Age Doesn’t Define Us
April 22, 2025 | Episode 37
Producer’s Note: The following is an AI-generated transcript of The Wellness Conversation, an OhioHealth Podcast
SPEAKERS: Lindsey Gordon, Dr. Jones-Sheets, Marcus Thorpe
Lindsey Gordon 00:14
Let's face it, when it comes to your face, your eyes, your lips, your skin, no matter what it is for women, there are unrealistic expectations, and all too often, the images we see of beautiful people on Instagram or in magazines very well could have been edited, but so many of us strive for that perfect appearance, especially as we age, it's time to take back ownership of how we want to age. Welcome to the Wellness Conversation an OhioHealth Podcast. I'm Lindsay Gordon.
Marcus Thorpe 00:44
And I'm Marcus Thorpe. When it comes to products and procedures that claim to have anti-aging benefits, there's certainly so much out there. So here to help us navigate all of this and much more on how to protect our skin is OhioHealth dermatology residency program director and dermatologist with oak view dermatology, Dr. Megan Jones-Sheets, Doc, it's good to see you. Thanks for joining us today. We appreciate it.
Dr. Jones-Sheets 00:47
Thank you so much for having me. It's a delight to be here. I'm excited to shed some light on the information out there and hopefully provide some guidance.
Lindsey Gordon 01:10
I love that. Yeah, our goal here is to empower anyone listening, you know, to take back ownership of this topic and tell us about what you do here in the dermatology space at OhioHealth.
Dr. Jones-Sheets 01:23
Absolutely. So I recently was honored and privileged to become the program director for the dermatology residency program here at Riverside, which is amazing, because not only do I get to mentor and be a part of their training, but I get to also, you know, be here at Riverside and provide some care as well. So you'll see me at the dermatology continuity clinic, staffing the resident clinic there. You may catch me in the hospital every once in a while. Sometimes I help out with the inpatient service. But yes, I do see my patients also with Oak View dermatology, so it's a little bit of a hybrid position, and I'm loving it. So far, it's been wonderful.
Marcus Thorpe 01:59
That's great.
Lindsey Gordon 02:00
That's got to be rewarding to know that you are basically getting the next generation of providers ready in this space. And then also, on a personal level, you're a girl mom. You have two little girls, and how lucky are they to have a mom that's going to help them navigate all the stuff that's out there that we consume? I mean, I remember being little and going through my magazines and being like, I want to look like this when I grow up and that and, you know, for your girls, to have that mom that's like, this is real, and this is not and here are the facts. I mean, how lucky are they? That's got to be rewarding for you.
Dr. Jones-Sheets 02:35
It's been wonderful. And I do. I have a five year old and a two year old, two little girls right now, and it's funny, because they are so into makeup and nails and everything. So it's going to be challenging, I'm sure, at times as parenthood is but yes, I'm very lucky to have a little bit of that background knowledge where I can be like, you know, what that might be the greatest source or not the greatest look. Maybe let's change our direction to, you know, this image or this source.
Marcus Thorpe 03:06
What I love about this podcast, and the way we're able to do this is you think about your skin, and you think about dermatology, that is such a wide net to cast. So we've got our time to really take to go through this and make sure that we cover all of the really important things for folks. So when I think of dermatology and skin care for me, at least personally, I think about sunscreen preventing skin damage. So let's start there. How about wearing sunscreen for skin cancer and damage prevention? How often should we be wearing it? How effective is sunscreen when it comes to protecting your skin on an everyday basis?
Dr. Jones-Sheets 03:41
That's a great question. Guidelines suggest that you should not put sunscreen on anyone younger than six months. So once you have a six month old, then you can start with sunscreen. And I personally like the physical blockers. So turn around that bottle of sunscreen, see what the active ingredient is. If it says titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, those are the physical blockers, and so those are the ones that physically block the rays and kind of bounce them back off of your skin. They used to be that, like awful pasty white nose. You remember seeing sunscreen. However, they are so much more cosmetically elegant nowadays, and some of the bottles are even super fun, and you take them out in the sun, and the UV changes their color. So then, you know, it's a little bit of a hint, so to apply it at that point in time. And then as we get older, you know, cosmeceuticals, a lot of cosmetics young women, hopefully young men as well. There are some moisturizers and things that do have UV blocking or sunscreen built into them. So there are so many more options nowadays than there ever used to be just because of the awareness of sun protection.
