In this episode, we explore whether those pricey skincare products and dermatological treatments are worth the investment. Did you know that on average, women spend over $250,000 on beauty products in their lifetime, with a shocking 90% of these products going unused?
Our host, Melissa Fradenburg, is joined by Dr. Meredith Price, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist from Grosse Pointe Dermatology. Dr. Meredith Price earned her bachelor's degree in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 2005, and completed her medical training at Wayne State University School of Medicine in 2009. In this episode, we delve into the world of skincare and dermatological treatments, offering practical tips to help you make informed decisions about your skincare routine and expenses. They also discuss the importance of prioritizing sunscreen to shield your skin from harmful UV rays.
Join us for this informative and engaging conversation with Dr. Meredith Price as we empower you to make smart choices regarding your skincare and beauty expenditures. Achieve healthy, radiant skin without breaking the bank!
Resources:
Links are being provided for information purposes only. The information herein is general and educational in nature and should not be considered legal or tax advice. Tax laws and regulations are complex and subject to change, which can materially impact investment results. Pearl Planning cannot guarantee that the information herein is accurate, complete, or timely. Pearl Planning makes no warranties with regard to such information or results obtained by its use and disclaims any liability arising out of your use of, or any tax position taken in reliance on, such information. Consult an attorney or tax professional regarding your specific situation. Please note, changes in tax laws or regulations may occur at any time and could substantially impact your situation. Pearl Planning financial advisors do not render advice on tax matters. You should discuss any tax matters with the appropriate professional.
In this episode, we explore whether those pricey skincare products and dermatological treatments are worth the investment. Did you know that on average, women spend over $250,000 on beauty products in their lifetime, with a shocking 90% of these products going unused?
Our host, Melissa Fradenburg, is joined by Dr. Meredith Price, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist from Grosse Pointe Dermatology. Dr. Meredith Price earned her bachelor's degree in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 2005, and completed her medical training at Wayne State University School of Medicine in 2009. In this episode, we delve into the world of skincare and dermatological treatments, offering practical tips to help you make informed decisions about your skincare routine and expenses. They also discuss the importance of prioritizing sunscreen to shield your skin from harmful UV rays.
Join us for this informative and engaging conversation with Dr. Meredith Price as we empower you to make smart choices regarding your skincare and beauty expenditures. Achieve healthy, radiant skin without breaking the bank!
Resources:
Links are being provided for information purposes only. The information herein is general and educational in nature and should not be considered legal or tax advice. Tax laws and regulations are complex and subject to change, which can materially impact investment results. Pearl Planning cannot guarantee that the information herein is accurate, complete, or timely. Pearl Planning makes no warranties with regard to such information or results obtained by its use and disclaims any liability arising out of your use of, or any tax position taken in reliance on, such information. Consult an attorney or tax professional regarding your specific situation. Please note, changes in tax laws or regulations may occur at any time and could substantially impact your situation. Pearl Planning financial advisors do not render advice on tax matters. You should discuss any tax matters with the appropriate professional.
Welcome to the Women's Money Wisdom Podcast. I'm Melissa Joy, a certified financial planner and founder of Pearl Planning.
Speaker 2:I'm Melissa Freidenberg, financial advisor. We dive deep into topics like work-life balance, financial planning, personal growth and the intricacies of the sandwich generation.
Speaker 1:Tune in for money conversations that every woman needs to have. Hello and welcome to the Women's Money Wisdom Podcast. This is Melissa Freidenberg in the Grosspoint office this week, and our guest today is Dr Meredith Price. She is a board-certified dermatologist with Grosspoint Dermatology and she has a great social media account that I personally love watching. I have found that she had some great practical tips for our listeners and actually when we connected, we talked about wouldn't it be great to do an episode talking about kind of the cost of some dermatological treatments that you could get or products that you could use, and what's worth it, what's not. I added in also some just kind of like how bad is this? Things that we may do when it comes to our skin. Welcome, Dr Meredith Price. Thank you so much for being here.
