Prevention Is The Best Skincare with Dr. Jenny Wang

Full Episodes

Sep 7

Elise’s dermatologist is back! Dr. Jenny Wang answers listener questions like how many showers/baths should we (and kids) take in a week, are red light masks actually doing anything, which sunscreens work best, and whether neck creams are any different from the ones for the rest of our bodies. Don’t forget to call with your comments and questions! Our voicemail number is (781) 591-0390, and our email is forever35podcast@gmail.com.

Transcript

The following transcript is AI generated.

Doree Shafrir (00:10):

Hello, and welcome to Forever35, a podcast about the things we do to take care of ourselves. I'm Doree Shafrir.

Elise Hu (00:17):

And I'm Elise Hu, and we're just two friends who like to talk a lot about serums.

Doree Shafrir (00:21):

And today I feel like we will be talking about serums.

Elise Hu (00:24):

Oh, yes. Serums and more.

Doree Shafrir (00:26):

And more. Yes, much more. We have Dr. Jenny Wang back on the show.

Elise Hu (00:32):

Dermatologist.

Doree Shafrir (00:34):

To the stars. Elise here. Yes.

Elise Hu (00:36):

Dermatologist to me. But many other patients.

Doree Shafrir (00:42):

Yes.

Elise Hu (00:43):

And she's awesome. We have had her once on before and she is back by popular demand. I think you all really got a lot out of her visit last time. I guess we had her, what, several months ago because she had a baby in between now and her previous. Oh, wow. Okay. Yes. So it was one child ago that she was the last on Forever 35. You all have sent in questions via text, via email, and we're going to read them to her. And I think both you as listeners and we as hosts are going to get a lot out of it.

Doree Shafrir (01:17):

Yeah. She's so knowledgeable. And I also, I mean, we've said this before, but the fact that she's not trying to be a dermatologist influencer is refreshing in my opinion. I'm excited to chat with her. What's going on with you, Elise?

Elise Hu (01:33):

I just got back from acupuncture/cupping/red light therapy. So I've been doing a lot of care. It doesn't necessarily feel great.

Doree Shafrir (01:44):

Was there a reason?

Elise Hu (01:45):

Yeah, my right knee, I have my persistent pesky right knee that talks to me. So that has been kind of flaring up when I am at Pilates classes in a way where I'm sort of like, "Well, maybe I should just go get this particular little kink worked out." So I went to go see her for my right knee, but then when she had me lay face down on the table and just pressed on various points in my back, she noticed that my mid-back would spasm. Oh no. And just get tight when she pressed down on certain parts. And she was like, "Oh." And then she tried other parts and apparently my gallbladder channel needed a little bit of work. So acupuncture or this Eastern medicine understands your body as various channels. And then the gallbladder channel apparently is a big one. And by working on my gallbladder channel, it should help improve the circulation of my knee and my back.

(02:40):

So I got that done. And so I have seeds, little, I don't know, some sort of therapy that's in my ear right now, which is why I can't fully wear my headphones. Oh, whoa. Okay. Because there's two little therapies in my ear. She called them seeds. I don't know. I haven't even looked very closely, but

(03:01):

They're connected to my knee and connected to my back. So one's connected to my knee and one's connected to my back according to acupuncture or this medicine. And it's bringing me some relief or it should. So I did that. I got some cupping. And then while she applies the needles, I get red light therapy on my face and it's just to relax. So I feel good. I feel very relaxed coming out of that. Nice. I realized while I was just there that I have some gift certificates for my birthday for facials and things that I just haven't used. You know how this happens? Oh, I forgot about that one gift card. So I found an Amazon gift card from 2022 recently.

Doree Shafrir (03:49):

Oh my gosh.

Elise Hu (03:49):

For Luna. And I was like, does this code still work? And I entered it in and voila.

Doree Shafrir (03:57):

And

Elise Hu (03:58):

Doree Shafrir (03:58):

And

Elise Hu (03:58):

Behold. Yeah, lo and behold, I got an Amazon credit.

Doree Shafrir (04:03):

That is exciting.

Elise Hu (04:04):

I know. It's really like finding 20 bucks in your laundry after.

Doree Shafrir (04:09):

Totally.

Elise Hu (04:10):

They come out of the dryer. So yeah, so that was good. I feel good. What about you? How are you feeling? How is writing? Give us the update.

Doree Shafrir (04:18):

Writing is okay. I feel like it's going, so that's good. And yeah, I can't say things are great, but on a micro level, I think they're going pretty well. Henry is happy at school and he's doing well, so that's good. But just on a more macro level, there's a lot of anxiety right now.

