On Acne: Who Says Rockstars Don't Get Zits?

When we think of a Rockstar, what image do we conjure in our minds? #Astig #Pogi #Cool #Wow #Superstar #HindiKaNaMaReach #Untouchable #Idol.

Among celebrities, rockstars probably inspire the most intense fanaticism among fans.  Rockstars are intimidating, awe-inspiring, god-like.  They seem to be a class of human beings who project an image that breathes of unique talent and physical perfection.  But who says rockstars don't get zits???

While acne, common name: pimples or in the vernacular "taghiyawat", is considered by most as a teenage disease, the sad truth is it is now a skin condition that is on the rise in adult patients,  And mind you, in both males and females.  The attack of the zits spares no one!

And thus, unexpectedly one day at clinic, I was privileged to meet a Filipino rockstar.  Being one who is not too intent on following showbiz personalities, I was initially unaware of how big this guy who walked in was.

I had my first glimpse of Mr. Ebe Dancel, waiting patiently for his turn to consult me, at our clinic reception area. He was just wearing jeans, quietly sitting on the sofa, keeping himself busy working on his cellphone.  He never made  any demands for special treatment nor made any of us at clinic aware of how bright his marquee is in our music industry.

In our first encounter, all I knew about Ebe was that he was the brother of my medical school buddy, Doctor cum world-class photographer Dennis Dancel, and that he had severe nodulo-cystic and scarring acne.

I was not only surprised but was rather extremely amused when all my nursing staff, and even our website designer who was then working on our computer, practically flipped over with excitement, and the temp in our clinic suddenly climbed.  Starting to get a feel of how important it was to clear the skin of this apparently bigtime star, I set out to get the job done.

Acne is not produced by just one, single causative agent.  But rather, the condition is due to many factors that come together and play a role in its formation-  stress, hormones, lack of sleep, certain medications including health supplements, exposure to chemicals, dust and pollution, oily skin, bacteria, clogged pores due to the wrong skin care or cosmetic products including make-up, shampoo, conditioner and moisturizers, and even food.

Being in the limelight, there was an urgency to clear Ebe's skin as he came for treatment at a time when his workload was unbelievably full with gigs, guestings, presscons, shoots, recordings and even a workshop with Maestro Ryan Cayabyab.

Being multifactorial in origin, acne must be treated through a combination of modalities. Monotherapy or a single treatment will not do.

Ebe had his share of oral treatments, topicals to be applied at home and a change of skin care regimen. We regularly did microdermabrasion, good old-fashioned acne surgery (known more popularly as "cleaning") and intralesional injections in the acute active phase of acne formation. And eventually as his eruptions subsided, we were able to perform laser and light treatments for the scars.  And voila, Ebe was back on track with his clear skin once more! Rockstar pa more! Phew!

Seeing Ebe with his once-again beautiful skin, perform on TV after his treatment, made me teary-eyed.  It is what makes our work at clinic so gratifying.  The results are so visible.  And for those who do not realize how dreadful the effects of pimples can be, beyond the physical appearance of a patient, is the more important emotional aspect. When the correct treatment is given, confidence and self-esteem are restored to our patients just when they need it the most, artista man or hindi.

Every time I see a poster of Ebe, I reminisce the difficult times we had battling with his giant zits and struggling against scarring, specially at a time when he hardly got any sleep.  Getting to know this guy who remains simple, soft-spoken, so down to earth despite being an extremely talented and multi-awarded composer and performer, I am thankful for having been given the chance to somehow play a role in his further success in life which he so very much deserves.  

In fact as I write this post, I received word of Ebe’s bagging the top award for Song of the Year at the 29^th Awit Awards for “Bawat Daan”, aside from winning Best Inspirational Recording, Best Engineered Recording, Best World Music Recording, and Best Song Written for Movie/TV/Stage Play for the hit series "Ang Probinsyano."  Five awards in just one night! Need I say more?

