Back to Blog Entry | More from this Blogger

Derms say "Mole schmole, can I interest you in some fraxel?"

partner

Remember way back when we discussed how this mutual acquaintance of mine was graduating from med school and trying to decide what field to go into? (See "Good News for Product Fiends, Bad News for Cancer Patients.") Then she told me that all her peers--the smartest, most promising ones anyway--were scrambling to become dermatologists because that's where the money's at and I got kind of sad and depressed about all that wasted talent distributing Botox to the masses and not say, the cure for cancer or AIDS. Anyone?

Well, Times beauty writer Natasha Singer has noticed this rather alarming trend as well, and reported on it back in March. This weekend, she addressed the topic again in "The Price of Beauty: As Doctors Cater to Looks, Skin Patients Wait," the angle being that legitimate skincare patients are getting substandard care in contrast to women seeking cosmetic procedures, who literally get the red carpet rolled out for them. Personally, I've seen this go down in Manhattan, and let me tell you, it can be rather sickening. Let me explain...

You see, some of the top dermatologists in New York and L.A.--two markets that I have covered as a reporter--have made the switch to becoming the top cosmetic dermatologists. Sure, perhaps they built their practice on being adept at identifying cancerous moles and treating them accordingly, but these days, the bread and butter is the Botox, where, as Natasha points out, a derm can make a cool $500 in five to ten minutes, paid in cash, whereas a patient with less vain concerns is only charged about $60, which has to be billed in the all-consuming task of dealing with various health insurance companies. Which one seems like the better deal, from a business perspective anyway?

Indeed, a derm who eschews traditional medical practice in favor of cosmetic procedures is heavily rewarded for their behavior:

According to a presentation for doctors from Allergan, the makers of Botox, a medical dermatology practice might have a net income of $387,198 annually, but a dermatologist who decreased focus on skin diseases while adding cosmetic medical procedures to a practice could net $695,850 annually. The same material advises doctors to "identify and segment high-priority customers."

One woman tells the tale of seeing a derm because she was concerned about a mole. The derm said it looked fine then proceeded to try and sell her on a variety of cosmetic procedures. She declined and got a second opinion. Turns out, her mole wasn't so benign after all.

So what can you do? Want Botox? You're in luck. Have a history of skin cancer in your family? Not so much. Stopping the proliferation of cosmetic procedures being performed in dermatology offices is like trying to halt an avalanche--not gonna happen--but if you have serious skincare concerns, you really have to do your homework in order to find a competent, concerned doctor, and if they seem more preoccupied with selling you products, tell all your friends they suck, then get a second opinion, ASAP.

--Image via dailymail

Want more from Product Fiend? Check out our Obsession of the Day for a daily review of the latest beauty must-haves!

More from Product Fiend and Allure:

Related: skin care, plastic surgery, mole, botox, beauty, anti-aging

Back to Blog Entry | More from this Blogger