Marcus Thorpe 04:50
Yeah, I think that we have gotten so much smarter over the years. I remember, you know, I'm a golfer, I would go out and I would even think about it. I'm really fair skin, so I'm so much smarter about things as I've gotten older and I've done a little more research, and I hear people like you saying these kind of things, it's inevitable that we're going to have some skin damage over the years. Can you reverse skin damage when you start to see some of that?
Dr. Jones-Sheets 05:16
That's a great question. And I see a lot of golfers, and so I always tell my golfers every day, every morning, make sure you get your sunscreen on your face, the backs of your hands, the backs of your neck, the top of your ears. So I think prevention is the best approach. You know, getting it on daily if you're going to be outside more than a couple hours during a round of golf, making sure that you remember to reapply. There are additional opportunities such as UPF clothing. In addition to the sunscreen that's available, there's some UPF hats, there's UPF long sleeves. They're nice and, you know, breathable, so a lot better than what used to be, yes, and some nice, you know, options for women as well. But as far as reversing damage, I always tell my patients there's nothing that's going to be an eraser. So we don't have that kind of magic wand eraser. So prevention is definitely the best first option. Are there things that can lighten some of those dark spots, that can maybe rebuild some of your collagen that's been broken down from time, and you know, nothing you've done wrong just from being fair, complected and living life and playing golf. There are options to help rebuild some of that, but unfortunately, we do not have that eraser.
Marcus Thorpe 06:31
Yeah, I spend so much time in the trees and golf, so I always feel like I'm safe. I still need to put more sunscreen. How about a spot. When should you really get something looked at? If something's looking a little like, hey, this used to be really small, and now it keeps getting bigger and bigger. At what point do you go? I really need to get this looked at?
Dr. Jones-Sheets 06:51
Absolutely and there are no official skin cancer screening guidelines. So that is one thing where they we don't have, like, an official guideline for but I always say, because I get that question a lot from parents, like, if they come in and they've got a bunch of and they've got a bunch of moles, you know, they're like, Well, you know, my kiddo has this one spot, but they're so young, when do I get this checked out? I always say, if you have a spot and you have a question, it is never too early to start. Board certified dermatologists are trained from infancy to, you know elderly I see anywhere from babies to 90 plus year olds. And there's even a sub specialty among dermatology, pediatric dermatology, that's an additional fellowship for those that are interested specifically in pediatric dermatology. And so everyone gets spots. There are so many different diagnoses. There's over 1000s of diagnosing dermatology, and I know that's not what a lot of people a lot of people think it's, you know, acne and mortar and that kind of thing, but there's a lot more to it than that. And so we can absolutely help you navigate whatever concern you have. I think if you have a skin concern, make the phone call, call your local dermatologist. I will say that I self-diagnose all the time about a mole. I'm like, Oh, that one's terrible. Like, what is wrong with that one? And I go into my dermatologist like, no, it's fine. So don't, don't google MD yourself. Don't try to figure it out. You know what? Everyone does it. I'm even guilty of it with my own children. Yeah, but yes, I think if you do have a question, it's better to seek that expert advice.
Lindsey Gordon 08:25
Are there different types of skin cancer?
Dr. Jones-Sheets 08:27
Yes, yes, there are definitely different types of skin cancer. You know, there's the most common ones being non melanoma, skin cancers, basal cell related to basal cell carcinoma related to sun exposure over time, squamous cell carcinoma related to sun exposure over time, the more aggressive and most well known skin cancer and potentially most fatal is melanoma. And that one, you know, we're still learning more and more about that one every single day. There's genetics that come into play, sun exposure, just so many things. And then there's a lot of other skin cancers that are more rare, the one that unfortunately, Jimmy Buffet just died. I was just thinking of that. It looks like nothing, but it's so aggressive. So there are so many things that your dermatologist can help you with if it's caught early.
Lindsey Gordon 09:14
Gosh, it's been two years, too since he passed away. Oh my gosh, can't believe it. So I feel like with, you know, I wear sunscreen every day because I want that protection from the sun, but then also, like, I'm like, oh, it's going to, you know, ward off the wrinkles, and I'm not going to have this, like, weathered face or whatever, so kind of shifting gears from, like, the safety aspect to the cosmetic side of things everywhere I look. I mean, my sunscreen touts, you know, anti-aging benefits. Well, if I'm on my phone scrolling, I see all these products for anti-aging coming from a career in TV news. There was like, you know, we would go through consultations for image, and you need to look this way, and you need to wear this makeup and do your makeup like this, and your hair, and I've done Botox equivalents to smooth out. Wrinkles on my face. I'm not ashamed to admit that. But what's your message to someone who is curious about all things anti-aging, cosmetics from the cosmetics that you can put on your skin in a topical way to maybe more surgical type things, or maybe some you know that's yeah, what's your like? Let's start with that. I know that's kind of a huge question, but if for someone who's curious, what would you say?
