MEET THE DOCTOR

Before you pine on the medical risks and there are some medical risks in what you are doing that I want to be clear about, I love to hear what you feel emotionally. So this breaks my heart—as an African American dermatologist it breaks my heart, as a mother it breaks my heart. Your self-esteem it is not where it should be and emotionally it makes me sad for you when you say you are not beautiful, it is not true—and it is within the Indian culture, the Asian culture, within the African American culture. The thought is that lighter and whiter is better and it is just not good. It is not where it should be as a society, we should be all embracing and all encompassing, it is so upsetting. So share with me Fiona some of your concerns as a physician with the skin lightening, what could it do to her. Okay so I was in South Africa several years ago talking about skin bleaching with beauty editors from Johannesburg and from cape town and what they do is they bleach themselves with compounds that have like you said mercury, arsenic and lead in them. It shoots at their liver, it chews out their kidneys and it has a ton of steroid in them, that thins your skin and that can lead to actual bone damage later. And then arsenic on your skin, causes different types of very aggressive skin cancers so this is not something that is safe, this is not something that is recommended and it is absolutely not something that you or anyone should ever do, there are serious health consequences to this. It is not safe. So look at my skin color. Is that a reasonable color you think? Yeah so I am Turkish and Turks when they go in the sun they turn dark. It was adapted from my ancestors so when I was a little boy my cousins were not allowed to go into the sun, because my uncles would tell them that they would get too dark and I never understood it because I thought they looked pretty good the way they looked. I still do and I was thinking that was just the a personal issue that my family has, and I am hearing that this is something all over the planet so I would like to give the last word to Tia because she did the investigation and she has been unspoken on this area— what do you have to say to Leona? All the other women out there whatever ethnic background thy have who are not quite happy with what they are born with? Let me ask you this—would you want your daughter to feel the way you did at 7 or 14? Absolutely not. Do you know by bleaching your skin, what you are telling her is that she is naturally not beautiful and that is continuing the cycle and that is what we really have to do. We have to decide that we are going to break the cycle and we are always going to find things about ourselves that aren’t perfect and we all go through it and it is a fight. You will think about this? I just want you to look me in the eyes and acknowledge that you heard what we are saying to you—the main reason is because you are worth it. Definitely. We’ll be right back.

First something brand new to smooth out wrinkles, Howdah is here and has got the story – Howdah please make it be true! Alight this is a big one, a newly published report details the science behind this breakthrough spreading excitement in the medical community and online and it could provide more than just cosmetic benefits, leaving a lot of people wondering if it is a miracle or is it too good to be true. Turning back the hands of time to reverse the effects of ageing is now a possibility after a scientific breakthrough dubbed by some as a face lift in a bottle. What we found is that if you put this care under the eye it makes skin look younger. Daniel Anderson an MIT associate professor just one of the scientist behind SecondSkin—a new innovation offering hope to those who are searching of the ever elusive fountain of youth. Some skin lasts for about a day. The technology involves a two-step process that begins by applying a clear liquid polymer to the skin. You then add a second cream containing a catalyst that causes a chemical reaction to create the invisible coating or second skin. It actually contracts a little bit too so it provides some structural support. It also gives back a little bit of the elasticity that we all lose over time. He says the creams can reduce the look of wrinkles and under eyes bags instantly in less than a minute. A dramatic before and after published along with their research potentially changing the face of the highly lucrative anti-ageing industry. A recent survey projecting the worldwide market to be worth more than 190 billion by 2019. Anderson and his team who have invested interest in the product hope to bring it to consumers within the next couple of years. This is going to be a game charger for a lot of people. Experts say second skin may offer a viable alternative to those wanting to avoid the expense and invasiveness of injectable and plastic surgery but as always beauty doesn’t come without a price. The down sides are it is temporary and it is not going to be a 5 dollar product and the bottom line is you should test anything before you put it around your eyes in another area that is not so sensitive. SecondSkin took 9 years to develop and could also have medical application. We are hoping that it could be used cosmetically but we are also hoping that it could be used to treat a range of diseases like eczema psoriasis and other potential skin disorder. Another use potently providing that it is no longer a waste of time to save face. Out of the 179 subjects that Anderson saw so far not one person reported any kind of irritation or allergic reactions. He also says you can wear makeup and sun screen with second skin – it blends in well with all skin tones and it is not expected in the market for a few more years it is likely going to cost a pretty penny, and it only lasts a couple of days. It is kind of the spanks argument. You wear it and then when you take it off you let it all hang out but that’s alright. So you would use it like a daily moisturizer? You use it every 2 days and it looks like it works I mean it is incredible the before and after right? It is incredible I would like to accommodate it! (Laughs) thank you for doing this important scientific work, we have worked ourselves up to read research articles!