Speaker 3:Thank you, melissa. I'm happy to be here and kind of talk through some skin care items, ways that we can kind of take care of ourselves but keeping things kind of budget friendly. There's so much out there that is truly mind boggling even for myself when I'm in this skin care CVS or Target, and I don't know how anyone selects items for themselves about a little bit of background, knowledge and kind of looking into things for yourself.
Speaker 1:So let's do this. Yeah Well, if I were to look at my budget on what I spend money on, beauty, anti-aging, dermatological stuff is probably my number two or three. Grocery is obviously number one, but it's a huge part of what.
Speaker 3:I spend money on. There's actually a statistic out there that the average woman spends over $250,000 on beauty products alone in her lifetime, and about 90% of products could go unused. Oh gosh, so a lot of waste there too.
Speaker 1:There is. And then when you try new stuff and either it doesn't work or, for me, it makes me break out. I have sensitive skin, so I'll buy something, and then I can't use it and it's just like it lives in the drawer for a while. My daughter might snatch it, but they're not cheap, exactly. So there are things that I need, but I'm like, okay, I'm going to save up for this. So I would like to know if you think that they're worth it or what you feel like for, like a midlife female who wants to fight gravity and aging, yes, I think that's a great point.
Speaker 3:Aging can be beautiful, but there's the whole concept of aging gracefully in terms of doing things that you find appropriate for yourself to help yourself feel good about the age-related changes that you see, and so there's a number of things that we do in the dermatology office that can definitely help, kind of I always say tip the skills in your favor, because we know as we age, we break down collagen in the last and faster than we're making it, and so there's things to kind of tip that back in our favor.
Speaker 1:I like that. Tip that back in our favor. That's a nice way of saying it.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, kind of a gentle approach. The best type of interventions are undetectable, meaning that your friends might say you know, did you just get back for a vacation? Yes, or you look well rested, but they can't put their finger on it. Yes, that's the goal.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's what I like. And actually I remember coming out like out my book club here for people that know people in my book club. But I think it was about maybe six or seven years ago and I really had no idea that women in my age range this was I was in my late 30s at the time that women in their early 40s were getting like Botox and Fibbler and like it just wasn't on my radar. I was kind of working on my career and doing my thing and I did look around at book club when everybody started talking but I was like nobody has a wrinkle on their forehead.
Speaker 1:I am the only one that has like these lines and it hit me like I had no idea these women were doing this.
Speaker 2:Like.
Speaker 1:I thought it was like for people in the real housewives and not, and then I did start a big fan and I feel like it is worth it.
Speaker 3:It's very commonplace at this point in society, and so if you're looking around in a friend group and you wonder if so and so does they probably do yeah.
Speaker 1:If there's no sign of a wrinkle and they're like 40, probably do, yeah, and that's okay.
Speaker 3:You know it's about one of those things that you can choose to do or not. You know for yourself, for you know kind of maintenance or self care or the things that help your outside appearance match how you feel on the inside.
Speaker 1:That's very diplomatic Sometimes.
Speaker 3:I feel old on the inside too Well, a lot of times we do have people who say I feel like I look angry, I'm not angry, yeah, so those are targeting areas of treatment. Or someone will say I feel like I look tired, I don't feel tired, I don't feel this way. So what would it be?
Speaker 1:called Like. Botox is a brand, what would you call it?
Speaker 3:Neuromodulators. Yeah, so that's what we call it.
Speaker 1:That covers a bunch of brand names.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, so all the brands that are out there that are available now are kind of all under that umbrella.
Speaker 1:And would you say that is probably the quickest, easiest.
Speaker 3:You don't have to cannonball into the deep end.
Speaker 1:What's the most?
Speaker 3:invasive things, yeah, but you can kind of tiptoe and wade in, and so a lot of times when people haven't really done anything yet, we talk about a skin care routine. And, yes, neuromodulators like Botox, disfort, xiumen, juvo, daxify they are a nice way to dip your toe because the effect is temporary. So I always tell patients that the effect is temporary. So the downside is that if you like it, you may want to keep up with this with regular treatments, but the upside is, if that for some reason you really dislike it, it goes away and you never have to do it again.
