The Doctors: Self-Tan Injection Melanotan 2 & Melasma Laser Treatment

The Doctors: Anatomy Of Skin

An all-new episode of The Doctors tackled skin concerns with a dermatologist “dream team” of Dr. Glynis Ablon, Dr. Susan Evans and Dr. Sandra Lee. From oily and sensitive skin to dark circles, freckles and discoloration, all types of skin and skin issues were addressed.

There are seven pounds of skin in the body and 11 miles of blood vessels. Dr. Lee shared that humans shed 40,000 dead skin cells every single minute. 70-80% of the dust in your home is actually dead skin cells.

The thickest skin can be found on the soles of your feet, while the thinnest is on your eyelid. The epidermis is the outermost layer, which is your first barrier against the environment. Next is the dermal tissue layer, made up of hair follicles, sweat and oil glands, blood vessels and nerves, and finally the subcutaneous fatty layer, which helps keep your body warm.

The Doctors: Self-Tan Injections Melanotan 2

The Doctors switched gears to discuss a dangerous new skin trend coming out of Australia. It’s called Melanotan 2, and they are potentially lethal tan injections purchased from black market websites. These injections are not approved by the FDA, but still, some are choosing to inject themselves in hopes of achieving the perfect tan.

“This is not an alternative that any of us would recommend,” Dr. Andrew Ordon said. Melanotan 2 can potentially lead to skin cancer and its effects are still unknown. If you really want to look tan, use a gradual tanner moisturizer instead. If you’re unsure about your moisturizer’s safety, take it to your dermatologist.

I don’t really get this obsession with tanning; as Dr. Lee said, “a tan is your body trying to scramble to protect itself.” It’s extremely unhealthy to bake in the sun, so dermatologists recommend taking oral vitamin D supplements instead.

The Doctors: Melasma Laser Treatment

A relatively safe yet common skin problem in women is melasma, or hyperpigmentation. It’s a discoloring of the skin that appears on places such as the forehead, cheeks, upper lip and jaw. It’s commonly seen with pregnancy but can also stick around afterwards.

Dr. Ablon demonstrated two simple treatments: a melasma laser treatment and a melasma skin peel. The laser works best for lighter skin, while the mask is great for dark skin because it reduces the risk of further hyperpigmentation. Neither patient complained of any pain, and the treatments have high success rates. Find out more in the video below.