Hi, I’m Jeanine Downie, I am a cosmetic dermatologist—I practice out of Montclair New Jersey. My practice is image Dermatology and I am the director of Image Dermatology. The patients that I have used this for will include any patient that is complaining to me about dryness, of their skin and that could be any of the cosmetic area that we are worried about—the face, the neck it would be upper chest and the backs of their hands, so anyone that has a little bit of flaking to a lot of over dryness this product would be good for—definitely good for males and females. My male patients like this product because it is not too thick and it is not too heavy and in terms of age range I would say age range really doesn’t matter. It could be 20s or even teens, up to 80s or even 90s. A lot of my patients said I would use this HA5 for with the patients that are acne prone. If you think about it, there are at least a 100,000,000 Americans that are affected by acne and there are many more across the world. So when you are looking at acne patients you look at those who want to be moisturized and maybe dry from acne medications, but don’t want to be greasy at all. This product is light, it is not going to block the pores or break them out it is something that can be used consistently with the patients, and for a lot of my male patients that might have liquid it is or hair bumps in their beard area – but still actually want some hydration in there this would be a good product for them as well. One of the other things that I want ed to mention about HA5 is that it is good for all skin types it is clear, it goes on and it is colour blind so it is not going to give you a whitish or a pink is cast to your skin—so that is something excellent also. So, therefore for a lot of my patients that are worried they have got it rubbing off on their clothing or what it is going to look like on their particular skin type this is actually not a worry – and again my areas of focus is the face the neck the upper chest, and the backs of the upper hands in particular. My patients experience with the HA5 product has been good thus for. They feel that their skin is more hydrated, they feel that their HA5 is not breaking them out at all, they like the way that their skin looks after wards, and they feel like they have more glow than they did before. So I would say they feel moisturized, they feel hydrated, they don’t feel greasy at all and they are happy. So my patients are happy and I am happy!

Doctors say you need year round protection the CDC says only about 15% of men and 30% of women regularly use sunscreen. Now the hot trend is edible sunscreen, yes edible and it could make it easier to stay safe from the sun’s harmful rays from the inside out. Dermatologist Dr. Jeanine Downie is here to tell us how it works. Good morning! Edible sunscreen—we have been talking about this all morning how on earth does this work? Okay, so there is a product called Helio Care and that is a supplement an antioxidant supplement. It is anti-inflammatory and it is photo protective. So basically you take it and it helps to decrease your DNA damage. So it interacts with you. But this is not the same as me putting on SPF 15 on my skin? No it is not. So basically this extends the length of your sunscreen by like an SPF 4 so it is a supplement only. SPF 4? That is nothing right? You need a 30 or above, every day rain or shine Jan through to December regardless of your ethnicity. Now the company will say this is to mean to replace the regular use of sunscreen but we also know that right now the supplements do not require FDA approval. The red flag just shot up. Okay, so there are—Helio Care has been in a bunch of different papers so that is one that does have some benefits. There are others that are drinkable sun screens and we are not so sure what their benefits are so I tell everybody. So, doctor if I drink something wouldn’t you just excrete it right out? Yes you can—I mean I’m just thinking it seems to me you would drink it and—some pill forms can interact with your DNA, so they actually have antioxidants. How does it work? I pop the pill and how does it work? It actually interacts with your tissue and you are not getting the level of damage and inflammation that you would otherwise get with some forms that actually do have true clinical science behind it. That is why you need to speak to a board certified dermatologist and not get snowed. I am a big fan of all of this—yeah, science is good! Bottom line our sunscreen regiment should be what? Every single day you apply 20 minutes before you leave the house, so it really sinks in and then you need to reapply it if you are up here in new york for every 2 hours. If you are down in Florida or in the Caribbean it is actually very one hour and that is a 30 or above everyday on every exposed area of your body. Skin cancer is real, 4.2 million cases last year alone. We didn’t even get to talk about the KFC—like we have to go. I’m not sure why but it is finger licking good.

Gayle: It’s a good song for this story, a popular new treatment is helping a growing number of people to search for the fountain of youth. Microneedling is what it’s called—it uses tiny needles to improve your skin. The procedure was only available at dermatologists’ offices or even high end spas but now companies are selling devices so that you can do this at home despite concerns from the FDA. Michelle Miller looks at whether this is a true break through or as critics say, this is just a marketing ploy. Michelle, can’t wait to hear, good morning.

Michelle: Good morning, it’s not just beauty bloggers who are hyping these at-home micronee-dling tools, major publications from The New York Times to Allure magazine are devoting copy to these devices, but doctors say consumers should be aware of a few risks.

Woman on TV: The biggest beauty craze right now which is microneedling

Michelle: It’s the latest in “do-it-yourself” beauty. Microneedling is coming home from the of-fice, and demand for these products is outpacing the supply.

Woman on TV: You sold out, not once, not twice, but six times on beauty report.

Jamie O’Banion: I know it.

Michelle: Jamie O’Banion’s GloPRO, sold here on HSN, is just one of a number of microneedling tools marketed for at home use. The GloPRO and devices like it use tiny needles to pierce the skin, stimulating the body’s natural regeneration response.

Jamie O’Banion: What does the skin do? It says “I’ve been injured, I need to heal, I need to cre-ate new collagen, new skin cells.”