Speaker 1:That's a good way and my big thing was I was worried about like one eye being like you know like you just work and you watch the show, botched you just like. Sometimes things go wrong, but for the most part it's generally safe for you.
Speaker 3:Let me say that, yes, absolutely OK. These treatments have been, you know, neuromodulators on the whole, have been around for a very long time and their cosmetic application has been, you know, in use for decades. Yeah, and so, yeah, that's very, very safe.
Speaker 1:And I don't think my husband listens to this podcast, so nobody wrap me out if he doesn't. And you tell him off to this, he still doesn't know that I do this. Yeah, I just don't talk about it. I think that's not unusual either, really, because I just don't want to be judged. And he'll say things like when he looks like I'm like super botoxed up faces in Hollywood. I can't believe people do that. I can't believe they inject toxin or anything. I'm like, yeah, like I do do.
Speaker 3:And I don't mean to make the generalization, but I do feel that men sometimes don't have the same aging concerns that women do, and so they do have a skewed view of it. They equate these interventions to looking unnatural, which isn't necessarily yeah.
Speaker 1:And it's not like I'm live. He hasn't been like, do you do this? And I've said no, I just don't tell him. And he sees the bill of a dermatologist and he doesn't ask questions. So you know, that's kind of where we're at in a relationship, but all right, so we kind of covered that. It's safe. I think, personally, it's worth the money, even though I'm always trying to get people on a budget. Now, if you don't have the money in your budget to do it, obviously I don't recommend it. I personally have a budget in mind that I spend on this and I don't put over it.
Speaker 3:From a dermatologist's point of view. I'm going to give you all the information for all the opportunities I see that are appropriate for you. I always do that because I don't judge. I don't know what someone's budget is and I'm not going to make assumptions based on anything that I see in them. I'm going to give them information for every kind of opportunity that I see for them and then it's up to the person to decide you know, based on their own situation, what they'd like to see.
Speaker 1:So if someone comes in and says I can spend this on looking younger, getting rid of these age spots, what's available like that's?
Speaker 3:okay, oh sure. Well, generally people don't necessarily say what they don't want to spend, yeah, but they will say I want your opinion.
Speaker 3:Very, very generally speaking, those are the types of patients that we do get, so some patients come in with their own ideas about what they want I'm here for Botox today, or I'm here for this today, but a lot of times patients will say I want your opinion, what can I do to achieve this goal? And so then we'll talk about any and all opportunities that may involve injectable treatments like fillers or neuromodulators, and that may involve energy-based treatments lasers or other.
Speaker 1:I was going to say what is an energy-based treatment? I'm intrigued.
Speaker 3:So different energies are utilized to have effects on the skin, the tissue. So sometimes we're using lasers to achieve certain endpoints, like helping with age spots and redness in the skin or rejuvenation. Sometimes we use other energy-based devices ultrasound wavelengths or radio frequency and these things help to lead to collagen remodeling and tissue tightening. So a lot of advancements in the realm of dermatology over the past 15, 20 years.
Speaker 1:Talk to me about the laser treatments. There seems to be a wide range you can have, like is it layers of the skin that you go down? The more money you spend, the deeper the laser goes.
Speaker 3:Well, lasers work by targeting a chromophore or a color target. So, based on the wavelength of the laser, we're getting into physics now.
Speaker 1:That's OK. No, I like this. Listen to me, I'm like. So how does?
Speaker 3:the laser work. Why is it so expensive? So, based on the wavelength of the laser, it targets a different chromophore or color target. So some of them target the reds and browns, some of them target water and that's when we get into what's called resurfacing lasers, and those are the ones that can really help with fine lines and wrinkles. And so, based on the steps fractionation, pulse, duration those are all the physical principles that really have the impact on what the laser is going to achieve for us.
