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Pete Colaizzo: Golfers Should Take Precautions
to Avoid Skin Cancer
August 22, 2010
There is no way to be certain if the game he loves was the cause of his skin cancer five years ago. But Kevin Dollard of Hopewell Junction takes no chances just the same.
"Every round before I go out," the avid golfer said, "I coat myself with sunblock. Just to be safe, I put it on my entire face, ears, neck, arms — anything that is going to be exposed to the sun."
There are more than 1 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosed yearly in the United States and most are sun related, according to the American Cancer Society. The face, ears, neck, lips and back of the hands are common areas to develop non-melanoma skin cancer.
Back in 2005, Dollard — also an avid runner who has won many age-group awards in Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club races — was diagnosed with skin cancer in two places. The worst of it could be found on the left side of his face, where he underwent "Mohs surgery" to remove the cancerous skin.
The plastic surgery was quite involved. Dollard said the surgeon scraped off one layer of skin at a time, continuing until all of the offending skin was removed. He was left with 10 stitches and a pretty sizable scar on the left side of his face.
But mostly, Dollard was left with a feeling of thankfulness with the positive result of the surgery, which has a high success rate. And he was also left with a firm resolve to avoid a recurrence of any skin issues.
"I am a fair-skinned person," he said. "Growing up as a kid, I was outside all my life. I'm sure some of it had to do with all the golf that I play."
Dollard, 54, said he grew up in an era in which there was little awareness of skin care as it relates to exposure to the sun's rays. He said that while younger golfers may not worry as much about the potential dangers of sun exposure on the links, golfers around his age definitely take it seriously.
"The awareness is much better than it used to be, I think," Dollard said. "You hear warnings out there that I don't remember when I was a kid. The guys I play with, the older we get, the more we are aware of it."
This is good news for Kristina Heitzman Carr. Heitzman Carr is a physician assistant with Hudson Dermatology in Poughkeepsie and Fishkill. She said golfers have "special risks" to sun-exposure issues.
"They may not be at the beach," she said, "but they are out on exposed fairways with little shade for long hours. This can add up to significant accumulated sun exposure."
Heitzman Carr offers the following recommendations for golfers:
Wear protective clothing, including wide-brim hats, long-sleeve shirts and long pants to avoid exposure. "Those who are extremely susceptible to sunburn should wear UV (ultraviolet) protective clothing," she said.
• On warm days when golfers will have more skin exposure to the sun's rays, they should liberally apply 15-30 SPF (sun protection factor) sunblock. It should be reapplied every four hours, or more frequently if golfers perspire a lot. Use of an SPF of 50 or higher does not eliminate the need for liberal re-application, she said.
• Play early or late in the day, avoiding the intense sun of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Those with previous skin-cancer history, like Dollard, should be "extra vigilant," she said.
• Cloudy days also pose a threat. "Some rays come through even on cloudy days," she said, "so use moderate precautions even during these times."
Lastly, Heitzman Carr said golfers should not wear the dark-tanned or sunburned skin as a badge of honor.
"Remember," she said, "if you get a sunburn or even a dark tan, you have experienced ultraviolet radiation damage to your skin."
Goodheart's Photoguide of Common Skin Disorders
By Herbert P. Goodheart
N E W E D I T I O N
2004 British Medical Association Book Competition Award Winner! Goodheart's Photoguide of Common Skin Disorders, Second Edition, received FIRST Prize in the Dermatology category of the British Medical Association Book Competition.
This easy-to-use reference helps practitioners quickly diagnose common skin disorders and determine appropriate treatment options. More than 500 full-color images speed diagnosis by showing the reader distinguishing characteristics of each disorder, as well as providing clear comparisons between similar looking conditions. Features of the text include formulary tables of leading topical agents and preparations by brand name, as well as patient handouts in English and Spanish. Basic dermatologic procedures are presented in a simple, easy-to-understand format, making this guide an invaluable reference for office surgery.
The second edition features new, larger photos, more patient handouts, and new material on hirsutism, apocrine and endocrine disorders, post-adolescent (adult onset) acne, treatment modalities for acne, pitted keratolysis, miscellaneous nail disorders, and diseases affected by pregnancy. Also included is an expanded basic procedures section with new and more detailed procedures and more illustrations and photos of necessary equipment.
Acne for Dummies
By Herbert P. Goodheart
Acne is the most common skin disease in the United States, affecting more than 60 million adults and teenagers each year. Acne For Dummies addresses the causes of acne, and, most importantly, what can safely be done to cover it up, treat it, and minimize scarring.
