Skin & Nail Health

There are four essential components to maintaining healthy brown skin:

Knowledge
Self-examination
Protection
Nurturing
Once you understand the essential components for healthy skin, you will be well equipped to take care of your skin.

Knowledge
The first step to good skin health is being knowledgeable about your brown skin. We clearly know that the melanin in brown skin distinguishes it from the skin of others. There are several other distinctive but normal characteristics that may be present in women with brown skin. These include:

Futcher’s Lines - Lines on the upper arms that separate lighter skin on the inside of the arm from the darker skin on the outside
Mid-line Hypopigmentation - Skin on the middle of the chest that is lighter in tone than the skin toward the sides of the chest
Palmar Crease Hyperpigmentation - Creases in the palms that are darker than the skin on the remainder of the palms
Hyperpigmented Kerototic Palmer Pitting - Small pinpoint holes in the palms with a dark core
Pigmented Nail Streaks - Dark brown streaks running from the cuticle to the end of the nails. If, however, you have a streak on only one nail, it could be a sign of cancer that must be evaluated by a dermatologist.
Gingival Hyperpigmentation - Darkened gums around your teeth
Self-Examination
The second step to good brown skin health is regular skin self-examination. In general, brown skin is less susceptible to skin cancer, but when it does strike, it is often more deadly than in other skin types. Women of color (and men) must first be aware that they are indeed at risk for skin cancer and that early detection is important. Once every month, your skin must be examined from head to toe, paying particular attention to your hands, fingers, feet, toes, nails and mouth, where melanoma type skin cancers are more likely to appear in people of color. Look for dark brown or black spots in these areas no matter how small. Pay particular attention to new spots or spots that change. The change can be an increase in size, shape or color or a raised bump that develops within the spot. A bump on the foot or toe that is sore or does not heal is another tip off for skin cancer. Be on the lookout for dark streaks or lines along one fingernail or toenail only. If you find anything unusual, any area that you think might have changed or any particularly dark or irregular spot, see your dermatologist right away.

The National Cancer Institute recommends these steps for checking your skin for signs of cancer. After a bath or shower, use a full-length or hand-held mirror to check all areas—including your hands, feet, nails, back, scalp, buttocks and genitals.

Look at the front and back of your body in the mirror, then raise your arms and look at the left and right sides.

Bend your elbows and look carefully at your palms, your forearms, including the undersides, and your upper arms.

Examine the back and front of your legs. Also look between the buttocks and around the genital area.

Sit and closely examine your feet, including the soles and the spaces between the toes.

Look at your face, neck and scalp. You may want to use a comb to move hair so that you can see better.

Protection
The third step in ensuring healthy brown skin is protection from the sun. Though the average woman with brown skin has a natural SPF of 13 (which means you can stay in the sun without burning 13 times longer than a woman with white skin), we still need to include sunscreen in our daily skin care routine for healthy skin. Sunscreens work by absorbing the harmful ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays before they can affect the skin. Sunblocks create a protective barrier that reflects UV rays, causing them to bounce off the skin. For most women of color, a sunscreen with an SPF 15 (which means you can stay in the sun 15 times longer without burning) is sufficient, but if you have certain medical conditions, such as lupus, or take certain medications, or have dark marks or skin discolorations, you may need a sunscreen with an SPF 30. Look for broad-spectrum products containing ingredients that protect the skin from both UVA and UVB rays.

Sunscreen Tips

All women with brown skin should use sunscreen daily
Always apply sunscreen 20 minutes before you’re exposed to the sun to allow your skin to absorb the product and create a protective shield.
Use sunscreen generously on all exposed skin—face, neck and hands. Apply at least a shot-glass full (about one ounce).
Store sunscreen away from the sun and heat to prevent spoiling.
Reapply it after vigorous exercise or swimming even if the product is labeled “water proof”.
Take note of expiration dates. If a bottle does not have an expiration date, toss it after one year.
Sunscreen in foundation wears off after only a couple of hours so it’s best to apply sunscreen separately, under makeup, or in moisturizers that say SPF 15 on the label.
Sunscreen formulations include creams, lotions, sprays, gels, roll-ons, and moisturizers. Find a product that meets your personal preference.
Nurturing
The final step to care for healthy brown skin is to nurture your skin. It is important to avoid irritants that may stimulate the production of excessive melanin. Ingredients in soaps, cleansers, toners, moisturizers, astringents, anti-aging products, and anti-acne agents to name just a few, are possible irritants. The following is a list of potential irritants to avoid:

Cleansers, toners or astringents containing alcohol, propylene glycol, fragrance, or dyes
Products containing essential oils (concentrated oil extracts from plants)
Moisturizers containing fragrance, lanolin, dye, alcohol or propylene glycol
Sunscreens containing fragrance, oil, PABA
Makeups containing oil
Alpha-hydroxy acid in high concentrations or at certain pHs
Detergents and fabric softeners containing fragrance, dyes, or preservatives
Now that you are aware of ingredients to avoid in maintaining your brown skin, you can concentrate on proper cleansing technique. Many women with brown skin make the mistake of over-cleaning—cleaning the face, neck, elbows and knees too often or too roughly. But most skin care problems (acne, dark marks, clogged pores) are not caused by dirt, so there’s no need to use either harsh products or rough cleansing techniques. The following cleansing clues will guide you.

Tips on Better Cleansing

Cleanse your face daily to remove dirt, oil and makeup
Avoid abrasive cleansers or cleansing products (puffs, loofahs), which can irritate brown skin
Cleanse facial skin with your fingertips and massage gently in a circular motion
Use products designed for your skin type: oily, dry, normal, combination, sensitive, acne-prone or hyperpigmenting
Exfoliate if you need to remove dull, dead skin cells by using gentle exfoliating acids found in skin products—but test the product on a small patch of skin first or check with your dermatologist.
Bottom Line
Finally, to properly care for brown skin requires knowledge of its unique structure and properties. Monthly self-examinations and protection from the sun are essential for the health of this skin type. Avoidance of products that irritate brown skin, and lead to dark marks, is essential.





Courtesy of www.brownskin.net









Nurture & Heal: Healthy Nails
For women with brown skin, nails are one symbol of beauty and individuality--whether you have naturally long nails with airbrushed designs, extra-long and brightly polished acrylic nails, or shorter nails with a French manicure. It is important to realize that your nails are a living part of your body and they require care. Like our hair, nails are made of keratin. The nail has four components: the matrix, bed, plate, proximal nail fold, and cuticle.



The nail plate is formed in the nail matrix which is located beneath the proximal nailfold
The cuticle is a section of skin at the end of the proximal nailfold that protects the nail matrix
The nail plate lies atop the nail bed which is the living portion of the nail with nerves and blood vessels.
Our nails grow a couple of millimeters per month, but that rate of growth can vary slightly from nail to nail and during different periods in our lives such as pregnancy when our nails grow more quickly.
The health of our nails is determined by many factors, including diet and overall health, as well as our nail-care practices. Much like our hair, nails can be damaged by weathering. Weathering is a wearing away of the outer layer of the nail. Filing the nail plate, using our nails as tools, even the friction from scratching, computer keyboards or gloves can lead to weathering.

There are many abnormalities that can occur in your nails. Often it is easy to ignore the abnormality and cover it with an acrylic nail or with nail polish. This may be detrimental to your health since changes in the nail and the nail fold area may be a sign of an internal medical problem or an underlying skin disorder.

Signs of Poor Nail or Internal Health

yellow or opaque nails (psoriasis)
white spots on nails (fungal infection)
thick, brittle or twisted nails (lichen planus, fungal infection, psoriasis)
pale nail beds (anemia)
red, painful cuticles (paronychia)
nail separation (fungal infection, psoriasis)
pinpoint holes in the nail (psoriasis, alopecia areata)
dark steak in one nail (melanoma)
If you suspect your nails are unhealthy, see your doctor or a dermatologist right away. Be sure to note any other symptoms you might have and any recent changes in your diet, lifestyle, occupation and hobbies.
There are certain essentials to good nail care as outline below:

Basic Nail Care

Protect your hands and nails from harsh soaps, which can cause dry, brittle nails. Use mild soap to wash your hands, avoid water as much as possible and wear rubber gloves with cotton liners while performing during wet work.
Protect your hands and nails from extreme weather, which can also cause dry, brittle nails. Coat your nails with moisturizer and wear gloves in winter.
Moisturize your hands and nails daily or twice daily with a creamy lotion or hand cream. Be sure to work lotion into the cuticles and nail plates. Carry a pocketsize moisturizer in your purse.
Keep nails clipped short, if possible. File them in one direction only to create an even nail shape and to avoid nail breakage. Don’t forget to clean under the nail but do not poke anything underneath the nail.
Take regular breaks from polish, nail tips and acrylic nails which discolor and dry the nails and also makes them more susceptible to infection. Buff nails for shine.
Examine your nails regularly since melanoma skin cancer can develop in fingernails or toenails. For people of color, melanoma may appear as a brown line or streak in one nail only. Discolorations on each nail or several nails may be normal in individuals of color.






Courtesy of www.brownskin.net