Speaker 1:So it would be more like how much you need to take off, would be like how impactful of a treatment.
Speaker 3:We want to have downtime. All these things are kind of taken into consideration.
Speaker 1:Yes, so I've seen the major ones where the whole face peels off. Sure, those are my four. You, for whatever reason they're attracted to those videos. I watch them again and again, so they keep coming up. But that's the high intensity.
Speaker 3:Exactly so. When lasers are first devised, some of them were very intense and they were fully ablative, and so those ones have a long downtime and sometimes a little less natural result because it can look a little monotone in the face. It's important to have natural variation so, as laser continues to develop fractionation or, if you can imagine, like Swiss cheese has holes or a strainer has holes, so we're creating micro thermal columns of injury, individual columns, versus avoiding the whole thing, and so that allows for quicker recovery because there's regeneration quicker and a nice natural. How long do the results last? That's a great question.
Speaker 3:People ask it commonly and I always say that we can't stack the process of aging right. So even though we do a treatment, you're going to continue to age after that, and so we typically talk about touch up treatments over time or maintenance over time, and that really varies depending on the individual. So when people ask me you know or are interested in laser treatments, but I discovered that they're not wearing a sunscreen every day, I do frankly tell them that they need to protect their investment. Yes, they're going to regret it if they don't, because skin has a memory, and so you can do, you know, an IPL laser to treat your sunspots, but if you don't wear sunscreen every day, even during our Michigan summers, those are going to wake back up, but generally like it's still better than it was. Oh, absolutely, okay, absolutely. But I definitely encourage my patients to have a skin care routine on board to protect their investment and, like I said, to the scales and their favor in terms of priming your skin for a good response with these treatments.
Speaker 1:Now I went right in for, like the needles. What did we call?
Speaker 2:them.
Speaker 1:I was like give me the good stuff. But I'm being realistic. If anybody else you know I was thinking about these things. Those are bigger investments. But let's talk. You can mention just skin care. So you're starting out not starting out, but like just starting to be like, oh okay, I'm aging, like I need to invest in my skin a little bit. What's a place to start?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so skin care is a long-term game and you know I hate those conversions that save results in as little as two weeks, because it's biologically impossible, right? Yeah, our skin's going to be tissueing and it takes time to see those changes. But the bottom line for the simplest routine in terms of protecting what you've got and then maybe you know a little bit of anti-aging it's a sunscreen every morning and a topical retinoid every night.
Speaker 1:A retinoid. What does that mean?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so topical retinoids are a class of, you know, topical medications that.
Speaker 2:Stop, just put on the skin Medications and prescription, yeah.
Speaker 3:And then there's over-the-counter options, and again, yeah, we're going to know it out here for a second, because they vary based on their chemical structure. So we talk about retinoids it's an umbrella term but there's retinol and retinoic acid, retinaldehyde, right? So retinolic acid is the form that you would find in prescription topical retinoids like retinoin and tazerotine, things like that and it requires no chemical conversion in your skin to be active, right? So retinolic acid enters the cell, binds to retinolic acid receptor and stimulates the genes and palpages, that's it. And so, yeah, I love that Sciencey, yes. And so the next form is retinaldehyde, and that requires one step of chemical conversion before it becomes active in your skin, and so this one can be found over-the-counter. And then the next one would be your retinol. That requires two steps, and then something called retinalpolletage, which it's not very effective. It requires three steps of conversion before it's active, and it is not.
Speaker 1:So moth-deacted conversion would be prescription yes.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that retinolic acid and that you know, tretinoin 0.05% was the gold standard where the original studies were done, you know, demonstrating that collagen stimulating the use of these products.
Speaker 1:Okay, now I'm going to admit that my 15-year-old daughter uses tretinoin and I do not, because I just A very sensitive skin, so it kind of scares me.
Speaker 3:Exactly. That's the struggle with the prescription Trepno and their retinogazin, immediately bioavailable and it's the most drying and irritating. So the step down the retinol behind, a little less irritating and drying, easier to tolerate, still very effective.
Speaker 1:Maybe just start with that.
Speaker 3:Exactly the Iowa Cell Patients who are eager to go the next step up. Consistency of use is going to get you further than inconsistently using something because it's drying and irritating and you simply can't tolerate it. So I'd rather have people using a retinol or retinol to hide. There's no need to push it to the retinol acid or the prescription items.
Speaker 1:Now you mentioned in the beginning, the average woman spends $250,000, so the average woman just I don't know.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah, the statistic was just looking at a group of women in beauty spending over their lifetime.
Speaker 1:What do you feel is the best product out there? Like bang for your buck, Like if you're going to spend money on it? Vitamin C. And this is because Pearl, vitamin C Neural and topical.
Speaker 3:Okay, yeah, so vitamin C functions as an antioxidant in our skin. It helps to combat oxidative damage through UV exposure and pollutants.
Speaker 1:Is this in the form of a serum?
Speaker 3:Yes, it's topically applied, so typically serums or lotions. It also helps with discoloration, so it has an impact on pigmentary production and also you have to have enough vitamin C around in your skin to make new collagen as well. So topical retinoids and vitamin C's they work together in that way. But vitamin C's are tricky to formulate properly and I'm a stickler for the packaging they're in because, being an antioxidant, if it's exposed to a lot of light and air on a regular basis, it oxidizes and it's not going to be effective for you. Interesting.
Speaker 1:Yes, but this is something you can get at like a drugstore or a Target online.
Speaker 3:Yes, there are some brands that are over the counter that are worth their weight, and there's others that are, you know, cosmeceuticals right, those that are sold under offices. That are a step up. Okay. So sunscreen and retinol is really the pillars where you can get fancier from there, and the first thing I would add would be a vitamin C, Okay.
Speaker 3:But again, getting to you know the packaging. You want it in opaque or tinted jar or bottle. Really, an airless pump is best to shield it completely from light and air. So I kind of cringe when patients bring in their skincare products and it's a big, wide-mouth jar, that's clear. Yeah, I know that that is not very effective for them.
Speaker 1:Now what. I'm jumping around a little bit, but you just mentioned sunscreens and it reminded me. What SPF do you recommend? People are wearing like Adam Minimum, so I recommend a 50.
Speaker 3:Okay, and this is for a couple of reasons the two main things that and this is everyday, everyday, yep. The two main things that people kind of run into in terms of errors around use of sunscreen is they don't use enough to achieve the SPF on the label and they forget to reapply. So if you have an SPF of 50, I feel like it was the average person a little bit of wiggle room there versus if you're working with a 30 or certainly a 15, you may not achieve the SPF on the label. So when patients say, oh yeah, I wear sunscreen every day, it's in my makeup, well, no one is using, you know, half a teaspoon of makeup on their face.
Speaker 1:Okay, you know. So that's kind of the idea. That's a lot, yeah, half a teaspoon?
Speaker 2:Okay, what about a moisturizer with SPF?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so you can definitely combine items and have multitasking products, but again having that little higher SPF of 50 and keeping in mind the amount you want. So when we talk about sunscreens, I always say it's most important to find something you love enough to put on every day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and Because if you're slick looking by like an hour after you've done your makeup it's not no one else Exactly no one's gonna like that.
Speaker 3:So there's different. We call it vehicles or formulations of sunscreens. Some are sunscreen fluids. They're super thin and lightweight and you can get a little more emollient or moisturizing with a lotion cream. There's sticks Some people really like. You know a sunscreen stick. Give it to me. It's my secret, I don't even know how they read what you mean. The stick, yeah yeah, I actually kinda like the sticks a lot for nooks and crannies and the crease of the nose around the eyes, and then sometimes you'll do a little blending with your fingers, okay yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean I do put those like right here and it's an additional. I'm gonna talk about reapplying, like for my kids, because that's where they get burned a lot, right, so I'll do like you know in the hotel room or on vacation, like slick them down, but then I'll have this stick in my bag. I'll just kind of go like under their eyes to reapply, since I have like about 30 seconds to really get them to reapply before they run away from the scammer room.