The book covers everything from daily skin care, over-the-counter acne preparations, and when to see a dermatologist to the hazards and benefits of prescription acne medications and the range of dermatological procedures available to erase aftereffects. Also covered are specific issues common to acne as seen in various ethnic groups and other skin problems, such as rosacea, a condition that people often mistake for acne.
Jane Brody: Sometimes Your Nails Can Bite You Back
November 1, 2005
Many women do not have to wait years to discover untoward consequences of the recent cosmetic rage (for nails). They are experiencing allergic reactions to the chemicals in nail products, separation of the nails from their fleshy beds and a variety of other problems.
Other women are discovering a different set of nail problems involving both fingers and toes, an eventual result of wearing ill-fitting shoes, improper nail hygiene, chronic disease or simply decades of wear and tear and the inevitable changes that accompany aging....
In the September issue of Women's Health in Primary Care, two New York dermatologists, Dr. Herbert P. Goodheart of Mount Sinai Hospital and Dr. Hendrik Uyttendaele of Columbia University Medical Center, reviewed the various procedures involved in current nail cosmetic practices and their sometime hazards.
Camille Sweeney: In a Perfect World, Rosacea Remains a Problem
April 24, 2008Rosacea is often mistaken for acne vulgaris, that teenage scourge. But rosacea not only has closed bumps but it should not be treated with benzoyl peroxide, a common ingredient in acne remedies.
"In most cases, using acne treatments for rosacea is not going to help, and in fact, can do a lot of damage," said Dr. Herbert Goodheart, a dermatologist in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and author of "Acne for Dummies," which urges readers with facial redness not to panic.
"I think that the 14 million number of rosacea sufferers is overblown," Dr. Goodheart said. "It's a condition that is often misdiagnosed and overdiagnosed. Sometimes a rosy cheek is just a rosy cheek."
A few years ago, when pimples began dotting her cheeks, Carol Petrovitz, 48, didn't panic. She assumed it was acne and procrastinated rather than slathering on a gel. Her mother finally persuaded her to see a dermatologist. After Dr. Goodheart determined that Ms. Petrovitz had rosacea, she said she felt relieved. "My mother was convinced it was something much worse," she said.
And soon the situation was under control. "I took antibiotics for about a month, and still use my cream, but I have no bumps or any real redness on my face anymore," she said. "Except for when it's warm out, that's my only trigger."
See the full article.
Jane Brody: Sometimes Rosy Cheeks Are Just Rosy Cheeks
March 16, 2004In a report in the journal Women's Health in Primary Care titled 'Is It Rosacea, or Just Rosy Cheeks?' Dr. Herbert P. Goodheart, a dermatologist in private practice in New York, suggests that rosacea may be overdiagnosed, possibly resulting in unnecessary or inappropriate treatment.
See the full article.
Jane Brody: For Eczema Sufferers, New Relief and Old Myths
June 19, 2001Eczema is on the rise, but contrary to myth it is not usually caused by allergies to specific substances. New treatments known as topical immunomodulators are "the most exciting thing in dermatology in decades," says Dr. Herbert P. Goodheart.
See the full article.
A.J. Lofton: Keeping Up Appearances
January 2007
Perhaps fear has also played a part in turning people away from surgery and toward less invasive procedures. When The First Wives Club author Olivia Goldsmith died after a routine chin tuck in 2004, surgery aficionados took note. Now plastic surgeons are warning patients of another danger: a rash of unqualified doctors (and non-M.D. aestheticians) performing these minimally invasive procedures.
Dermatologist Hendrik Uyttendaele of Hudson Dermatology in Dutchess County has heard of psychiatrists injecting Botox on the side and beauty salon technicians performing facial procedures in shopping malls. "People think it's a one-two-three thing, but it's not. You need a good understanding of facial anatomy," he says. "You have to be able to deal with complications. You don't want to inject something into an artery."
Elizabeth Lynch: Teens Feeling the Burn.
Males Often Eschew Sunscreen
June 12, 2005
It can become the battle royale of the summer — getting your teenagers to protect their skin from the sun's harmful rays. A recent survey by the American Academy of Dermatology found that teenage boys are least likely to use sunscreen and teenage girls are most likely to frequent tanning salons. Both habits put those groups at risk of developing skin cancer when they are older, according to the American Cancer Society....
Dr. Herbert Goodheart, who has a dermatology practice in Poughkeepsie and Fishkill, said he sees many cases of skin cancer, considering the sun is only strong in this region three months of the year.
"There's no such thing as a healthy tan; tan is an indication the skin is harmed," Goodheart said.
But, he said, not everyone is a high risk. Darker-skinned people have high levels of melanin, which naturally protects them from the sun's harmful rays.
"The degree of concern has to do with their complexion and also their family history," Goodheart said. "Not everybody in the world should be panicking about the sun."