Dr. Olivia Hutchinson

Archive for the ‘Skin’ Category

Is There Mercury In Your Skincare Products?

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

Dr. Hutchinson is providing the following information for our patients’ benefit, compliments of the Amercian Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS):
The FDA has issued a warning that some face creams manufactured abroad and sold in the United States illegally contain mercury.
The California Department of Public Health reported to the FDA that a 39-year-old woman presented with more than 100 times the average amount of mercury in her urine and symptoms of mercury poisoning. For three years the woman and her husband had been using an unlabeled mercury-containing face cream that was brought in from Mexico by a relative. Several other family members who did not use the cream, including a four-year-old child, also had elevated levels of mercury. Virginia, Maryland and New York have reported similar cases. Products containing mercury have recently been found in seven states.
Make sure there is no mercury content in your skin lightener, anti-aging treatment or acne remedy, or any product that claims to remove age spots, freckles, blemishes and wrinkles. These products are frequently sold online and in Latino, Asian, African or Middle Eastern neighborhoods. Many of these products enter the United States through international mail and personal baggage. If you did not get a product from Dr. Hutchinson’s office or from a licensed seller of a product, you run into the potential of obtaining black market or fake products with dangerous ingredients.
Here is how the FDA recommends that you protect yourself:
Check the label of any skin lightening, anti-aging or other skin product you use. If you see the words “mercurous chloride,” “calomel,” “mercuric,” “mercurio,” or “mercury,” stop using the product immediately.
If there is no label or no ingredients are listed, do not use the product.
Do not use products labeled in languages other than English unless there is also English labeling.
If you suspect you have been using a product with mercury, stop using it immediately. Wash your hands and any other parts of your body that have come in contact with the product. Contact your health care professional or a medical care clinic for advice.
If you have questions, call your health care professional or the Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222.
FDA investigations in the past few years have turned up more than 35 products that contain unacceptable levels of mercury.  That’s why it’s so important that consumers and sellers know about the dangers of possible mercury poisoning associated with these skin products.
“Exposure to mercury can have serious health consequences, damaging the kidneys and the nervous system and interfering with development of the brain in unborn and very young children” warns a senior FDA medical official. Children can be adversely affected from breathing in mercury vapors or touching a parent who uses these products and then putting their fingers into their mouths.
Be careful when you try new products – always check the ingredient list and if you something doesn’t look or feel right, contact a physician right away. Physicians are patient advocates and are most concerned about your safety.

Dr. Hutchinson is a board certified plastic surgeon in NYC and NJ and is a member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. If you would like to discuss any aesthetic surgery concerns with Dr. Hutchinson, please contact us or call us at 212 452 1400 to schedule an appointment.

 

Melanoma Rates on the Rise – Latest Study Shows

Tuesday, April 24th, 2012

Despite preventive measures and an increased awareness of the potential risks of sun damage and exposure to UV ray, recent studies continue to show a rise in the number of cases of melanoma. The statistics are particularly alarming for adolescents and young adults, in particular young women, who show the greatest increase. In the most recent study in the April issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, melanoma increased 8-fold among women ages 18 to 39 in Olmstead County, MN. Some of the trend may be attributed to the use of indoor tanning beds, especially in teenagers and young women. UV ray exposure in tanning beds is particularly harmful, because tanning beds can emit 10 to 15 times more UV radiation than the midday sun.

Healthy behavior should be encouraged from a young age, and should include use of broad spectrum water resistant sunscreen with SPF of at least 30, and avoidance of sun exposure during midday hours (10am to 2pm) when UV rays are strongest and most harmful. In addition, regular skin examinations by physicians to identify suspicious moles are critical. Full body “head to toe” assessments including the scalp, face, arms and hands, breast and abdomen, back, legs and feet are necessary to rule out any lesions which may need treatment. In women, almost 1/3 of melanomas were found on the legs, whereas in men, it was most often found on the back. The upper extremity was the 2nd most common site for melanoma in both. Patients are at highest risk of melanoma if they have the following risk factors: family history of melanoma, use of tanning beds, having fair skin, light hair and eyes, and burning easily.

Avoidance of intense UV radiation not only protects against all skin cancers, it also has beneficial effects in terms of protecting against premature skin aging. A daily skin regimen which includes sun protection will result in smoother, tighter skin with fewer wrinkles, and a healthier and more youthful appearance.

Dr. Hutchinson is a board certified plastic surgeon with practices in NYC and Englewood, NJ. She performs excisions of benign, pre-cancerous and malignant skin lesions. Please contact us or call us at 212 452 1400 to schedule a consultation.

 

Teenagers and Tanning: Risk of Melanoma

Tuesday, September 6th, 2011

Teenage girls who frequented tanning salons in the 1990′s account for a sharp rise in melanoma patients in their 20′s and 30′s currently being diagnosed with melanoma. Pre-prom tanning sessions are responsible in many instances for an increase in cases of melanoma seen in women now aged 25-34. Even a single tanning session can significantly increase the risk of developing melanoma, and the latency period between intensified exposure and appearance of melanoma is anywhere from 5 to 20 years. The location of melanomas in parts of the body not usually exposed to the sun, such as on the breasts or in the genital area, also lends credence the association between teenage tanning and melanoma development in young women.

Data collected by the National Cancer Institute’s SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results) program, show a dramatic jump in the cases of melanoma in young white women.(1) Since 1995, the annual incidence of melanoma among young, white U.S. women rose by an average of 3.8%, compared with each preceding year. For women aged 25-29, the incidence of melanoma was 14 per 100,00 in 2004-6, a 42% relative jump from 1994-6. For the slightly older age group of women 30-34 years old, the incidence of melanoma was 16 per 100,000, a 32% relative jump from a decade earlier.

Young women with a known history of any exposure to tanning beds should be evaluated for possible skin cancer. Melanoma is curable if diagnosed early. Dr. Olivia Hutchinson, a female board certified plastic surgeon in NYC, performs excision and reconstruction of pre-cancerous, malignant and benign skin lesions. Please contact us or call us at (212) 452-1400 for a consultation.

1. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2011 Feb 2;103(3):171. StatBite: Melanoma Incidence: 1992-2007.