Elise Hu (04:48):

Is it showing up in your body? How's your body feeling as I come out of acupuncture and I'm like, where is there tightness in your body?

Doree Shafrir (04:55):

My body is feeling okay, but my sleep is not great and it's like a constant worry and stress all the time. So that's not ideal, I would say.

Elise Hu (05:08):

No. Is Matt's sleep better with the CPAP?

Doree Shafrir (05:14):

Yeah, it's definitely gotten a lot better.

Elise Hu (05:16):

Good. Yeah. I only ask because it's like you guys share a bed, so does it affect you?

Doree Shafrir (05:22):

Yeah. No, he sleeps totally silently now.

Elise Hu (05:26):

Oh, that's awesome.

Doree Shafrir (05:27):

It's crazy. Yeah. So if you are a snorer and you think you might have sleep apnea, you should definitely look into that because it is a game changer for sure. But yeah, we should get to Dr. Jenny because we got a ton of questions for her and I want to make sure that we get to all of them. So yeah, we will just get right into it. Do you want to introduce her?

Elise Hu (05:52):

Of course. Dr. Jenny Wang is the founder of SoCal Skin and Surgery and a highly regarded board certified dermatologist. She specializes in both medical and cosmetic dermatology. So those of you who had questions about various procedures that are more cosmetic, she can answer as well. She graduated from the University of Chicago with a BA with general honors in biology. She completed her dermatology residency at UC Davis. Her research focus is on psoriasis and other complex inflammatory skin conditions. She's a member of the American Academy of Dermatology and in her spare time, she enjoys spending quality moments with her family and her dog. She's also a snowboarder. And like I mentioned, my dermatologist. We met at a book club.

Doree Shafrir (06:35):

So cool. She's great. Just a reminder that you can call or text us at 781-591-0390 and email us at forever35podcast@gmail.com. Our website is forever35podcast.com. We have links there to everything we mention on the show. Our Instagram is @forever35podcast. You can join our Patreon at patreon.com/forever35. I do just want to put in a plug for the Patreon. Not only do we have a lot of really great content on there, but it also just helps the podcast keep going.

(07:09):

To be perfectly transparent, ad revenue is inconsistent, and it's the Patreon that is really keeping the podcast afloat. So if you would like to have this podcast keep going, please support us on patreon@patreon.com/forever35. At $5 a month, you get access to our casual chat, which we now do on video if you want to watch us. We do live casual chats every few months. We have a monthly pop culture episode and an additional chat in the Patreon app, and you get our newsletter as well at $10 a month. You get ad-free episodes, and we also give you a shout-out on the podcast each and every month as a thank you. Again, patreon.com/forever35. We really appreciate your support now more than ever. Not to sound like a public radio pledge drive.

Elise Hu (07:58):

Now more than ever. But

Doree Shafrir (08:00):

It's true. All right, we are going to chat with Dr. Jenny.

Elise Hu (08:09):

Dr. Jenny Wang, welcome back to the show.

Dr. Jenny Wang (08:11):

Hey, thank you so much for having me back.

Elise Hu (08:13):

We are delighted and our audience is super excited because they sent in just a flood of questions for you, so we can kind of just jump right into it if you're ready.

Dr. Jenny Wang (08:23):

Sure. Sounds good.

Elise Hu (08:24):

Okay, fantastic. All right, I'll ask the first one from Jenny. I don't know how many other perimenopausal ladies are experiencing a not so great change in their body odor. I can't stand it. Are there any dermatology solutions to either reduce the amount of sweat or change the intensity of the body odor? I feel so stinky. Thank you for everything that you do.

Dr. Jenny Wang (08:49):

Yeah, so this is a great topic. I think that we are starting to learn a lot more information about how women's bodies change during the perimenopausal state and during menopause and being post-menopausal. All of the hormonal fluctuations certainly cause a lot of changes in the body, and it's an area that definitely needs more research and more attention. For body odor specifically, I think that the same products work for all types of sweating. So I really like benzoyl peroxide, that this is something that's over the counter. We use it for acne washes, but also I think it's a great way to fight bacteria, which oftentimes contributes to a lot of the body odor. Other things like salicylic acid, these are also readily available over the counter, and certain acids that will decrease the body's pH will help prevent bacteria from overgrowing. But more specifically, I think it's very important to maybe address these concerns with maybe your OB gynecologist or someone who is experienced in helping women navigate menopause because sometimes there can be other treatments like hormonal treatments that can target not just the body odor, but things like hot flashes and all the other changes that we go through.

(10:10):

So that could be a good place to start.

