We are pleased to announce that Frances M. Hernandez M.D. will be joining The Woodruff Institute in October!

She is a board certified dermatologist who specializes in diseases of the skin, hair and nails.

Her professional interests also include cosmetic dermatology with an emphasis on prevention of premature aging and skin discoloration. She received her undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Puerto Rico, graduating magna cum laude from both and finishing in the top ten of her medical class. She completed residencies in both Internal Medicine and Dermatology at the University of Puerto Rico, where she served as Chief Resident and later joined the faculty as Assistant Professor.

She is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Dermatology. She was in private practice in Puerto Rico before joining The Woodruff Institute. She is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Dr. Hernandez will be seeing patients at The Woodruff Institute’s North Naples office, located at 2235 Venetian Court, Suite 1 in Naples, FL. Dr. Hernandez welcomes same week appointments.

You can book your appointment today by calling our office at (239) 498-DERM (3376).

What’s in your golf bag?

As your dermatologist, we’re hoping sunscreen is included. If not, we can make recommendations for sunscreens that won’t make your hands too greasy to swing a club and likely won’t burn your eyes while you’re standing over a must-make putt.

The safest and most effective sunscreens are those that physically block the sun with active ingredients such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. That’s why we LOVE the EltaMD Sun Care line of sunscreens. EltaMD sunscreensare formulated with transparent zinc oxide and are noncomedogenic, sensitivity-free, fragrance-free and paraben-free. EltaMD broad-spectrum sunscreens help prevent sunburns and if used as directed with other sun protection measures, decreases the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging caused by the sun.

Oil-free EltaMD UV Clear is a great everyday facial sunscreen. It helps calm and protect sensitive skin types prone to breakouts, rosacea and discoloration. It contains niacinamide (vitamin B3), hyaluronic acid and lactic acid, ingredients that promote the appearance of healthy-looking skin. Very lightweight and silky, it may be worn with makeup or alone. Choose from tinted and untinted formulas for use every day. Men love this sunscreen because it goes on white, but dries clear and they cannot tell that they are wearing anything on their face. We promise! Don’t forget to apply this to your ears!

EltaMD UV Sport sunscreen is great for golfers, swimmers, skiers, runners, and other athletes – or for those who just love to be outdoors! UV Sport is water-resistant so it won’t rinse off in water or drip into your eyes and sting when you sweat. Apply this to your full body before heading out onto the golf course for a good base protection.

Throw EltaMD UV Aero into your golf bag and use this for re-application while on the golf course. This sunscreen provides sheer but sure sun protection. This continuous spray sunscreen makes it easy to protect hard-to-reach places. EltaMD UV Aero sprays on white so you can see coverage then dries clear when rubbed in.

And don’t forget EltaMD UV Lip Balm. This creamy, long-lasting moisturizing sunscreen soothes and protects dry, chapped and sun-exposed lips. It contains 5% Hydromanil™ for immediate and long-term moisturization. Powerful UV protection and a super hydrating power make EltaMD UV Lip Balm the ideal protector for all skin types and lifestyles.

Last, but certainly not least, we highly recommend for our golfers the BloqUV clothing line. It provides chemical-free sun protective clothing, which blocks 98% of the sun’s rays, in an array of colors and styles.

The time of year where we give thanks to dads everywhere is just around the corner!

The Woodruff Institute for Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery has top-rated skincare products for men. Here are a few of our favorites…

1) EltaMD Clear – Great because it is oil-free and lightweight for the man who doesn’t like to feel the product. Helps calm the skin so great for post shaving. Contains niacinamide (vitamin B3), hyaluronic acid and lactic acid, ingredients that promote the appearance of healthy-looking skin. Great for everyday sun protection and moisturizer in one product.

2) EltaMD Sport – Have your fun in the sun—but play it safe. This sunscreen is great for swimmers, skiers, runners, golfers and other athletes – or for those who just love to be outdoors! UV Sport is water-resistant so it won’t rinse off in water or drip into your eyes and sting when you sweat.

3) Turo 3 in 1 Shower Gel – Can be used for the hair, face and body. Product that does more than one thing. It washes away impurities from head to toe using a biodegradable, nonirritating, plant-based surfactant system. Hydrating and protecting, it rinses off cleanly and effortlessly without leaving residue, keeping the hair, face and body feeling fresh and moisturized, yet clean and ready for any further treatment.

4) Turo Active Shave – Why is it so good? Because it isn’t “just” shaving cream. What starts as a light and soothing cream transforms into foam once it is applied to your skin. When that happens, your skin is exfoliated – allowing for the closest possible shave. Then moisturizers penetrate your skin, leading to reduced redness and chafing. And anti-aging ingredients like Algae Extract and Glucosamine HCL then go to work – because who wants a close shave only so they can see more wrinkles.

5) Turo Regenerating Night Cream – In addition to moisturizing, soothing and repairing the skin overnight, Regenerating Night Cream visibly reduces signs of aging, promotes healing and reduces wound scarring. Still want more to happen while you are sleeping? OK, it also increases skin’s moisture, firmness, elasticity and smoothness. It is clinically proven to protect against UV damage and increases the collagen and hyaluronic acid in your skin to help reduce the volume and depth or wrinkles in just eight weeks.

