What Every Woman Should Know About Their Unique Skin Care Needs

As a woman, you want to look your best, and a large part of looking good is the condition of your skin. No one wants wrinkled, leathery, blotchy skin.

Our board-certified dermatologists here at Seacoast Dermatology have the expertise to keep your skin healthy and glowing. 

Following are areas of skin health that we pay close attention to in our female patients because they’re either unique to women or because of trends we’re seeing in women’s skin health across the nation. 

Melanoma from sun and tanning bed exposure

Within a recent 40-year period, the rate of young women with melanoma increased by 800%. That means we’re seeing many more cases of melanoma in relatively young women than we did in the past. As a woman, just knowing this statistic can help shape your habits. 

Excessive sun exposure over long periods of time, even when using sunscreen, causes skin damage. The sun’s powerful UV rays degrade your skin year after year. In some women, that damage turns cancerous. 

In young women aged 15-29, melanoma is the second most common form of cancer in recent years. Worse, it’s the No. 1 cause of cancer death in women 25-29 years old. 

The US Department of Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization have declared the sun and light from tanning beds to be carcinogens. 

Enjoy the sun, but do so responsibly, taking the right precautions by always wearing sunscreen, even on cloudy days, and avoiding tanning beds.

Even though publicity about the danger of tanning beds has been in the news for many decades, about 7.8 million adult women use tanning beds each year. Tanning beds are not illegal in the United States, but Brazil and Australia have deemed them so dangerous that they are illegal. That should give every American woman pause. 

Vulvar skin cancer

You may not have even known that vulvar skin cancer exists. It is fairly rare, but it matters to you if you have it. About 5,000 American women are diagnosed with vulvar cancer each year. The vulva is the skin at the entrance to your vagina and reproductive organs. It’s a tender area. 

You can help prevent vulvar cancer by getting the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. It prevents the strains of the virus that can cause cervical and vulvar cancer. If you haven’t received the vaccine, make an appointment with us at Seacoast or with your primary care physician.  

Skin changes with pregnancy and menopause 

Pregnancy brings all sorts of changes. You may have a youthful glow, but some women may see a skin breakout. Likewise, menopause causes changes in your skin. As you age, you may develop rosacea, making your skin too red. 

In menopause, your loss of estrogen is dramatic. Estrogen helps keep your skin soft, smooth, and young looking. We can explain a range of options to smooth away wrinkles, even the tone and texture of your skin, and eliminate sun damage, from dermal fillers to Botox® to laser skin resurfacing. 

Call us at one of our four convenient locations for expert skin care with a board-certified dermatologist. Our offices are located in Portsmouth, Dover, and Exeter, New Hampshire.