Doree Shafrir (10:13):

All right, next question. "When my kiddo was a baby, our pediatrician recommended against a daily bath as it would be too much for her skin. Now that she's a toddler and is more active outside and wears sunscreen and bug repellent, should our bath routine change? We certainly wash her off if she's actively dirty, but how should we care for her skin, especially in the summer? Is the calculus any different for me as an adult?"

Dr. Jenny Wang (10:37):

This is something that gets brought up a lot, especially by parents. So in terms of the whole daily bath question, I think it totally depends on your schedule. So that can range from daily baths every other day or even a few times a week, depending on how kind of sweaty or dirty your kid gets. And for kids with more sensitive skin, I think it's more important to talk about the temperature of the bath. So if you're using very hot water, that is effectively burning off a lot of the protective layers in the skin and it can dry you out a lot faster. So I usually tell parents that you want to keep the temperature very lukewarm, especially if the kid's going to be spending a lot of time in the water. For adults, that also means if you're using very hot water, we all like very hot showers, certainly I do, try to limit how long you're in the shower for because that temperature that's coming out of the shower is consistently hot.

(11:43):

In a bath, the water's going to cool down. So if you're spending a long time in there, it's less of a big deal. But the other issue with sunscreen, if you are applying things like sunscreen, that is going to be in certain emulsifiers, lotions, oils that will stay on the body. So of course, that greasy feeling that you get with sunscreen, you do want to wash that off because that can build up and lead to a lot more residue.

Elise Hu (12:13):

What about us as adults? Is the calculus any different for me as an adult? Should I bathe every day?

Dr. Jenny Wang (12:19):

Once again, I think that definitely depends on your lifestyle. I think if you are going to be sweating throughout the day, certainly here in Los Angeles, it's very hot and sweaty. I think it'd be very difficult to get by without a daily shower.

Elise Hu (12:34):

Yeah. Sometimes it's how many showers do I need per day?

Dr. Jenny Wang (12:37):

How many showers do you need? Yeah. I honestly think say if you're working out twice a day, it's probably not a bad idea to shower after that. Or if you're sweating all day, say someone who's going through perimenopause, maybe I think you should have as many showers as you need to feel clean, but you also don't need to overdo it because once again, frequent showering, frequent soap use, that does strip through the body from its natural oils. And so I don't think it's good to kind of overdo it.

Elise Hu (13:14):

Okay, let's take a break and we will be right back.

Doree Shafrir (13:24):

Okay. I would love to hear the doctor's opinion about laser treatments. I'm considering Aveva laser treatment for just my lower face, beginnings of wrinkles and neck. It will cost $3,000 and I'm told there's no downtime. Follow-up treatment in one year. What is the laser actually doing? Is it worth the cost? I'd love the inside scoop.

Dr. Jenny Wang (13:46):

So I don't have that laser. It is definitely newer technology, but I have heard and seen some before afters with this laser. I think it's very exciting technology. The whole concept I believe is that it uses clinical laser technology. What that means is it beams down lasers into the skin, but then it converges at a focal point, so kind of like an ice cream cone into the skin. And so at that point of convergence, that is where all the heat and energy is placed. So effectively what this allows for is to concentrate all of the energy deeper into the skin layers while bypassing some of the more superficial layers of the skin. And some of the benefits of that are you can get very aggressive results while also minimizing surface damage to the skin. So that can sometimes minimize pain, also downtime, you have less skin injury, less risk of infection while also getting a great tightening effect.

(14:53):

So that's kind of the concept behind this technology. I think in general -

Elise Hu (14:57):

$3,000.

Dr. Jenny Wang (14:59):

$3,000. So lasers in general, they do range a lot from. It's hard to put a price tag on it because I think it depends on the laser device itself, which oftentimes requires a huge upfront cost or sometimes per treatment there's a consumable cost that the clinic has to pay for. And then lastly, of course, you're paying for the provider's experience with that technology, and sometimes you're also paying for results. It's hard to speak towards the actual price of that just because I don't do this, I don't do this laser, but in general, I think there's a lot of factors that go into how much something will cost. And I usually tell all my patients undergoing any type of cosmetic treatment or laser, I can never guarantee results because not everyone responds the same way. Some patients, I see great results and I want to put them on the before after website.

(15:53):

Sometimes it's less impressive and you really can't predict how someone's going to respond. So all we can say is, "Hey, some patients might respond really well to this device," or in my experience, the devices that I do offer, I have a pretty good understanding of what kind of expectations we should see, how patients will improve. And so that's why I offer the things I do offer. So in general, you just want to make sure you're going to someone who has experience and maybe has already treated some patients, but there's never any guarantee with these treatments.

