No question about it, sunshine and heat can be stressful for your skin. This episode is all about solutions to summer skin problems. Sunscreens offer the promise of protection from sunburn, but are they as good as we think they are? Does sunscreen block vitamin D formation? Find out which sunscreen ingredients work best and learn the best ways to use sunscreen and other tactics to minimize sun damage.

Just as important, learn what NOT to do. Don’t squeeze limes in the sunshine or splash lime juice on your skin!

Sunburns are not the only problem you might encounter this summer. Sometimes people develop rashes as if they were allergic to sunlight. Other people develop rashes for a more prosaic reason–they’ve tangled with poison oak or poison ivy. Do the creams that claim to prevent poison ivy really work? Once the itch has begun, what can you do to ease it? To find solutions for summer skin problems, call in your questions to 919-962-3366 between 7 and 8 am EDT on July 29, 2023. Our dermatologist experts will have answers.

What should you do if you get stung? If you don’t have an allergic reaction to the sting, you’re probably focused on easing the pain. What are the best approaches for stings and bites? We’ll discuss preventing as well as treating mosquito bites, tick bites, chigger bites and other solutions for summer skin problems.

A long hike in the woods can be a lovely way to spend a summer day. But if your feet aren’t ready, the resulting blisters can be painful! How should you prepare to avoid blisters? Just as important, how should you treat any blister that develops?

Campfires are another summertime delight, but only if you can avoid getting burned. What should you do if you accidentally bump into a burning log or a hot pan? Is first aid different in your home kitchen and at the campsite?

You may have had trouble with heat rash or under-breast irritation. This condition has a fancy medical name, inframammary intertrigo, but solutions are scarce. What works best for preventing this problem? How can you overcome it once it has begun?

Another problem, though it is not specific to summertime, is molluscum contagiosum. This potentially itchy infection is most common in children, and it often resolves on its own, provided you are very patient. The FDA has just approved the first medication for these bumps. What should we know about it?

Please feel free to email your questions ahead of time to [email protected]. Or call us at 919-962-3366 between 7 and 8 am EDT on 7/29/23.

Chris G. Adigun, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist who practices both general dermatology and cosmetic dermatology at the Dermatology and Laser Center of Chapel Hill, NC. Dr. Adigun is devoted to increasing public awareness of skin cancer and the harmful effects of U.V. rays—both medical and cosmetic. She has an academic specialty in nail disorders.

Dr. Chris Adigun, dermatologist, with People’s Pharmacy hosts Joe & Terry Graedon

Warren R. Heymann, MD, is the Emeritus Head of the Division of Dermatology at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University after 35 years at the helm. Dr. Heymann is Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Cooper Medical School, Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania and serves as a Director of the American Board of Dermatology. Dr. Heymann is the editor of DermWorld Insights & Inquiries.

Warren R. Heymann, MD, Head of the Division of Dermatology at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

The podcast of this program will be available Monday, July 31, 2023, after broadcast on July 29. You can stream the show from this site and download the podcast for free.

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