The Woodruff Institute also offers facials for men and other aesthetic treatments. Gift Certificates Available.

The Woodruff Institute for Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery is opening its new 3,600-square-foot Fort Myers facility on March 7th!

The office is located at 14440 Metropolis Avenue, Suite 102, just north of the intersection of Metro Parkway and Six Mile Cypress Parkway. Adding a new location will allow the practice to further expand its general dermatology, surgical dermatology, Mohs surgery and cosmetic surgery services to the people of Southwest Florida. Board-certified dermatologist and fellowship trained Mohs surgeon Kathryn J. Russell M.D. and Sarah M. Schloss PA-C, will treat patients of all ages throughout the week.

Rachel Coughlin, Practice Manager, said “We have many patients from the Fort Myers area that travel to our Bonita Springs – Estero and Naples offices for dermatological care. We are excited to finally have the opportunity to provide our high-quality standard of care to these patients in their home town of Fort Myers. We are excited to be joining the Fort Myers medical community and are looking forward to caring for patients of all ages with all types of dermatological concerns.”

For more information or to schedule an appointment please call 239-498-DERM (3376) or visit our website at www.thewoodruffinstitute.com.

ABOUT THE WOODRUFF INSTITUTE
Since 2004, The Woodruff Institute has offered Southwest Florida patients the region’s highest quality, state-of-the-art facial aesthetic surgery, dermatology and reconstructive surgery. The physicians and staff at The Woodruff Institute for Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery are proud of more than a decade of service to their patients in Naples, Bonita Springs – Estero and now… Fort Myers!

Written by Craig J. Eichler M.D.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) also commonly known as Blue light therapy is an effective option for treatment of actinic keratosis. Actinic keratosis often appear as rough slightly red to pink spots on sun exposed skin; are commonly referred to as “pre-cancers.” If we were to look at the actinic keratosis microscopically we would see abnormal cells in the upper most layers of the skin. If left alone some of these abnormal cells can grow deeper at which point they would be classified as a skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma).

Patient undergoing Blue Light Treatment:

There are several methods to treat actinic keratosis with the most common being application of liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy/freezing), or application of a prescription cream, or photodynamic therapy. PDT may be utilized to treat individual actinic keratosis but more commonly is used to treat an entire area such as the face or scalp referred to as field therapy which is one of the advantages of PDT over cryosurgery. Such field treatments can be beneficial as often there are subclinical, not yet visible, abnormal cells in areas where actinic keratosis form so by treating the entire area instead of just the spot, one can achieve better long term results. Furthermore, there is less risk of scarring (leaving white spots) with PDT compared to liquid nitrogen. Compared to the creams which application requires days or weeks, PDT gets the treatment over with in one day. Depending on patients medication insurance, the prescription creams often have more out of pocket cost compared to PDT which is covered as an office procedure. Most patients who have been experienced both treatment with a prescription cream and PDT have preferred the PDT treatment because its treatment course and resultant inflammation is shorter. The down side of PDT which will be discussed more in a moment is the pain incurred during treatment, and being sensitive to bright light (photosensitive) after the treatments.

The PDT treatment is a 2 step process. The first step involves application of a medication called Levulan to the affected area to be treated. The Levulan is preferentially absorbed into the cells of the actinic keratosis. This is painless. After application, time is allowed for the Levulan to be absorbed sufficiently. This incubation time may vary but typically is between 1 to 2 hours (depending on location on body being treated, severity of lesions, and patient’s sensitivity). Step 2 follows the incubation period when the patient is exposed to blue light or Blu U device. This Blu U device emits light in the blue wavelength of light. The Levulan is activated by blue light which results in destruction of the abnormal cells, i.e. actinic keratosis. Typically patients are exposed to the light for 1000 seconds or a little more the 16 minutes. During Blu U light exposure patients will feel pain or burning sensation in the treated areas; the severity of which may range from mild to severe. Although uncomfortable the discomfort is manageable. A cooling fan with cool water applications helps alleviate some of the discomfort during the treatment. The discomfort tends to be worst for the first few minutes and then tends to lessen as the treatment under the light continues. However for the next 2 days (48 hours), the treated area will remain very photosensitive (light sensitive) so that exposure to sun or very bright light will cause more burning and stinging. During this time patients are encouraged to stay indoors during the daytime.

After the blue light treatment, the treatment area will typically be more red, sunburn appearing. Besides redness many of the spots will get crusty. The redness begins to fade after one week at which point, like a sunburn, peeling will be noticed. By 2 weeks the skin most patients are noticing much smoother skin. Overall, for patients with multiple actinic keratosis on the face, PDT offers the highest clearance rate of actinic keratosis. Additionally, a nice side effect of PDT is that most patients see improved texture and appearance, in which the skin appears rejuvenated and more youthful.

Our Private Blue Light Treatment room: