Stay beautiful with qualified experts

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever; its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness."

Those were the famous lines of the great British poet John Keats.

Hence, since time immemorial, people of all ages and sex have continuously aspired to be beautiful, in body, heart, mind and spirit.

Today, with the ceaseless media commercials, there has been more emphasis on physical beauty and younger looking skin. More and more people are constantly reminded to use various beauty products and avail themselves of services offered by health and beauty spas and clinics to remedy skin imperfections, like having wrinkles removed, dark spots lightened, or blemishes reduced, to name a few.

Yet, what appears to be "beautiful skin" may not necessarily be "healthy skin." How can one therefore have both healthy and beautiful skin?

"If you want to treat skin problems and enhance your appearance, you should choose a properly trained dermatologist, or you may end up with sham ‘skin experts,’ who prey on gullible individuals," advised the Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS).

"Evaluate and choose the right skin expert," cautioned the PDS, the country’s leading organization of professional dermatologists committed to providing quality and ethical dermatological care.

To achieve a healthy skin and stay beautiful, the PDS recommends the following pointers.

First, know the "real" dermatologists from those who claim to be "beauty and skin experts," or those who claim to be one that did not even specialize in dermatology nor finish residency training in dermatology. A real dermatologist does more than give advice on enhancing and improving the cosmetic appearance of the skin. He/she is a doctor of medicine who specializes in the care of the skin, hair, nails and mucous membranes. Anything that has something to do with the skin, whether pathological (skin diseases) or cosmetic, is the province of a dermatologist.

One should be able to distinguish so-called "dermas" who are actually cosmetologists, beauticians, aestheticians, or even general practitioners who may just have taken a few training courses on skin treatments here or abroad, from real dermatologists- medical doctors who have undergone three years of specialized training in dermatology in an accredited training program.

The emphasis on training and background, the PDS cautioned, is only meant to weed out the "sham" beauty and skin experts, and not discriminate among practitioners. Further, it is basically meant to protect the well-being of patients, who will be put under the care of the practitioner.

Simply put, one has to base his/her choice of a dermatologist on qualification, not on advertising, the PDS said.

Thereafter, once one has made the choice, politely ask the dermatologist the various skin treatments that he or she would employ.

But before anything else, the dermatologist should note down one’s complete medical history, including lifestyle, as the overall health condition could affect one’s response to skin treatments or procedures, such as how fast one’s skin would heal afterwards.

Thereafter, the dermatologist should discuss thoroughly the appropriate and needed treatment procedures, including the recovery or healing stage, and the entire duration to achieve the desired result. All the treatment options should be presented, and all the pros and cons of each option should be thoroughly explained.

Likewise, politely ask about adverse side effects, if any. Never assume that all procedures done on the skin are harmless or innocuous, and the dermatologist should be honest enough to discuss any adverse reactions. This is the hallmark of a properly trained dermatologist who shows deep concern for the well-being of her or his patients, and that he or she could manage any complications that may arise.

Take some time to decide before going through any treatment procedure, especially if it is cosmetic. Be sure that you are thoroughly and correctly informed before giving your consent.

For instance, skin imperfections may be treated well with the use of the latest laser technology. On the other hand, the same skin problem may be adequately treated by employing a less expensive procedure. Or a skin problem may be simply solved with a prescription of appropriate topical products or preparations.

Therefore, beware of any practitioner who is so eager to promote one particular treatment or promises unrealistic results. The treatment procedure may be popular, but it may cost you a lot in the end, and worse, it may not solve your skin problem.

Hence, politely ask your dermatologist if the treatment would actually do what it claims to do for the skin.

Overall, one should know which types of procedure the dermatologist would employ, how many and how often. Whatever procedure one may undergo, it is for his or her best interest that the dermatologist would provide the right, quality treatment.

Beauty may be skin-deep, but skin treatment or enhancement procedures are not. When done improperly, they can have dire consequences.

In fact, there have been reports of patients who accidentally died as a result of skin peeling done by non-dermatologists, and non-doctors at that. That is why it is important to seek qualified professionals for any concern about the skin, or regarding any part of the body for that matter.

Thus, don’t put into nothingness, as John Keats put it, one’s skin treatments.

If you want your skin to be healthy and beautiful, seek and visit real and qualified dermatologists. And enjoy newfound beauty forever.

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Founded in 1952, the Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS) is the only recognized affiliate professional group for dermatology of the Philippine Medical Association and the Philippine College of Physicians.

It is committed to maintaining the highest professional ethical standards in the practice of dermatology through its mission-vision: to be a highly recognized society, locally and globally, striving toward excellence in the attainment of healthy skin for all, through humane service, information dissemination, training and research.

The PDS Secretariat is at Room 1015, Front Tower, Cathedral Heights Building Complex, St. Luke’s Medical Center, E. Rodriguez Avenue, Quezon City, tel. no. 727-7309, and website www.pds.org.ph.