Dr. Jones-Sheets 10:27
Absolutely, and I get that question a lot, I get that question a lot, and I think depending on the person and depending on their treatment goal, it could be a vastly different answer. So I like to keep things simple. As far as skincare routines. I'm not going to follow a 20 step routine. I don't necessarily have the time to do so. And, you know, I'm a dermatologist, and so if I can't do it, then I don't necessarily expect my patients to do it. So I think keeping it simple as far as topical things, and I also like to root my recommendations in data and research. Love that there are a lot of things out there that are up and coming that may not have the most data backing it, but have a high dollar sign on it. So I think, from my perspective, starting off with a simple skincare routine, you know, making sure you're washing your face twice a day with whatever cleanser doesn't irritate things, and then maybe an antioxidant in the morning, like a vitamin C serum, and we always say Thin to thick when you're applying so over that, doing your sunscreen, whether that's built into your cosmetics or whether it's a moisturizer before you go out to play golf. And then, you know, going about your day, washing your face at the end of the day. And then I like to do a retinoid or a tretinoin. I recommend a retinoid or a tretinoin, and that is really going to help with dark spots, fine lines, wrinkles, all that kind of thing. And then moisture to moisturize over top. Some of the things that are up and coming, that are gaining more and more research are hyaluronic acid and Peptide. So you know those are definitely they've been around, and there's some data for them as well. But I think it all depends on the person and the time, because if you don't do it, then it's not going to work. So it's sticking with something that works for each person.
Marcus Thorpe 12:33
How worried are you about folks maybe doing this too much, or becoming obsessed with it, right? Somebody who's like, I have to get Botox, I have to get filler, I have to get lifts, I have to do all of these different things. Are we at a stage do you think in this world where it's becoming so excessive that maybe you're not getting the benefits that you want, or it's becoming not as natural as you hoped it would look?
Dr. Jones-Sheets 12:58
That's a very good point. That's a very good point. So I think that it all depends on the motivation for wanting the procedure, if it's going to make you feel great and good and confident and, you know, attack your day and just be the best version of yourself. I'm not going to tell you don't go have that consultation to get that injectable. That's wonderful. That's great for self-confidence. And you know, if it makes you feel good, then absolutely go have that conversation. Whoever you are seeing should also have that expectation management conversation. You know, we're not going to be able to revert to our teenage years. We all kind of lose volume. We all kind of get a little bit of sun damage over time. And I think that there is a point where maybe enough is enough, and it's probably difficult seeing that early on. But yes, unfortunately, I think there have been scenarios where there's been maybe some overuse or over injection. I think as long as you're seeing a board-certified dermatologist or board-certified plastic surgeon and they're able to guide you, then hopefully that issue is much less frequent.
Marcus Thorpe 14:21
So you think there's some provider responsibility too. At the same time, when you're having those consultations and you're talking through things?
Dr. Jones-Sheets 14:27
I do, I do. I think that you know, if a patient comes in asking for something and they are showing you a picture on their phone of a certain face or whatever the case is, it needs to be an open discussion about expectation management, what can and what can't be done. Maybe these injectables can't get you there. Maybe you're better suited to go talk to a plastic surgeon and have a surgical consultation. So I think that depending on the individual treatment goal, that conversation could go a lot of different ways.
Marcus Thorpe 15:04
Yeah, so brotox isn't going to make me look like Hugh Jackman, right? So I can't go get the Hugh Jackman look if I really wanted?
Lindsey Gordon 15:10
I really wanted, Marcus to ask a question about that.
Dr. Jones-Sheets 15:16
I treat men and women absolutely. Yeah, no, it for sure, exists if it's going to make you feel good and, yeah, absolutely. Go get some brotox.
Lindsey Gordon 15:24
Are you concerned that there are unrealistic expectations for women and how they should age and or appear to age?