Doree Shafrir (16:30):

I know. And this person had a follow-up question that I feel like we get a version of this every time we talk to you. People always want to know, "Okay, what's the one thing I should do?" So this person is saying, "If you're going to pick one laser for anti-aging/pigment, what would you pick?" I'm asking it because this person wants to know, but I am fully anticipating not to be able to say, "This is the laser that will work for everybody."

Dr. Jenny Wang (16:59):

Yeah, I know. It's so hard, and I do get this question all the time, and I get it, we just want something that's easy. We want something that works. There's so much information out there, we don't know what's what. I know it really does depend because certain skin types, skin of color, certain younger skin versus more mature skin, that all really varies. And sometimes people have different concerns, whether it's redness, splotchiness, hyperpigmentation, fine light and wrinkles. Maybe it's not a laser. Maybe all you really need is skincare. So a lot kind of goes into that answer.

Elise Hu (17:40):

Yeah. It sounds like this person is asking for laser for anti-aging/pigment. Are there any go-tos that you actually offer in your clinic that could be options to consider?

Dr. Jenny Wang (17:53):

So for pigment, actually, a lot of times the gold standard is something called a PICO laser, and what this laser can do is it can target pigment directly. However, there are a lot of other good treatments, like chemical peels work really well, non-ablative resurfacing. A brand name is Fraxel Laser. This is really safe for skin of color, but really safe doesn't mean 100% safe, so you can certainly get complications with all of these treatments. But yeah, I think those are usually good things that we hear about time and time again.

Elise Hu (18:30):

Okay, great. All right, next question. What do you recommend for women whose breasts change size in the peri breastfeeding era and leave behind a wrinkly texture? Urea, retinol, any favorite products?

Dr. Jenny Wang (18:48):

So it sounds like what this person's describing is potentially changes to their skin laxity due to the changes of the breast size. And we see this a lot, not just with the breasts, but also with the abdomen, with the belly post-pregnancy, and also with significant and rapid weight loss now with a lot of our GLP-1s. But what's happening is when we have rapid weight fluctuations, the skin is not able to recover or change as quickly. And that's when we see things like skin laxity, the skin is stretched out, and it's not bouncing back. A lot of times, honestly, time is your best friend because a lot of these things can slowly improve with time, but also if you're looking for something that you can do at home in general, I do think retinols have a lot of really good data. They really boost collagen. Other things that help with things like stretch marks are an ingredient called Syntella Aciatica.

(19:55):

A lot of good data there about helping boost collagen as well. And in more severe cases, you maybe want to think about more procedures like laser resurfacing to help with stretch mark appearances. And in the most severe cases, probably even thinking about even surgical correction. So with some of our big weight loss patients, sometimes that is the only option, skin tightening options that will yield really meaningful results. So it depends on where you fall.

Doree Shafrir (20:27):

All right. For postpartum hair loss that is slow to recover, do you think it's Rogaine or Bust or are any of the serums effective? The Rogaine foam isn't my favorite in terms of how it makes my hair feel. I

Dr. Jenny Wang (20:40):

Know this is really tough because postpartum hair loss is such a big thing. Usually what happens is we can go through a lot of rapid shedding, especially if you've had great hair during pregnancy because all the hormone causes all this hair growth. And then once those hormones go back to normal, you just kind of lose all that. So it can be really dramatic and jarring for us. But also if you're doing things like breastfeeding, you're basically getting all the nutrients sucked out of you, all the good stuff. It's awful, yes. So definitely prioritizing your nutritional status is very important, making sure you're not running low on things like iron, your vitamin D levels. I think all of that is really important. But specifically for serums, minoxidil, which is the ingredient for roguing, that is still the most well-studied ingredient for hair loss, but roguing is not the only brand out there.

(21:38):

It is available as a generic formulation. So there's a lot of generic brands that will carry their own serums, foams. So I think if that particular foam doesn't work for you, maybe think about the other serums. I will say a lot of times where patients lose compliance with these serums is because it's very oily. It's like brushing your teeth every day. You have to put into your scalp twice a day ideally for it to really work because it doesn't stick around for that long. If you're just doing it once every few days or a few times a week, it's not that effective. It's not really.

Elise Hu (22:20):

This is what my doctor said to me when I was taking the birth control pill. They're like, why can't you just take it every day? Because I'm not like that. I don't do things every day. So that's why I wound up with an IUD. But yes, so anything that does require daily.

Dr. Jenny Wang (22:35):

Yeah.

Doree Shafrir (22:36):

There is oral minoxidil, right?