Speaker 1:Yes, so I like those. So you're not talking necessarily about putting the stick stuff on every day, but like some thing underneath.
Speaker 3:Well, and a lot of my favorite active patients golfers, tennis players they like the sticks because they don't want to get their hands greasy to affect the grip and you know, so that helps them reapply whether the cord is on the cord.
Speaker 1:So there's a type for everyone. Now, what about sprays versus lotions? Do you have a?
Speaker 3:preference. So I actually think the sprays are really tricky to work with. I actually did a video on this because I see people do this kind of light misting thing and again it's about getting enough of the product on to achieve the SPF on the label. And so time and time again I'll have patients say, yeah, I use the spray sunscreen, but I still burn and that's because you have to spray on a visible amount and then rub it in. That's the proper use of a spray sunscreen.
Speaker 1:Any other tips on sunscreen? Like to get people to wear them.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So, like I said, sometimes it's just a little bit of troubleshooting, finding what works for you, and I think that's where talking with your board certified dermatologist comes in handy Because we can kind of talk about what exactly your skin type is and what might work best for you. I mentioned kind of multitasking products previously and I think that a sunscreen is a great place where that can be accomplished. You know there's products that have sunscreen and the moisturizing capability and other ingredients that are, you know, skincare like. There's a brand I love called Daver and it's basically tinted skincare, so it's got that serum element with some Dyson and Amide and Basabalol. It's an STF 50. It's tinted, so it's like a BB cream or CC cream and it's moisturizing. So you know, for a busy mom that's great, or for someone.
Speaker 1:Or a lazy person Exactly, and a lazy person in general.
Speaker 3:So it's a great product.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, we can link some of these in the show notes too, so if you're driving, check it out later, and then you can see some of these recommendations that Dr Price has for us. Before we started recording, I outed my daughter, who's 15. She loves to tan and layout which makes me crazy because I used to do that too, but I feel like we didn't know better and she actually has a bottle of something called tan AF in our in our cabinet. But I say it's not just to out her, but because I think the SPF level in that is like not existent, like four or something like that. So you're saying a minimum of 50. What is? Is there really an advantage to wearing a 70 over a 50?
Speaker 3:So yeah, that's a great question. When we look at, you know, the protection factor, it really does plateau after 50. You know, if you can imagine kind of semi-belchers where you know 30 and 50 and you know 70 is probably at the top of that and once we get that's why you won't find many that say that 100 plus anymore. Yeah, you know the FDA is limiting that and it's really irrelevant. So that's why I say 50 is a great, a great place to be.
Speaker 1:No, I'm not going to out my whole family here with their like SPF things, but for instance my, I don't tan, so I've given up on it. I do the self-tanner. I spend money on that because I just have given up and it's just the reward isn't there, it's just more wrinkles. But my husband has, you know, tan tendencies getting like a golden color, and he will like, when we go on vacation, be like well, I want an SPF 30 because I want to get a little color.
Speaker 3:Well, if a patient wants to stick with an SPF 30, I'll never say no to that. Something's better than nothing. But it's important to understand that a tan is your skin's response to DNA damage. So when we're acquiring that sun, that UV mediated DNA damage our skin cells. They start to pump out melanosomes, little pockets of pigment, and in what's certain imaging where we can look under the skin, you can see these melanosomes migrating and they form like an umbrella over the nucleus, which is where our DNA is stored in our cells. So that is what a tan is Okay, everybody's response trying to shield from the DNA damage.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you're damaging your skin even if you don't burn. Correct, that's kind of the.
Speaker 1:I will translate the nerd. I'm just saying I'm not calling you that. The translation there is. Whether it's a tan or a burn, it's still damaged. Yes, and you're still. I mean, are you still exposing yourself to potentially skin cancer? Exactly? I mean, it's not just the wrinkles. I worry about the damage that I did prior to. I mean, I even I went to tanning beds in college before formals. I did that, yeah, and I don't know if tanning beds still exist. They do. They do, unfortunately.