Listening now to Hari ng Sablay, Ako'y Isang Sirena and Huwag Ka Nang Umiyak have a deeper meaning for me when I listen to his songs.  Nakaka-senti… And of course, I never tire of playing my favorite of Ebe's recordings which is "Makita Kang Muli", a duet with Ms. Regine Velasquez-Alcasid.

On Padre Pio (Part I): My journey to Papa Pio

Last year, a supplier turned good friend, offered me a Quanta System Laser I could ill-afford. I was invited to the grand launch dinner event in Manila, attended their next-day lecture series reserved for a small group of very select doctors and was introduced to the company bigshots from Italy. In this day and age of lasers, despite already having other machines in my clinic, I could not suppress my desire to purchase this new equipment with its broad array of very successful aesthetic dermatology platform worldwide. I would be the first Dermatologist to own a Quanta Laser in the Philippines, and I was drooling.

As with every important decision that I make, big or small, I started praying for guidance from above. I asked God for a sign.

The sign came when I was invited to dinner again a few days after. Our group consisted only of the Quanta System gentlemen from Milan, the official distributor team in Manila and myself. Business matters were discussed first, followed by a very lively sharing of clinical experiences with lasers, then finally the group presented me with a laser training course in Italy. For ten years it has been the greatest desire of my heart to visit San Giovanni Rotondo but I never got the final push to go. Their invitation to Italy undeniably firmed-up my decision to acquire the Quanta Laser and fly. This led to the fulfilment of a dream at a time I least expected it. After my laser training, I would be off to visit St. Padre Pio!

Exactly ten years ago, I was at a crossroad. I felt forsaken. Having been betrayed by people whom I loved unconditionally and cared for selflessly, I was suffering from hurt and abuse at the hands of those I had trusted completely. The closure of the clinic where I was working dealt me yet another jolting blow. I felt the whole world closing in on me. My loved ones had chosen to live abroad and I felt I had nowhere to run, no one to talk to. I suffered the pangs of loneliness.

Abandoned, abused, moneyless and alone, I found myself driving with all my misfortunes to a quiet Chapel near Eastwood I had only once visited with my parents in the past. I have no idea what forces drew me there nor how I found my way. But the moment I fell down on my knees in front of the statue of Padre Pio, in the quiet of the prayer room, embraced by an inexplicable heavenly presence, I broke down and cried my oh-so broken heart out. I was clinging to him, with whatever little strength was left in me, as he raised my heart to God.

That day, I received a promise in my heart that everything would be all right. This was the beginning of my journey to “Papa Pio,” as I affectionately call my saint.

Ten years after my journey to Papa Pio began, I found myself driving with my family to San Giovanni Rotondo. On our way, we were in high spirits as we ate, sang and laughed in our rented van. The kids seemed quite excited too. Surprisingly, not one of them fell asleep during our long drive.

Our excitement mounted as soon as my mother pointed out the mountain range in the South of Italy, in the province of Foggia where the city lies. We let out a loud cheer as we spotted a billboard of the good Padre! The city was full of Padre Pio hustle and bustle. There were many souvenir shops along the way and a great variety of Padre Pio paraphernalia.

I insisted that we immediately proceed to La Chiesa di Padre Pio da Pietrelcina (the Church of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina) and visit the crypt where his incorrupt body lay. We made a few wrong turns along the way and had no idea where to park our car. I struggled not to feel upset at the thought of not reaching our destination before closing hours for the night. I prayed that we would make it in time as the idea of missing seeing my saint for one out of our three-day stay at San Giovanni Rotondo was unacceptable to me. Thank God, following Papa Pio’s dictum of “Pray, Hope and Don't Worry”, we made it!

Upon seeing the sign Chiesa Inferiore: Corpo di San Pio (Lower Church- Relics of the Saint) my heart started beating faster. Our little group practically ran hoping to gain entrance in time. And yes, it was meant to be. I was the last visitor admitted for that night!

