Nikki Sommer, a nurse with Key West Surgical Group, joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5 FM for Medical Matters this morning.
TikTok trends are not always the best for teenagers.
Sommer explained, “Preteens and teens that that go crazy in Sephora and Ulta Beauty and all those beauty stores and they go in, and I’ve witnessed this personally, because I go to Sephora for some things and I have older daughters, so we’ll go in there, and you see these little children running around with baskets full of face products. I’m like, what are they buying? So Northwestern actually did a study that’s raising flags. Kids as young as seven are applying serums, acids and actives on their young, healthy skin that does not need it. It is becoming a trend, and now it is becoming a public health concern. The acids that we’re talking about are retinol, salicylic acid, glycolic acid and niacinamide. Those are really for aging skin, or if you have a chronic acne problem, which, listen, preteens can have acne, but under the supervision of a healthcare provider, they will direct them to use, maybe some retinol, it needs to be a regimen that’s prescribed, not walking into Sephora and spending, I think they said, anywhere from $160 to $500 on a skincare routine for a child between the age of seven up to 18.”
The study created a profile as a 13 year old user on TikTok.
Sommer said, “Everybody does this, Get Ready with Me. A lot of adults do and they apply makeup, or adults will do their skincare routine, but it started a trend among the younger generations that they’re doing it. So these little girls are doing a skincare routine, Get Ready with Me, and they’re applying all these topicals on their face, and they’re applying them all at once, which you don’t need to put, even as an adult, I don’t need to put all those topicals on my skin, up to six serums at once.”
Are any of the videos helping?
Sommer said, “About only a quarter of the videos they found were including sunscreen in the routine, which we talk about sunscreen all the time, and it’s like the number one thing you can do to protect your skin. So when you use these highly potent acid serums, actives on your face, you’re making your skin more sensitive. So they already have baby skin. Their skin is already fragile. Their collagen and elastin are still in the process of building and giving you that, I want to say, tougher exterior. So now you’re adding something that actually can cause damage. So the contact dermatitis, the reason why they get it, is they’re damaging the barrier of their skin, making them more susceptible for bacteria to enter in there, especially if they scrub really hard, and then they go out and they were in the sun, and the sun is beating on their skin. So only a quarter of the videos included SPF, so like I said, it’s a huge miss, and it can actually increase your chance for sunburn and long term skin damage.”
What is a healthy routine for younger people?
Sommer said, “What’s really important for teenagers, especially, I mean, if you want to get your seven year old into washing their face, just like washing their hands, I think it’s great a gentle cleanser, a fragrance free moisturizer, and then sunscreen. The most important thing to instill in a young child is never leaving the house without putting sunscreen on your face, especially if you live in Florida, down here in the Keys were exposed to the sun all the time. That’s really the best way for them to protect their skin from aging. If they want to keep their skin healthy and glowing, it starts from very young with a good healthy habit. Having healthy skin isn’t about doing the most. It’s about consistency and protection. If you have a child that’s dealing with acne or skin issues, seek out medical attention, nurse practitioner, physician, dermatologist, somebody that can give you the right advice and put you on the right regimen. You don’t need retinol, salicylic acid, glycolic acid, all of that at once. Even if you’re battling acne, it’s trying one thing at a time to solve the problem.”
Key West Medical Center can also help with laser treatments.
Sommer said, “I’m taking free consultations. Even though the summer is here, the LaseMD Ultra is still safe to use throughout the summer. All our lasers are basically no downtime lasers, meaning you’re only red for 24 to 48 hours. So if you have any questions, or you need tattoo removal, or you need hair restoration, I’m your gal. We got a radio frequency microneedling machine called the Potenza. It was delivered last week. So it’s great for scarring, cellulite, stretch marks. It combines great with the laser for total skin revitalization. So a lot of times, if people have those wrinkles above the lips and around the mouth, that perioral area. It’s very hard. Even with laser, it’ll soften them, but it won’t really get a good treatment to remodel that area and smooth that out, but the RF microneedling will.”
For more information, click here: https://www.keywestsurgicalgroup.com/