Dr. Jones-Sheets 15:29
Yes, certainly. I think that, you know, there's filters out there. Yeah, on social media, there's filters on everything nowadays, and then especially with all of our virtual meetings and, you know, the camera angle and all these sorts of things, it's making people much more aware of certain aspects of their face or contour, or, you know, texture, all of these things that maybe were not as visible before. I like to, you know, I like to borrow this from one of my dermatology colleagues. She's looking at a sunset and sees how beautiful it is, and then you raise up your phone and you take a picture of the sunset. The picture is never going to be nearly as beautiful as looking at the sunset itself. And so, you know, I think taking photos of yourself, or, you know, you are so beautiful. And I just think those types of things just oftentimes just don't do you justice.
Lindsey Gordon 16:25
How beneficial are simple things like drinking enough water, limiting alcohol, getting enough sleep and wearing that sunscreen? I mean is that are those simple things that could really just enhance your over overall appearance without spending a lot of money or doing very much?
Dr. Jones-Sheets 16:43
That's a great question. And you can absolutely achieve this on a budget. I am not, in any way, shape or form, suggesting that the only way to do this is to go out and spend a high dollar amount on these injectables. You know, I like to think of the skin also as a window to, you know, the internal health. You know, when we see some different skin conditions in the hospital setting, oftentimes it can give us an idea of what's going on underneath the skin, or, you know, their underlying conditions. And so I think just maintaining a healthy routine, getting enough rest, drinking water, all of those sorts of things. I think it's going to make you feel better and then look better and just have an overall more positive outlook.
Lindsey Gordon 17:28
It's funny. I remember when I was a little kid the second time I'm referencing this, but I feel like that's when all these things were forming in my head about appearance and whatever, which is sad, right? But I know I'm not alone, and I remember reading like one of those self-help books for girls that was like, by American Girl doll, I think. And I remember there was one chapter that was like, my mom won't let me wear lip gloss. What can I do to feel pretty? And the response was, drink a lot of water, like, stay hydrated and get your sleep. And I just, I don't know why. That's like, a core memory for me, and it obviously comes out in this conversation, absolutely. I want to go back on something you mentioned a little while ago about the dollar value versus, like, the actual effectiveness. Or I was thinking you were going to go in one direction. What about like, red light therapy, blue light therapy? I see these, these funny videos of moms that are walking on their, you know, their treadmills, and they have the spooky red light therapy mask, and they're like, getting all my, you know, personal stuff in after the kids go to bed. They're funny, and I'm just bombarded by them. But are those, do those work? And are they worth the money?
Dr. Jones-Sheets 18:40
I think the piece that I pause on is the fact that you can go on Amazon and order a mask, okay, because I don't know A, where it comes from, B, the wavelength, which is the most important part of these light therapies, or C, if there's any regulation or calibration with these devices, and they can be very pricey. Now, red light and blue light does exist in your dermatologist office. They've been around for a long time, and they've oftentimes been used to treat pre-cancerous areas. So we treat, we do red light therapy or blue light therapy on the face for something called an actinic keratosis, actinic keratosis actinic damage, sun damage. We can do the face, you can do the chest, you can do the arms, legs. You can do different parts of the body. But though the goal of those treatments is largely treating the pre-cancerous areas. Now if you read in our textbooks, you'll also see there is kind of a side effect, if you will, of some collagen rebuilding, and I think that's where a lot of that information came from. So is it going to be available, I hope, in a more regulated way. So I think that it's a great idea, and I think the accessibility is good. Um, I'm just concerned with, I think maybe there may I don't know who else making them, and I don't know the wavelength you have more questions about, I need more information.
Lindsey Gordon 20:09
Yeah, that makes sense.
Marcus Thorpe 20:10
One of my favorite parts about this podcast is the access that we get to amazing physicians, and so we're super glad that you're here. And because we get this access, I always like to ask questions about how the physician takes care of themselves within their own field. So with you, it would be like, you know, you're a dermatologist. Can you walk us through what you do for yourself to keep your face feeling good and to make you kind of practice what you preach?