Michelle: It doesn’t hurt, it pricks, it’s like little tickle, tingle, yeah a tingle.

Michelle: Prices for this popular product range from the $30 no frills Stack skincare device to the $200 vibrating GloPRO. Compare that to in-office treatments which can start at $500.

Michelle Lee: A lot of these very expensive procedures that people have done in-office, the fact that people can now bring them home is very appealing. So I’ll usually go kind of all the verti-cal’s first.

Michelle: Allure editor-in-chief Michelle Lee is a self-described skincare guinea pig.

Michelle lee: Doing the at-home version feels almost like a cat licking you. When you have a pro-fessional do it, it hurts.

Michelle: But not everyone is sold. Dermatologist Jeanine Downie offers in-office microneedling treatments to reduce scarring, signs of aging and even stretch marks, but she cautions against the use of at-home tools.

Dr. Downie: It can spread infection, that it can actually cause scarring, and that it can make whatever you’re trying to treat worse.

Michelle: The FDA has also issued warning letters to several microneedling pen manufacturers, not including GloPRO.

Woman on TV: The FDA has safety concerns regarding the potential for the needles to damage vessels and nerves. What do you think about that warning?

Jamie: Yeah, and I think that’s very interesting, I’m very familiar with all the cases that you’re referencing and those are from copycat tools as well, and again it goes back to safety, you know, trust your skin to the original.

Michelle: In addition to her concerns about at-home devices, Dr. Downie has one more piece of advice.

Dr. Downie: So if you’re microneedling and you’re not using sunblock, you’re really wasting your time.

Michelle: Well, Dr. Downie and other dermatologists say protecting your skin from the sun is the best way to combat skin damage. Now when it comes to choosing between these devices, Al-lure’s Michelle Lee says your skincare is no place to scrimp but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the most expensive tool is the best for you and your skin, so make sure you do your research. And we have a few of them here, ranging in price from $30 all the way up to $200, so you have a range.

Gayle: Well all morning long, we’ve been saying tiny little needles, the fact that I can do this and squeeze it, this is, that doesn’t even feel like a needle.

Michelle: Well, it’s supposed to, you know, penetrate at, you know, the cell level, so or, you know, it.. we’ll see. We’ll see what happens, I mean people swear by it.

Gayle: It’s not as bad as I thought it was gonna be. I might be borrowing this one.

Man on TV: Gayle was imagining needles in her face.

Gayle: I was, after I’ve been pooh-pooh-ing it all morning, that’s why you should wait to hear the whole story! Thank you, Michelle, thank you.

Michelle: You’re welcome.

It is time to get even with skin discoloration. Lytera 2.0 is a re-envisioned, reformulated and rejuvenated product. Patients suffering from hyperpigmentation often describe their skin as having blotches, scars and age spots, appearing dirty and un even. I just noticed in here that the dark marks were getting larger and I tried so many different things but nothing seem to work. I had noticed it under my eye and towards the back of my cheeks. I had no idea what this is, it is just dark and it is ugly if you are looking at me—they are telling me your skin looks weird. Melasma is hyper pigmentation of the skin, you see in adults. This is affecting their self-confidence and their self-esteem. People want it fixed—they want to come up with their most perfect shade of even and embrace their diversity. In term of their causes of hyper pigmentation—intrinsic causes of hyper pigmentation would be your genetics and also your stress level that inter plays a bit with your hormones which is also intrinsic and in terms of extrinsic it is really sun damage that is very significant. There are multiple known pathways of hyper pigmentation and so it is very important to understand the biology of pigmentation thoroughly, Lytera 2.0 we started working about 3 years ago and that is because newer pathways were bring discovered by sun biology—that is important to find ingredients that can affect all those little pathways. Combine them into one to create a 360 approach. A pigmentation control. Because of differences in melanin biology. Ethnic skin can be some of the most challenging thing to treat. The Lytera 2.0 actually addresses very stubborn hyper pigmentation, and then in addition works beautifully on all skin tones and is retinol free and hydroponic free. That is very important to my patients. We can even out the skin tone, while we are not drying or irritating the skin at all, and then I will do chemical peels here in the office. I love the Vitalize and the Rejuvenises peels and I do a lot of them so it is kind of like steps and levels to get my patients to where they want to go I have a couple of my patients, using Lytera 2.0 right now in a small clinical trial that I am doing. They like the product it is non-irritable, they feel like their skin is a bit more even and we can already start seeing results that I feel will be more progressive as I go along. So, I am excited and they are excited. I am very happy with that product and it even out my skin tones and it didn’t irritate my skin it brightened my skin when I put it on—and I saw a difference in such a short period of time, that I was a amazed. I was definitely feeling a lot more confident because of the Lytera 2.0 my skin had started to even out a lot more and I was very happy to see that my skin had started to have that glow again and that more natural kind of a look and I feel beautiful. Resort your skin to its most beautiful shade of even. Lyetra 2.0 is re-envisioned, reformulated and rejuvenated. This is your moment to get even.