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The Bare Skinny
by Dr. Coco Toledo, MD, FPDS
Chairperson, PDS Committee on Publications and Library (2007-2008)
Here's a true and tragic tale.
In 1994, an overseas foreign worker (OFW) decided she wanted to be fairer of skin. Offered her a whitening procedure by a non-dermatologist acquaintance, the OFW agreed. So a skin peeling product was applied to her skin. What she didn't know was that a significant amount of this chemical was absorbed into her blood. The chemical interfered with oxygen in the blood. Total cost of the procedure? Just her life.
This is a well-documented case that was published in the Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS) Journal.
This doesn't happen everyday, of course, but losing one's life in the attempt to achieve a lighter complexion is certainly as bad as it gets. Still, from time to time, we learn of cosmetic procedures for the skin gone awry. And dermatologists certainly have their share of sad tales regarding skin problems mismanaged by unqualified persons.
Skin care is a big and booming enterprise. Since time immemorial, youthful skin reigns premium in idealized representations of beauty.
For whatever reasons – self-improvement, social acceptance, career advancement, mid-life maintenance, even a perfectionist's neurosis – there is an increasing fixation on attaining perfect skin. It is an ideal being thrust upon the public psyche by all variations of skin experts as an achievable goal with a few potions here or a new technology there.
What sets the dermatologist apart? The dermatologist is a physician trained to deal with issues regarding skin disease and skin care. The dermatologist provides a medical approach to skin problems. The dermatologist has the medical expertise both in training and experience to guide you with skin issues in a way non-dermatologists cannot.
The title “dermatologist” is given to a doctor who has undergone 3 years of training approved by the PDS. Standards of competence are set by the PDS precisely to assure public safety.
According to Dr. Arnelfa Paliza, current president of the PDS, there are two types of pseudo-dermatologists. The non-MD pseudo-dermatologist and the pseudo-dermatologist physician whose training is not certified by the PDS.
At present, the PDS, the Philippine Medical Association, and the Department of Health are linking up to address the issue of public safety in skin care. A bill is pending in Congress setting stricter standards to protect the public from harm, even loss of life.
In the end, it is still the dermatologist who treats the patient who winds up worse off – either from bad advice or procedures carried out by persons whose competence has neither been scrutinized nor validated.
(This message of concern is brought to you by the Philippine Dermatological Society as part of its 2008 Skin Safety Campaign Program.)
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