Dr. Jenny Wang (22:38):

There is oral minoxidil. That is more prescription, so that's something you would have to get prescribed to you. But the topical is over the counter, but there's a lot of hair serums out there that are like, oh, there's palmetto, there's rosemary oil. And I think the data there, it's a little bit hand wavy, just not as robust as the minoxidil, which we know is tried and true. So if I was going to pick that one ingredient, you want to make sure it's got minoxidil.

Elise Hu (23:10):

Right. Okay. All right. A related question that I grouped with this one is, talk to us about red light therapy. Does it actually help treat thinning hair and hair loss? Does it make skin brighter or clearer? Basically, is it effective and is it worth buying an at-home device like the head helmets or masks?

Dr. Jenny Wang (23:29):

Yeah, I actually get this question a lot. So red light treatments, I think it is gaining a lot of really good attention, a lot of traction. The issue is we don't really have good standardized data to compare specific products,

(23:45):

And so it's hard to speak to a particular product. So all of these helmets, these masks, they vary in the intensity of the light, the protocols that you're using. So it's hard to comment on a specific product. But in general, I think there is some data suggesting that the masks that can stimulate hair production, can boost collagen production. So for things like anti-aging, for hair growth. I think if you were gifted one and you're ready to use it consistently, I don't think it hurts. If you're thinking about making a big purchase and it's like a splurge for you, maybe you want to consider some alternative products. And so yeah, once again, if you already have one, it's not breaking the bank, sure. I will say though, there are certain conditions that may actually be exacerbated by the red light masks, especially my patients that deal with pigment issues, melasma, hyperpigmentation, spreckles on the skin, that sometimes can be worsened by all of that light exposure.

(24:57):

And so for those patients, I will say, "I know you're using it for anti-aging, but this might be making your hyperpigmentation worse, so maybe pause that for now."

Elise Hu (25:07):

Oh, interesting.

Dr. Jenny Wang (25:08):

I know. But yes, so yeah, to answer your question, I think if you're not breaking the bank in your tab one, great.

Elise Hu (25:15):

Yeah. I don't have one of the at home devices, but I'll get it. Today I was at the acupuncturist and she'll give you red light just while you're sitting there under the pins because it's kind of relaxing.

Dr. Jenny Wang (25:26):

Yeah. I don't think it's harmful. I will say I haven't seen a patient where they're coming to the office and I look at their skin and I'm so wowed and like, "What is your secret? Tell me." And they're like, "You know what? It was that red light mask."

Elise Hu (25:40):

No one ever says that.

Dr. Jenny Wang (25:41):

Yeah, no one ever says that.

Elise Hu (25:44):

That's so

Doree Shafrir (25:44):

Funny. So we're just going to take a short break and we will be right back. This person had a question about rosacea and is wondering if you have any non-prescription recommendations for treating rosacea, bonus points if they're available in Canada. "My rosacea was manageable with over-the-counter products, but it's gotten so much worse recently. Stupid perimenopause. I'm so tired of my face constantly burning and feeling itchy.

Dr. Jenny Wang (26:20):

"This is a common trend. I know. I was going

Elise Hu (26:22):

To say

Dr. Jenny Wang (26:22):

This is very

Elise Hu (26:23):

Petty. It's a big theme of this show. It's a

Dr. Jenny Wang (26:25):

Big theme. I know. So yes, there are some good over-the-counter ingredients. The one that's really popular is azolaic acid, and there's a lot of brands that carry a good azoleic acid serum. I think the ordinary is one that I will sometimes recommend for patients. Other things I really love for rosacea are sulfur washes. Sulfur washes are available over the counter. They're great for giving you a good anti-inflammatory effect as well as giving you a good, almost like an antibacterial effect as well. And that's something that you can use as a leave-on cleanser just for a few minutes or it comes in a bar soap version. That's a really great product. Some other ingredients, niacinamide is good. It's formulated in a lot of sunscreens and also kind of serums as well. That's very calming for the skin, helps reduce redness and that splotchiness. And one hack that I think can be pretty beneficial for patients is there's something called Afrin nasal spray, which are allergies for stuffy nose.

(27:37):

It contains an ingredient called oxymetazoline, which is basically it's a vasoconstrictor, and what it can do is you can mix it in a moisturizer and you can put it on your face, and what it will do is it reduce that redness

Elise Hu (27:51):

Dr. Jenny Wang (27:51):

The

Elise Hu (27:52):

Face.

Dr. Jenny Wang (27:52):

Yes. So that's kind of a good hack because there are prescription creams that have this ingredient in there. It's just a lot more elegantly formulated, but if you don't have that, you can certainly, I guess, DIY your own and it's something you can do with your job.