Dr. Jones-Sheets 20:39
Absolutely, absolutely. So, you know, I have, I lean on my colleagues for this, you know, dermatology, it's a very small, wonderful community. There's a lot of great dermatologists here in the Columbus area. But, you know, have your skin checked, have your moles checked. You know, I think that having that done on a regular basis. If you do have a lot of moles in nevi and in spots, that's important. So I do that. And then, you know, I have my regimen of a gentle face wash, like I mentioned before. You know, a gentle face wash, antioxidant, my sunscreen, I kind of depending on the day, you know, if I'm going to work that day or if it's on the weekend. Those products change just a little bit. One of them is kind of a, it's a hybrid makeup, kind of sunscreen that I like to apply, maybe on the weekends, and then in the evening time, wash my face, you know, get my get my retinoid on, or my Bucha, which is another kind of fun new product that'll be out there. It's a retinoid alternative for those that cannot handle the retinoid because they can be irritating. And then my moisturizer, and, you know, every once in a while I might throw in a little, you know, at home, glycolic peel. I need some fun things, because they are fun. They are fun, you know, a hyaluronic acid, a peptide moisturizer. But I think those are the bare bones of my, of my regimen. And then, you know, my kids, too, I always make sure, and my nieces and nephews, they, they kind of run the opposite direction when I go to the beach with them, because they end up looking a little bit ghostly after I get ahold of the sunscreen and help them with the application. But yes, I try to, I try to practice what I preach as much as possible.
Marcus Thorpe 22:19
Yeah, I was thinking about that, if I had a relative that was a dietitian, and I'm eating like a big cheese burger, and they're looking at Super judgy, sorry, Jim, this is just what I'm going to be doing today.
Lindsey Gordon 22:28
There it is the cheeseburger reference. There's always one. What's funny to me, too, is that mineral sunscreen. Yes, it's so great, and I love it, but it gets on everything, like, if we apply it in the car before we go somewhere, it's on, like, the armrest, it's on every the car seat, everything. But it's worth it. This has been a wonderful conversation, and I feel like it went by so fast. I do want to make sure we wrap up and have enough time for this one last piece. And that's, you know, what is your message to empower women at any phase of their life, to take back ownership of how they want to age?
Dr. Jones-Sheets 23:07
That's a wonderful question, and I do in my line of work, I do feel responsible for just empowering everyone you know, anyone that I come into contact with, and I think it is so variable on that individual and their personal perspective and their goals. If you want to be someone that doesn't wear makeup, don't wear makeup. If you want to be someone that goes to, you know, Alta Sephora, wherever, and try out the latest and greatest. That's fine. That's great, you know, that's good too. See if it works. You know, hopefully I don't see it for like a rash or something after the fact, but that's okay. I think that if you are someone that wants to have the conversation about injectables, go have that conversation. I just want to empower people to be the best version of themselves, whatever that may be. I always like there's so much information out there on social media, on the internet. I also just want to put it out there that if you are someone that's reading recommendations from someone you know, please, please, please, pause and look at their credentials. Look at where their resource is from. Is it from a journal article, or is it from, you know, a beauty magazine, or is it from and just take it with a grain of salt. Take it with a grain of salt. Everyone was encouraged by the American Academy of Dermatology on their social media site to put F, A, A D, fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology after their name. So if you like Instagram, for example, and you follow some people for some skincare advice, I would just advise you to follow someone that's board certified in that and that has that you know, background and that knowledge to give you evidence based advice. Yeah, so as long as you're getting it from the right resource, and you kind of make your goals, I think, be who you want to be.
Lindsey Gordon 25:06
And do you think this is the first step in breaking that unrealistic expectation, is by having these honest conversations? Yes,
Dr. Jones-Sheets 25:15
I do. I do. And I think that, you know, it's good to be reflective to and see who you are, and yeah, who you would like to be, because that conversation and that goal is going to be if you talk to 10 different women, 10 different things, depending on their personal experience, where they grew up, who they were around, who their role models were, their mentors. And so I think that it's going to be different. But as long as you're getting good, validated information, and you're not feeling pressure to go spend that money on something that's maybe may or may not going to work, or may or may not fall with your values, then yes, be the best version of yourself. And if I can help you, or if some other dermatologist can help you, wonderful.
Marcus Thorpe 26:01
I love it. Dr. Megan Jones-Sheets has been our guest today, OhioHealth dermatology residency program director and a dermatologist with Oak View dermatology, thanks for joining us. We hope you'll come back, because honestly, we could probably talk for two hours so much we couldn't get through everything we wanted to within this time frame, but great information, and we appreciate it.
Dr. Jones-Sheets 26:22
I want to thank you both so much for having me. It was a pleasure to be here. Thank you.
Marcus Thorpe 26:26
And we’d like to thank you for joining us for this episode of the Wellness Conversation an OhioHealth podcast. Before we do wrap up for today, we invite you to follow us on all major social channels, making sure you stay up to date on our new episodes, as well as other health and wellness topics. If you're looking for more information on OhioHealth services and locations. It's very easy just go to ohiohealth.com.
Lindsey Gordon 26:44
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