e-Newsletter: February 29, 2008

Saving Our Skin

A San Diego medical skin care company offers free help for firefighters

By Jane Jerrard

Firefighters have specific skin problems—and increased skin-related risks—because of the work they do. Now, the leading provider of medical skin care in the United States, San Diego-based Skin Authority, is offering a free skin care program to local firefighters to help them repair damage and protect their skin.

“Firefighters have one of the highest incidences of skin cancer, outside of life guards and construction workers who are exposed to the sun all day,” says Celeste Hilling, president and CEO of Skin Authority, which operates Centers for Skin Health Excellence throughout Southern California.

Hilling explains the free program started a little over a year ago, in conjunction with the San Diego Firefighter Wellness Program. Local firefighters can sign up for a 12-month program that includes treatments and tips specific to their skin problems, such as radiation from sun exposure.

“[Firefighters] get ulcerations on the skin,” Hilling says. “You may see dry, flaky skin that bleeds or oozes. These particles just eat away at the skin, and when [firefighters] sit in the sun, this weakness is exposed to radiation.”

Another skin problem is hyperpigmentation, a common, usually harmless condition where patches of skin become darker than the surrounding skin.

But the biggest skin problem firefighters face is exposure to toxins released by burning petroleum-based products, such as tires. “It gets on [firefighters’] skin, and they’re out there for hours and can’t take a shower,” Hilling says. “These guys are literally bathing in toxins.”

More Than “Skin Deep”
Skin Authority provides a skin-care plan to follow and three check-ups a year. “We started the program to educate firefighters to do things proactively to reduce these risks, plus there’s a cosmetic side benefit,” Hilling says. “The very first thing we tell anyone is to wear sunscreen every single day, even if you don’t think you’re going outside.” The reason: Most people don’t realize how much they expose their skin to the sun—such as while driving. The long-term effects can be serious.

“Any discolored or mutated cell that’s been changed by sun or heat, that DNA is forever mutated, and when the cell reproduces, it will create the same mutation,” Hilling explains. “That’s why we have to resurface.” Resurfacing is a process that removes the top layers of the skin, which are dead skin cells. “Those are the cells that are likely to become skin cancer,” says Hilling. “When those layers are removed, the body produces new skin, so you look better.”

But resurfacing isn’t a cosmetic procedure—it can be a very healthy step for firefighters. “We had one female firefighter come in for a resurfacing, and the towels they were using on her were absolutely black—and she had showered and everything, it was just that deep in her skin,” says Hilling.

She explains, “We treat the whole body, with a lot of focus on the face, arms and legs. Skin cancer doesn’t always come out where the skin is exposed; we see it between the toes or in the rectum.”

Firefighters participating in the free program follow a daily regimen of skin care products such as antioxidants with vitamin A, C and E to protect themselves—even men who have never used so much as a moisturizer. “Look at the guys that came into the program,” Hilling says. “We were lucky if they used a bar of soap. Now they’re following six steps a day for skin care. The men in the program are so loyal—when they see the result, they stick with it.”

One participant, Pablo Scheibe of the Carlsbad Fire Department, calls Skin Authority “a pretty good little program.” He likes the products, and has had two resurfacing treatments in about nine months. “My girlfriend notices more of a difference than I do,” he admits.

Lisa Kelley, an engineer with a Southern California fire department, joined the skin care program a year and a half ago on the advice of a doctor at a regional wellness center for firefighters. “I have an Irish background, and I had a lot of hyperpigmentation,” she says. “I used [Skin Authority] products and did their hyperpigmentation program to get rid of sun damage to my face, neck and décolletage. I’ve seen incredible results from it.”

Participants pay only for Skin Authority’s costs for the procedures and products. “They get the products at cost, and each person probably spends less than $300 a year on the entire program,” Hilling says. “That’s less expensive than [purchasing skin care products] at a drugstore.”

Greater Exposure
Nearly 400 firefighters originally signed up for the skin care program, and most of those have continued for a second year. “Right now we have around 700 participants,” Hilling says. “We’ve seen a great response. “

A side benefit of the firefighter program: the information Skin Authority is collecting. “We’re recording a lot of data, and will have some interesting trends, and some good research, in another year or so,” Hilling says. “We’ll be able to isolate what exposures are causing problems for firefighters.”

The program will be ongoing in Southern California, and Skin Authority is searching for a way to offer this program to firefighters around the country. “Our goal is to figure out how to create a nationwide program, even if it’s just a skin care awareness program,” Hilling says. “It’s a way to give back to the community. Firefighters put their lives on the line for us. This is the least we can do.”

If your department is interested in starting a skin awareness program, Skin Authority would like to help, and may be able to provide free sunscreen for your firefighters. For more information, send an e-mail request to info@skinauthority.com.