Elise Hu (28:08):

And then all you have to do is go buy some Afrin nose spray.

Dr. Jenny Wang (28:11):

Yeah, nose spray.

Elise Hu (28:12):

And you're just at home as being a chemist, being a pharmacist. I really like that. Okay, thanks. Yeah, if you have hacks like that, that's awesome. And you mentioned sunscreen. I want to add a question. I will be the listener and add a question here, which is the FDA recently, I think last summer or this past summer, actually changed its sunscreen protocol or sunscreen rules, the longstanding ones that they hadn't updated since the 1990s. And so what does that mean for us? And then are there any kind of hero sunscreens that you recommend or you use on your own babies?

Dr. Jenny Wang (28:48):

Yeah, I think that the biggest exciting new development is that we have a new FDA approved sunscreen out there called Tinasorb. And the US has always been a little bit behind in terms of its sunscreen because it's not part of the cosmetic category. It's regulated as an over-the-counter drug almost. So the requirements are a lot more stringent. And so we haven't really had a new FDA approved filter for, I would say - Since

Elise Hu (29:19):

The '90s,

Dr. Jenny Wang (29:20):

From what I understand. Yes. So the exciting new thing about the Tinasorb is that it's a chemical filter that is broad spectrum, UVA, UVB. A lot of our sunscreen filters, the chemical ones, lack in great UVA coverage, and that's the wavelength that gives you a lot more photo aging. And this is really also exciting because it can be a lot more elegantly applied and it's a lot more stable because traditionally a lot of these chemical sunscreens will break down with a lot of sun exposure. So it's a lot more stable and also less absorption. There was I think a few years ago, there's an article that came back saying that these chemical sunscreens were being absorbed into the body, which we do know is true. However, there is no data suggesting that in itself is harmful or causing anything like birth defects or long-term health risks.

(30:15):

So I still feel comfortable still recommending sunscreens, whether it's chemical sunscreens or mineral sunscreens. And honestly for my kids, I will do either. Mineral sunscreens just goes on a little bit tastier. That's your zinc oxide, titanium dioxide. They have great UVA, UVB, broad spectrum coverage. I think there's a lot of now really good brands that will. They formulate it in a way where it will be absorbed better on the skin. So that's not so pasty because that's always a struggle with applying sunscreens on your kiddos. I like Blue Lizard. Blue Lizard's a great one. Elta MD, it's a little bit pricier, but they have a good one for kids that's mineral. It's called their, I think UV Pure, which I really like. But honestly, I still tell patients, "The sunscreen that I recommend is going to be the one that you're going to use. You like the feel on your skin.

(31:19):

If you feel like the sunscreen is too thick to use, I'm not going to use it every day. It's too greasy, it's too drying, it's too this or that," then it's not a good fit for you. And they all work, but of course you want to be applying the right amount. And if you're going to be sweating, if you're in the water, if you're out there for several hours, the sunscreen is going to slowly break down and lose its efficacy.

Elise Hu (31:43):

Okay, great. Thank you. All right. Next question is, at what point should I take my teenager with acne to the dermatologist? I know that acne is normal at this age and she has talked about it with our family doctor, but when does it make sense to bring in a derm?

Dr. Jenny Wang (32:01):

I think that once they really start caring or if they're bothered by it, I think that's when you want to speak to a professional because we know that when kids go to school, their self-esteem, that's really important. If they feel very insecure about their acne, we want to get ahead of that before we get any long-term psychosocial issues. Also, if there's going to be any scarring, we also want to treat that early because scarring is something that can stay for a long time. That could be years, sometimes even for a lifetime. So ideally we are trying to prevent that before it happens.

Elise Hu (32:46):

Okay, good.

Doree Shafrir (32:47):

All right. What do you recommend for the neck and decolletage area? I know I should pay attention to moisturizing the space, but I don't want to go through my face moisturizer any faster. Could you recommend an affordable lotion for lathering this area? Thank you.

Dr. Jenny Wang (33:03):

So the most affordable product is your sunscreen because I see a lot of neck and chest damage, and that is something that we oftentimes neglect.

Elise Hu (33:18):

Guilty.

Dr. Jenny Wang (33:19):

I'll see women with, the face looks great. It's where you see that V-neck, that redness. And I think of course, just prevention is going to be your best friend. But of course, once the sun damage is already there, at that point, I think things like, once again, retinols, vitamin C, that can help. A lot of times moisturizing if you are dealing with a little bit of dryness, but prevention is, that's going to be the best way to invest.

