Skinema, dermatology in the media blog

Barack Obama and John McCain: The 2009 Skinnies Awards

This year's Skinnies Awards are now online at skinema.com! Barack Obama and John McCain won the "Most Skinematic Presidential Race" for the skin issues that arose during their campaigns. Sarah Palin and Joseph Biden are included at no extra charge. See all of the awards at skinema.com...

Sarah Palin's tanning bed: Just Say No

Sarah the Governor: Hockey mom or Indoor tanner?

The 2008 US Presidential campaign had plenty of notable news items, many of them generated by perky Alaskan Gov. turned VP candidate Sarah Palin. Yet among the moose hunting, child rearing, and trooper gating anecdotes, one bit of trivia went relatively unnoticed. It was revealed that last year, Palin had a tanning bed installed in the Alaska Governor's mansion. Supposedly it was bought used and paid for by the Palin's. But unlike Sarah the Governor's wardrobe shopping spree, the cost of the unit and installation is not what worries us. While some use tanning beds attempting to limit the depressive symptoms caused by a sun-free Alaskan winter, is it really worth the risk to the skin?

Upon the news of Palin's UV exposure, the Indoor Tanning Association excitedly released a press release claiming that indoor tanning increases vitamin D for people not exposed to solar radiation. This is controversial. Just this week, the Texas Attorney General sued a tanning parlor franchise for deceptive advertising claiming tanning beds had health benefits. And this is in a Red State!

Before Palin attempts to brown her skin or end up with a red burn (possible in supposedly "safe" devices), we'd suggest she look into the data showing increased melanoma skin cancer rates in women using tanning beds. Perhaps a chat with former running mate John McCain, who has had four potentially life threatening skin cancers, would steer her straight. We recommend dietary sources of vitamin D like fortified milk, soy drinks, fish and egg yolks. And as for tanning, we suggest Sarah keep the "pale" in Palin: Just Say No!

Sources:

Palin installed tanning bed

Texas sues tanning franchise

Melanoma risk from indoor tanning

Is Obama Experienced?

44th President Barack Obama with stars, stripes...		...and facial spots called DPN's.

During the campaign for the 2008 US Presidential race, some voiced concerns about the level of experience shown by Senator Barack Obama. Did he have the maturity to handle the role of Commander in Chief? At skinema.com, we don't pretend to be politically savvy. But in dermatology, we know age like the back of our hand (D'Oh! Is that a sun spot?)

Note the small dark bumps on Obama's cheeks. These lesions are known as DPN's, short for dermatosis papulosa nigra. These non-cancerous lesions are not due to diet, healthy or otherwise. The sun, even the intense solar radiation that Obama was exposed to growing up in Hawaii, is not the culprit either. Seen more often in people of color, these discrete dots are a marker for maturity, age, or to put it nicely...experience.

Can skin doctors remove these spots, enact this change? Yes, we can. Treatment requires lightly zapping the lesions with a low strength cauterizing device. Lasers can also be used to transform a transformative politician. We presume Obama has other items on his to-do list.

So from a skin perspective, we can confirm: Obama has experience to spare.

Condoleezza Rice has got 'em too!