Speaker 3:Thankfully there's a lot more regulation around those two varies depending on the state. But yeah, you're not alone in that and you know, for people who are younger, the whole idea of cancer it doesn't really sink in with them. It doesn't. It doesn't, you know, phase them a lot. So then I'll talk to them about, you know, wrinkles and sunspots. And when I talk to younger patients about sunscreen I always say you're 30 year old, self will thank you 30 year old self.
Speaker 1:That is 50, 45 a day for sure. Yeah, and you know, now I'm at that age where I'm like every pimple I still get pimples. And like my mid 40s year Yay, being a little bit older yeah, I'm a little bit older, but every time I get something I'm like is that skin cancer? It's like what was this? It's not. It doesn't feel like a pimple, but it's a bump, yeah. So, yeah, I definitely feel like that. How, how often should people get checked for skin cancer?
Speaker 3:Like things like do you recommend like an annual check? So it depends on your personal risk factors. If a person in the first degree family member meeting a parent, sibling or child with a history of melanoma, they should get a yearly skin exam. Okay, if you have a personal history of skin cancer or AIDS, a Bocal Knowles you should get a yearly skin exam. And I always talk about if you have a history of multiple sunburns certainly blistering sunburns or endertaining bad use you should get a yearly skin exam.
Speaker 1:So I should.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:I pale, burn easily and I pride myself as a teen and college student.
Speaker 3:Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:So yeah, but I'm not very moly.
Speaker 3:Like is there something like if a new?
Speaker 1:one comes up Sure, sure.
Speaker 3:I always tell patients that change is the most sensitive indicator of a problem with something, even if it's a mold you've had forever. So if you have rapid growth, change in color or misbehavior, you know something starts itching a lot all of a sudden, or it's bleeding spontaneously without trauma. You should check it. You know, check it with your derm. To your point about oh, pimple, and is it skin cancer. So if there's something that looks pimple like or is just a non healing spot and it's around for longer than a month, yeah, you should have that looked at.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, that's good to know. What are your thoughts on pimple patches? Are they good?
Speaker 3:Oh sure, yeah, I like pimple patches. I like those that are non-medicated. Nutrigena has a specific one. It's like a spot on and it's just basically a hydrochloride dressing, a very land dressing that helps to protect the spot and kind of draw out a little bit, so it helps to minimize it. Yeah, I prefer the ones that are medicated. A lot of times if patients are using those, they're also using other products and so it can be kind of double dosing and then it just they do the dry spot, a dry circle on your face, so okay, so I prefer the non-medicated ones. But yeah, I think.
Speaker 1:So we've talked a lot about what's good for your skin. I have a couple confessions or like things that I've done in the past and I want you to rate it like 1 to 10, 10 being really bad, like okay, how bad is it to go to sleep without washing off?
Speaker 3:That's like a. That's okay. That's a really bad, yeah, okay. Imagine you know all day the oil is your skin, produces Saloons and impurities. You touch your face. Plus, you know any makeup that you have on and there's no makeup yeah and then you go to sleep and that is just ground into your skin, you know, against your pillow and things like that. So super important to wash your face at night, even if you're not wearing makeup, just to get the days, oils and impurities and you know, your sunscreen.
Speaker 3:Yes, you're wearing sunscreen and, you know, in the morning a lot of times people, people don't necessarily need to wash their face, so just water and run over it, that's fine.
Speaker 1:I don't know Okay, but at night yes. So if you wash your face, pretty good at night you can just do water.
Speaker 3:Yeah, a lot of times people you know if you tend toward normal, normal to dry, you don't necessarily need to wash your face.
Speaker 1:How bad is it to get a sunburn? That's a ton. That's a ton. Okay, it's so avoidable.
