Dermatologists and plastic surgeons are increasingly regarded in the
public eye as the go-to people for cosmetic fixes. But some eager aesthetic
candidates, who might not otherwise have come into a medical setting
but for their sometimes media-inspired cosmetic wish list, are having
skin cancers and other serious conditions diagnosed as a result. For
Mary Lupo, M.D., a dermatologist in New Orleans who specializes in cosmetic
dermatology, spotting conditions that require dermatological treatment
on those who come in for cosmetic reasons is a daily occurrence. "When
I have a patient who comes in with a medical and cosmetic problem, I
always do the medical problem that day and we reschedule the cosmetic.
If I have time to do the biopsy for the basal cell and the Botox, I'll
perform both. But if not, I'll just do the biopsy." The key to spotting
a problem with a cosmetic patient, of course, is having cosmetic procedures
performed by professionals who are able to diagnose such conditions.
Dr. Lupo says the high frequency of medical issues that are spotted
in a cosmetic consult underscores to her the potential problems with
nondermatologists performing these procedures. Even if it is a physician
conducting a cosmetic procedure, patients should be made aware if dermatology
or skin cancer treatment is outside of his or her training or specialty,
says Lloyd Krieger, M.D., medical director for Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery
in Beverly Hills, California "It is incumbent on the physician to explain
to the patient what they are evaluating and able to treat and what they
are not, because I don't think patients necessarily know that," he explains.
"The patient may say 'I went into the room and I got undressed and I
was seen by the doctor and I'm good.' But that's not really true if
the physician only evaluated them for something like liposuction."