DOI: 10.1097/01.SAP.0000058512.38397.73
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Issn Print: 0148-7043
Publication Date: 2003/09/01
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Excerpt
Shakespeare's observation that a rose would smell as sweet by any other name is appropriate for this textbook. Its title will make the hair on the back of plastic surgeons stand up because many would resent having the words “cosmetic” and “dermatology” included in the same sentence.
However, getting past the title and the opening cover, the content of the book is very rewarding for most plastic surgeons. The book is well laid out and well illustrated. The format of the book has good internal labeling, allowing the reader to focus on subtopics when the answer to a particular question is being sought.
Turf battles aside, plastic surgery, at least in many offices, has undertaken skin care and the treatment of the skin by nonoperative means, but there has not been much intrusion into our core textbooks by the science relevant to the skin and its care. This text is a concise, easily read textbook that fills that niche.
Broken into five parts, the beginning eight chapters deal in 54 pages with the basic science of the epidermis and dermis, photoaging, the influence of nicotine and hormones, dry skin, sensitive skin, and hair physiology. Part two deals with the common problems of the skin—acne and disorders of pigmentation. Part three deals with the various salves and creams applied to the skin, including sunscreens, retinoids, moisturizers, depigmenting agents, antioxidants, and miscellaneous cosmetics. It also includes a chapter for alternative medicine. I found this quite appropriate because patients often come in asking such questions. Having some context to answer them is a necessary role of the physician. Part four deals with various procedures including Botox, soft-tissue augmentation, chemical peels, and hair removal techniques. Part five deals with cosmeceuticals, bioengineering of the skin, tattooing, and psychosocial aspects.
There is minimal reference to laser use in the book, and I found this refreshing. Certainly there are other major textbooks referencing lasering. To have this book focusing on fundamentals and standard treatments made the contents more straightforward.
Throughout the book the amount of basic science was appropriate and well referenced. The book focuses on standard techniques and standard knowledge, and is free from “in my opinion” or “how I do it” authoring.
For plastic surgeons involved in skin care this book is a good overview of the process and a good resource to have available for their office staff and patients. Its conciseness and easy readability allow readers to extract the information they need without getting bogged down in excessive technical detail.
