Under My Skin

Facing the world

Publish date: March 2, 2018

 


“I thanked him, of course,” said Amy with a smile. “But the speech he was praising was the exact same speech he’d heard the first time.”

***

Dr. Alan Rockoff, a dermatologist in Brookline, Mass.

Dr. Alan Rockoff

When you think about how much most people care about showing the world a good face, it’s striking to contrast them with people who show the world no face at all. Some hide their faces for religious or cultural reasons, out of modesty; others – criminals, terrorists – to ensure anonymity or convey menace. Still others find the world at large an unacceptable threat, and go about their public business wearing surgical masks for protection. In a primal, visceral way, people who hide their faces are very hard to face.

The rest of us try to put on the best face we can, assisted (in descending order of importance) by: makers of cosmetics, estheticians, dentists, plastic surgeons, and – oh yes – even dermatologists.

Happy to assist!

Dr. Rockoff practices dermatology in Brookline, Mass., and is a longtime contributor to Dermatology News. He serves on the clinical faculty at Tufts University, Boston, and has taught senior medical students and other trainees for 30 years. His second book, “Act Like a Doctor, Think Like a Patient,” is available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. Write to him at dermnews@frontlinemedcom.com.

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