Elise Hu (33:55):

And she's saying she doesn't want to use her face moisturizer on her neck, but the body sunscreen moisturizer is fine.

Doree Shafrir (34:04):

Yeah, I was going to say that actually raises a related question for me, which is I feel like there's all these neck creams being marketed to us.

Elise Hu (34:16):

Is it different?

Doree Shafrir (34:17):

Is it different? Do we need a cream specifically for the neck or is that just marketing?

Dr. Jenny Wang (34:23):

I think that's probably a little bit of marketing. I will say this neck laxity, this is actually an area that's really tough to treat even with our procedures because sometimes we try to come up with a lot of these non-invasive tightened procedures whereas the neck and even those treatments don't work that well. So let alone a cream. There's no miracle or magic hack out there. Honestly, yeah, necks are tough.

Elise Hu (34:57):

You know what they're doing a lot in Korea because not only are there a bunch of procedures for the neck, but a lot of women in their 30s and 40s are getting their hands done, a lot of injectables for the hands because we have old lady hands after driving and all those kinds of things and just not putting enough sunscreen on our hands. So it's pretty astonishing, but now I'm like, oh, my hands too?

Dr. Jenny Wang (35:18):

I know. I feel like there is this obsession with just not aging. And I think of course the better we get at all of these procedures, the more then what's the next thing? We can fix our hands. Then what about our arms? We're just going to laser our whole body. And then now there's all these things about the longevity medicine. No one wants to get old, but looks maxing. It is a lot.

Elise Hu (35:50):

Yeah. Well, as we come to the end of our time, we have a question that's a variation on the question you already talked about earlier, but this is a little wider than lasers. The question is, if you had to pick one skin treatment, and it could be lasers, peels, microneedling, et cetera, that is actually worth the time and money, what would it be? What procedures are actually worthwhile in terms of seeing actual results? And you sort of answered this earlier in saying that results may vary,

Dr. Jenny Wang (36:23):

But

Elise Hu (36:25):

Now in the year of 2026 with all of the advancements and innovations in skin procedures, are there certain ones that you have found have been around long enough and that you offer or have seen on patients that you actually would recommend?

Dr. Jenny Wang (36:42):

I think a good resurfacing will benefit just about everyone. So resurfacing really means we're creating micro injuries on the skin to stimulate a lot of wound healing as well as collagen production. And that can be laser treatments, whether it's CO2 lasers, fraxels. Microneedling to some degree also is a considerate resurfacing treatment, but that's kind of the concept behind it. I think it's great because we have a lot of data now showing how these laser treatments are not only improving the look and quality of your skin, but also it's actually improving the health of your skin, minimizing sun damage, also minimizing things like skin cancers down the road. So that's actually great because there are health benefits to it. And now that we know that basically there's connections to your skin health, to your gut health, potentially by improving our skin health, maybe there can be other long-term health benefits to other areas of the body.

(37:51):

So I think it's all related and the more we learn, the more I think that's going to be the case.

Elise Hu (37:58):

One follow-up question to the resurfacing. So I hear so many name brands. I think we all hear a lot of name brands being thrown around. So would Thermage, would Surf, the X-E-R-F procedure, are they considered resurfacing? What's in the umbrella?

Dr. Jenny Wang (38:14):

They're more like tightening lasers. The Zurf is, I believe it's still kind of microneedling with radiofrequency. So that's kind of under that umbrella. I think a lot of patients are using for tightening the jawline, neck, things like that.

Elise Hu (38:35):

Okay, fantastic. Anything we missed? Are you getting a lot of questions this particular time of year or anything? I guess it's getting into fall. We don't really have winter here, but any winterizing wrecks or anything that you want to offer for our listeners who are on the East Coast or in colder places like Canada?

Dr. Jenny Wang (38:57):

Historically, when we enter the cooler months, just make sure you stay hydrated, make sure you're not over drying your skin and make sure you're moisturizing. I think all of that is really important. But also year round, still practice your sun protection. It's really kind of sunny all year round here, so it's never a bad time to remember that.

Elise Hu (39:23):

Yeah, and don't forget your neck.

Dr. Jenny Wang (39:24):

Don't forget your neck.

Elise Hu (39:27):

Dr. Jenny Wang, thank you so much for coming back.

Doree Shafrir (39:29):

It was great to see you. Thank you so much.

Dr. Jenny Wang (39:31):

Yeah, of course. It was a pleasure to be here.

Doree Shafrir (39:37):

All right. Well, that was Dr. Jenny. She was great as always. Thank you all so much for your questions.

Elise Hu (39:43):

Thank you. Thank you. And now it's time for intentions.

