because it is closer to nature.  There is no scientific data to support this claim.  I remind my patients that Cyanide is both natural and organic, but toxic and dangerous.  In reality, most synthetic substances are far purer, more reliable, better tested and safer.  Furthermore, substances in their natural state usually cannot be put into skin care products; they must be chemically changed and processed before they can be formulated and sold, thus canceling out the “natural” claim.

Ingredient Overload. The current trend to load large numbers of plant extracts into products actually increases the chance that a person will have an allergic or irritant reaction.  Overloaded combination products actually decrease the chance that a possibly favorable ingredient has a chance to make a difference because it is over-diluted by the other ingredients, and its effects may be cancelled out by the other ingredients.  See more of these mechanisms explained in the following articles:

·         Cosmeceuticals (AAD, Patricia K. Farris, MD, FAAD)

·         How to customize your skin care routine with your skin type (AAD, New York, 11/10/09)

·         “Organic” Cosmetics (FDA, 9/15/10)

Scientifically Proven. Dr. Rosio says that the biggest problem with OTC cosmetic products is that their testing is inadequate compared to Dermatologic medical products and they may exaggerate claims.  Cosmetic products do not have to prove they improve a condition or treat a disease.  Most companies do not test with the most trusted medical scientific approach called “the double-blind vehicle controlled study.”  They simply have test subjects apply their cream for a short period and compare how the skin is ‘improved’ compared to untreated skin.  Of course anything is better than nothing, but how do you know their “active ingredient(s)” are doing anything more than the cream or lotion base (vehicle) without it?  You don’t, says Dr. Rosio, because most don’t test the vehicle separately, and few use scientific measuring devices.  Instead, most use statements such as: ‘9 out of 10 had smoother skin after using lotion X.’ In contract, Dermatologists insist on more rigorous scientific studies where both the vehicle with and without the active ingredient(s) are tested, and this is the key…investigators and the subjects do not know which cream has the active substance added.  I also look for measures I can trust that show me the treatment is actually effective, such as the appearance of cells and skin layers under the microscope, and quantity of molecules made by the cell that increase or decrease.

Dermatologist Dr. Tim Rosio gives an exam and skin care advice at AnewSKIN Dermatology in El Dorado Hills, California

Helpful Tips. Dr. Rosio provides these helpful tips when evaluating skin care products:

Don’t be swayed by emotional tactics such as “It’s all natural, and organic.”  Find out what your skin problem or condition is, and your skin type, by asking your Dermatologist.  Many people injure their skin and waste years and hundreds or thousands of dollars on products not ever realizing they have a diagnosis they could and should be treating with the help of a Dermatologist.  Ask what the product claims to do, and what kind of research studies backs it up.  Don’t rely solely on ingredients listings and percentages on bottles.  Bioavailability of ingredients, how well they are dissolved, and other factors can make a huge difference in effectiveness and negative side-effects such as irritation and rashes, notes Dr. Rosio.  See my article: “Cosmetic Recipes for Disaster: How to Ruin Your Skin by Ingredients Only!” (coming soon).  If the claims made sound too good to be true, they probably are.  However, we have made huge advancements in skin care science in the last few years.  Especially in the areas of active peptides, growth factors, cell receptor signaling, and better sunscreens.  Consult your Dermatologist and ask for recommendations based on strong science and professional experience.

Love Your Skin - Everyday Tips for Beauty, Vibrancy, & Health

Medicis' Dysport Brand Botox Beats Allergan's in Crow's Feet Wrinkles Smoothing 'Shootout.'

The top two Botox brands (made by Medicis and Allergan) ‘slapped leather’ in a shootout recently in a Right vs. Left face study of 90 people.  “The goal was to see how well each brand performed at smoothing crow’s feet wrinkles,” said Dr. Tim Rosio, fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology  and Cosmetic Surgeon of AnewSKIN Dermatology in El Dorado Hills, California.  According to an article published online June 20, 2011 in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, the doctors and patients rated the Dysport botox brand higher with extremely high statistical significance (p=0.01, and p=0.03), and patients preferred the Dysport treated side twice as often as the Allergan brand.  Dr. Rosio used both brands and regards them highly.