Speaker 3:So yes, I would say that that's a ton. And you know I I try not to be people up about it too much. You know, sometimes patients will come in for their skin exam and they're like, oh, I'm so tan or oh, I just got a little burn. And I know they know what they should be doing and we'll talk about it. But you know I try not to most of the time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's otherwise and they'll cancel their appointment when they have a sunburn. Yeah, I know life happens. But yeah, you mentioned the pillowcase. What about, like, not changing your sheets regularly, right?
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's. I would say that's a yeah. But yeah, you know, obviously our skin is shutting constantly and then you know when you're in the sheets, you know oils and things like that.
Speaker 1:So I do change my sheets right away.
Speaker 3:I just want to once a week, at least once a week, I teach my pillowcases more sometimes, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:For instance, I go to sleep without washing up by make-up.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you guys will make up on it. Yeah, Once a week is adequate. You know rarely for specific considerations what I would. I suggest more frequently, but yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:Let me try and find a five. I don't know.
Speaker 3:What's something that's not that bad. How bad is it to wear sunscreen every day?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's okay, I know.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I always say just put it by your toothbrush. You do that every morning, it'll kind of prompt you to do it, and I look at sunscreen Not not as sunscreen but as a part of my skincare routine, and so if you kind of view it like, that is like self-care, you know, part of your self-pampering, yes, and then it becomes that well, I do.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna make a connection here because I said you know. We've expanded our topics to go outside of just strictly financial, even though this is the women's money was done. I think we did cover a lot of things here about like what's worth spending money on and what maybe you could do or less. Yeah, but what I equate the sunscreen and and burning to is People know that they should be saving money now for their future self.
Speaker 1:But, it's a really hard concept. So they almost feel like when I get my clients to save for retirement, right, so to take money right off the top before it hits their bank account and put it away for their future self, it almost feels like they're taking money away from themselves, right, but you're actually saving it so that you will be able to live after you retire, exactly. And it's the same thing with the sunscreen. You feel like this is so annoying, it's gonna shape your skin, right, or that I'm like a little bit greasier in my hands or greasy afterwards, or whatever the excuses are. I know what they are because I have them but you are Protecting your future self to avoid, like wrinkles, sunspots, skin cancer, which is a big one, yeah potentially.
Speaker 1:So all these things. So I really, if I've learned one thing from this podcast, or taking away one thing, yeah, it's that I am gonna wear sunscreen more often.
Speaker 3:Absolutely Is the cheapest anti-aging Topical you'll get your hands on.
Speaker 1:So okay, well, that's good. Well, you fixed one person today You've done your job. I'm talking about you. Yeah, double job. I love that. Well, this has been so informative for me. I know that our listeners are gonna enjoy it as well. If someone's listening and they've been kind of considering Some of these treatments through a dermatologist for they need to get their skin checked, and or they've just been following your social media and think you're the best and want to get into contact, what is the best way?
Speaker 3:to reach out. Yeah, you know, you can call our office it's. You have our website gross-point dermatology. You can make an appointment right from there. Check out my Instagram.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna say you're not quite ready, yeah, just. Or if you want to see how gorgeous her skin is because this is just boys. But I'm telling you, it's like blinding.
Speaker 3:It's perfect. I like to put on a lot of Good information out there, so my goal is to come that misinformation and just put things out there that are helpful for the average individual. So, yes, if you want to learn more, you know a little helpful tidbits. Your interest in day bird? I know I have a rebate code linked in my bio, so I can check that Jamie Derb that definitely reach out, make an appointment.
Speaker 1:I know I am because I feel like I've been thinking about it. Anyway, and this was just the gentle note that I'm so Gentle nudging and some serious nudging about Sunscreen, that's what this podcast was all about. So thank you so much for being here. Thank you for having me as a blast, dr Meredith Price.
Speaker 2:Thank you for listening to the women's money wisdom podcast. If you found value in our conversations, please take a moment to like, follow and subscribe Wherever you're tuning in from. It helps us continue to bring these valuable insights every week. Head over to women's money wisdom Dot com. There you'll find tools, tips and a supportive community to help you gain financial confidence.