Doree Shafrir (39:50):

Elise, how did your mornings go? Were they more pleasant?

Elise Hu (39:55):

Yes, probably, but I only remember this morning and this morning was rough. It was picture day. Issa slept in. Oh no. Why is it picture day already, by the way? And then I didn't have the forms. It was annoying. So I ended up taking the girls to school and then we also drive carpool. And so the other girl that we drive was already at my house with her mom and I was just like, "Oh gosh, I don't want to yell at my kids in front of you." And so I was like, "Give me a minute." So I think most of last week went much better. I really tried to

Dr. Jenny Wang (40:31):

Provide

Elise Hu (40:32):

The scaffolding that would allow for the mornings to go more pleasantly. They just went a little. Not every day is perfect, one day at a time. And then for this week, I need to do some work on my mid-back. My mid-back is kind of flaring up. It's like just speaking to me. It's talking to me a little bit. And so I went to acupuncture, as I mentioned at the top of the show, but then I also need to just either strengthen it or do some foam rolling. I just need to pay attention to it. So I'll just write, "Be more intentional about my back." My intention is to be more intentional. What about you, Dora? Your intention last week was to find more classes.

Doree Shafrir (41:14):

Yes, and I did. I found a few good classes. I was actually supposed to do another class this morning, and when I woke up in the middle of the night, I had gotten a text that the studio canceled it. So that was kind of annoying. But I did start the new tennis program on the Peloton app.

Elise Hu (41:34):

Oh, cool. I didn't know there was a tennis program on

Doree Shafrir (41:37):

Peloton. Yeah, they're doing a whole partnership with the US Open. Cool. And then in conjunction with that, they launched a program with Matt Wilpers, who usually teaches cycling, but I guess he's also a tennis player. So it's a lot of strength, mobility, et cetera. So that was kind of fun. But yes, I did find some good classes and studios, including one that I think I might go back to this week. So that was great. And then this week, I'm going to just lock in on the writing. That's it.

Elise Hu (42:13):

Lock in.

Doree Shafrir (42:14):

Yep.

Elise Hu (42:14):

Have we talked about whether you like to write alone or like to write parable?

Doree Shafrir (42:19):

I prefer to write with people.

Elise Hu (42:23):

Good. All right. The intention is out there.

Doree Shafrir (42:26):

Yes. And this is the episode where we thank our Patreon supporters at the spa and suite level. Do you want to take the list this month?

Elise Hu (42:39):

Sure. Thank you so much to our Patreon members, Geralyn Libby, Allison Livingstone, LM, Alvin, Ariel C, Laura Chaconi, Sarah Liska, FR, Justice Spiro, Jasmine De Jesus, Caitlin H. Katie, Ashley Taylor, Theresa Anderson, Nicole Gas, Maya, Barbara C, Amy, Amy Schnitzer, Megan, Shelly Lee, Cookie Townsend, Sarah Boozy, Allison Cohen, Melissa McLean, Jackie Leventhal, Fran, Kelsey Wolf, Dene, Laura Eddy, Jedel Apte, Valerie Bruno, Katie Quatron, E. Jackson, Alicia, Katherine Burke, Amy Maseco, Liz Rain, JD K. Hannah M. Julia P, Alice, Maddie, Marissa, Sarah Bell, Maria, Diana, ST, Laura Haddon, Josie H, Nikki Bosser, Juliana Duff, Chelsea Torres, Olivia Fahey, Elizabeth A, Christine Bassis, Jessica Gail, Zulima Lundy, Carolyn Rodriguez, Carrie Golds, Anne T, Catherine Ellingson, Kara Brugman, Sarah H, Sarah Egan, Jess Combin, Jennifer Olson, Jennifer HS, Jillian Bowman, Elizabeth Holland, Katie Jordan, Sarah, M, Blanca, KM, Josie Alquist, Tara Todd, Elizabeth Cleary, and Monica. Wow, it's really gratifying to have so many names to read, and we are always very grateful for this list to expand.

(44:00):

Yes. So you can support us on Patreon anytime.

Doree Shafrir (44:02):

Patreon.com/trevor35. And just a reminder that Forever 35 is hosted and produced by me, Doree Shafrir and Elise Hu, and produced and edited by Samee Junio. Sami Reed is our project manager and our network partner is Acast. Thanks, everybody. Talk to you

Elise Hu (44:16):

Next time.

Doree Shafrir (44:17):

Bye.

Forever 35 Podcast

Prevention Is The Best Skincare with Dr. Jenny Wang

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Prevention Is The Best Skincare with Dr. Jenny Wang

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You Ask, We Answer: Let’s Get Some Shoes

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