Skinema, dermatology in the media blog

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Martin Freemen explores the galaxy.	A human traveler...	...with a human complexion.

Audiences hitch a ride to the unknown in this sci-fi comedy, led by British actor Martin Freeman. Previously seen on the BBC program "The Office," Freeman has an everyman quality that perfectly suits his role exploring an absurd universe. This ordinary appearance is accentuated by the actor's acne scarring, reminding us that we are not in the company of a perfect superhero, but a fallible yet endearing human being. Acne scars, notoriously hard to treat, may respond to a new technology: The fraxel laser. This device is supposed to correct cratered skin microns at a time, and intial reports sound positive. Is fraxel a true fix or merely a high tech fantasy? There may be hope for Freeman and fellow acne-scarred actors.

Spelling Bee Skin

Speaking of lists, contributor L.M. Kerr challenges all to find the three derm-related winning spelling bee words on this list. Hint: one starts with "X," one with "E," and one is a major source of heartbreak.

B-movie blemishes

Bruce Dettman, who has covered pop culture in Fangoria, Scarlet Street, EMMY, and Filmfax, contributes these examples from the golden age of B-movies:
"The Wasp Woman" (1960). Susan Cabot uses a kind of super queen bee extract to get a perfect complexion. She doesn't quite get the result she expected.
"The Leech Woman" (1960). Woman travelling through Africa finds the secret of eternal youth. Ultimately very bad on the skin.
"Queen of Outer Space" (1958). The female planet ruler hides her ghastly skin condition - radation-based --beneath a mask.
"Face of Fire" (1959). Based on a Stephen Crane short story, "The Monster." James Whitmore survives a fire and becomes a disfigured freak to the whole town.
"The Manster" (1962). An odd Japanese film where an American reporter suddenly grows an eye on his shoulder.
"The Hypnotic Eye" (1960). A horribly disfigured woman who wears a lifelike mask taking out her revenge on every beautiful woman she meets. At the conclusion the cop tells her "You have a lot to live for, a beautiful face." She responds "You like my face? You can have it." Whereupon she pulls off her mask and throws it at him. Great 1950s schlock.

Dr Reese's favorite: "The Hideous Sun Demon" (1959). A scientist using experiments with radiation changes himself -- with the aid of the sun -- into a scaly reptile. Another great reason to wear sunscreen.

Kojak returns

Ving Rhames reprises the role of Kojak.	Fortunately, lollipops...	...don't cause acne.

"Kojak" is back, on the USA cable network. Replacing the original lollipop lovin' crime fighter Telly Savalas is award-winning actor Ving Rhames. Though not Greek like Savalas, Rhames has the skinema credentials to take on the job. Like Telly, Rhames is bald and has some street tough skin, with ingrown hairs, acne scarring, and neck scarring. Normally, skin this lesion-prone would land Rhames a role as a villain, so kudos to USA for breaking free of the sinister skin stereotype.

Close shave on "The Amazing Race"

Taking on the ultimate skin-centric reality show "Survivor," this week's "Amazing Race 7" features a task that requires couple Uchenna and Joyce to shave their heads.

Her husband already clean shaven, Joyce takes the dramatic step of having her extensive braided tresses cut and discarded. Her tears and his comforting reflect the emotional impact hair has on perception of beauty and well being, especially for women. It's no wonder that there is a huge market for creams, shampoos, and supplements to increase hair growth. The fact that most of these "treatments" have no proven effect is unlikely to slow their continued sales.

Apparently, this determination foreshadowed the pair's inner strength. They went on to win the race on May 10th. No word on whether Norelco has contacted them to be celebrity spokespeople.

The mark of an "American Idol"

Singer Anthony Federov has that star quality.	Close inspection reveals:	A quality scar to match.

Most people, if unlucky enough to become scarred, will make every attempt to hide the defect. "American Idol" contestant Anthony Federov seems to be the exception to this rule. He told the show's judges that he underwent a tracheotomy procedure as a three-year-old. He says his family was told that he might never sing. Yet each week Federov hits a piercing high note that has pre-teen fans swooning. Perhaps as a medal of his survivor status, Federov boldly wears unbuttoned shirts to reveal his neck scar. This display differs from the actions of film phenom Catherine Zeta Jones, who tends to hide her trach scar under necklaces and collars.

Keira comes clean

Anne Housholder and Hariette Surovell point out this item seen today in WENN:

 “Keira Knightley confesses she has "awful" skin and relies on a dermatologist to keep her acne at bay. The sexy Pirates Of The Caribbean star is frequently voted one of the world's sexiest women - but she insists the truth behind the make-up is completely different. Knightley, 20, says, "I do not have good skin. I've got really awful skin." And when quizzed on her perfect on-screen complexion, she reveals, "It's about four hours of make-up actually. And I have a very good dermatologist.”

 Knightley joins the small group of actresses, like Cameron Diaz and Renee Zellweger, who have been upfront in media interviews about their struggle with adult acne.  I also feel it helps “regular” folk to know that even the most glamorous can have problem skin.

None of this is news to visitors of skinema.com where you can see images of complexion-compromised celebs like Knightley, Alba, Diaz, Zellweger, and many others alongside treatment recommendations….

Welcome!

Welcome to the official blog of skinema.com, the dermatology in the cinema website. I am a board certified dermatologist practicing in San Francisco. Since the mid-1990's, I have tracked skin conditions in movies, whether visible on actors in publicity photos or on movie characters. This blog is an extension of that exploration, including images seen on television or in the music industry.

As with the website, none of the images shown or issues discussed represent my patients. And no photos are clinical pictures taken in a doctor's office.

I value input, so if you encounter media images of skin conditions, send them my way and let me know whether you want them posted with your name.

--Vail Reese, MD