Starting this month, I will be joining Dr. Leslie S. Baumann as a cocontributor to the Cosmeceutical Critique column, and since this is my first column, I would like to formally introduce myself. I am a cosmetic and general dermatologist in private practice in Miami and a longtime skin care enthusiast. My path toward becoming a dermatologist began when I was working in New York City, my hometown, as a scientific researcher, fulfilling my passion for scientific inquiry. After realizing that I most enjoyed applying discoveries made in the lab directly to patient care, I decided to pursue medical school at New York University before completing a dermatology residency at the University of Miami, serving as Chief Resident during my final year. Although I was born and raised in New York, staying in Miami was an obvious decision for me. In addition to the tropical weather and amazing lifestyle, the medical community in Miami supports adventure, creativity, and innovation, which are key aspects that drew me to the University of Miami and continue to drive my personal evolution in private practice.
I now practice at Baumann Cosmetic & Research Institute alongside my mentor, Dr. Baumann. I truly have my dream job – I get to talk skin care and do a wide array of cosmetics procedures, perform skin surgeries, and solve complex medical dermatology cases all in a day’s work. My career sits at the intersection of my passions for science, critical thinking, beauty, aesthetics, and most importantly, engaging with patients.
For my first column, I want to , and I will provide a simple framework to approach the design of skin care regimens and utilization of cosmeceuticals in practice.
Dr. Chloe Goldman
The focus of a dermatology residency is on medical and surgical skills. We become experts in diagnosing and treating conditions ranging from life-threatening drug reactions like Stevens-Johnson Syndrome to complex diseases like dermatomyositis, utilizing medications and treatments ranging from cyclosporine and methotrexate to biologics and intravenous immunoglobulin, and performing advanced skin surgeries utilizing flaps and grafts to repair defects.
The discipline of cosmetic dermatology, let alone cosmeceuticals, accounts for a fraction of our didactic and hands-on training. I completed a top dermatology residency program that prepared me to treat any dermatologic condition; however, I honestly felt like I didn’t have a strong understanding of cosmeceuticals and skin care and how to integrate them with prescription therapies when I completed residency, which is a sentiment shared by residents across the country. I remember a study break while preparing for my final board exam when I went into a tailspin for an entire day trying to decode an ingredient list of a new “antiaging serum” and researching its mechanisms of action and the clinical data supporting the active ingredients in the serum, which included bakuchiol and a blend of peptides. As a dermatologist who likes to treat and provide recommendations based on scientific rationale and data to deliver the highest level of care, I admit that I felt insecure not being as knowledgeable about cosmeceuticals as I was about more complex dermatology treatments. As both a cosmetic and general dermatologist, discussing skin care and cosmeceuticals independent of or in conjunction with medical management occurs daily, and I recognized that becoming an expert in this area is essential to becoming a top, well-rounded dermatologist.