As the crowd thinned, and those waiting in line ahead of us, one by one, got their turn to pass our beloved saint, my heart started pounding. As I slowly approached him, I thought my chest would burst! It felt surreal to me when I finally stood beside the body of my saint, our saint, who draws millions of devotees to visit him even 48 years after his death in 1968. Today, September 23, we celebrate his feastday.

I had flashbacks of the past ten years of my life. As I praised God for all the blessings I have received, I thanked Padre Pio for all his miracles. My tears kept flowing. So deeply touched was I, as he lay before my very eyes, remembering vividly the first day I begged for his help.

Up close, seeing his beloved face with his eyebrows, lashes and beard, his hands which bore the stigmata of Christ for 50 years and seeing him dressed in the brown Franciscan habit to which he was so attached to all his religious life, I could almost feel his breath on my cheek.

I was ecstatic to see this great saint. In the flesh. St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, a man who bore the wounds of Christ.

On Turning 40: Life begins at forty and loving it!

I've always prided myself in having sharper than 20/20 vision all through my schooling years, medical school included. I was the only one in my family not wearing eyeglasses even when reading. I knew I was blessed with terrific eyesight as I could detect even the most subtle variation in shades of color and the minutest details that people around me could not. And I could read street signs even from afar.

Suddenly however, I could no longer clearly appreciate the different hues of skintone, nor immediately spot those tiny, flesh-colored warts on my patients. And worse, I had difficulty reading the list of active ingredients on skin product labels unless I moved the bottle nearer or farther until the words resolved and cleared. This to and fro swinging motion also became necessary in restaurants, when ordering. Haha.
Aside from needing physical therapy for multiple slipped disks and being practically immobilized due to the shooting nerve pain of sciatica, a busted knee due to traumatic arthritis, a multitude of kidney stones, developing hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypercortisolism and a transient ischemic attack (referred to as a “mild stroke” by some) wherein I could not move both my left upper and lower extremities, I began to develop the more obviously age-related skin pigmentations and episodes of hot flashes. It was as if my blurring eyesight was just the prelude to a stealthy, creeping, old age soon after I turned 40! Ngeeh, scary.
Rather than fretting over having difficulty sleeping, worrying about my failing memory, feeling melancholic about my fading beauty and white and thinning hair, and stressing over the obvious deterioration of my health, I decided to focus more on prayer, family and friends, stress management, maintaining a youthful look and counting all of life’s blessings in my 40’s. The memories of close friends who never made it this far due to illness or accidents, make me value reaching this age more. It is in this state of mind and spiritual development that I could finally appreciate life much, much better. I realized that it’s in our 40’s that many of us have not only labored through post-graduate schooling but also achieved professional recognition in our chosen fields. Many of us stress over our daily grind but fail to realise we've also achieved stability and security with our own homes, cars and investments. Just as regular bloodworks and medical work-ups are necessarily scheduled by most of us, vacation travels are likewise part of our annual calendar. Despite developing cellulite and fat bulges that just won’t go away even with the highest-impact work-outs, reunion get-togethers and food-tripping are part of our weekly routine. While many of us have been in love, and even fallen out of love, we have nevertheless arrived at emotional maturity. Many of us have fallen and have gotten up. And most importantly, many of us may have lost the faith but have found our way back to God.
It feels awfully good to be able to say "been there, done that." I am not scared of making mistakes anymore, and neither am I embarrassed to admit to being wrong. It is with enthusiasm that I anticipate learning something new each time. I feel absolutely confident that in our 40’s we are perfectly equipped to surge forward into the future, wiser and stronger, and notwithstanding declining hormonal levels and bearing scars from battles of the past. Plus, financial independence at this age is a bonus that permits generosity in more ways than one.
At 46, how wonderful it is ticking-off items on my bucket list. Despite my shortened attention span and struggle to memorize lyrics, I am studying voice. Amidst my ever-toxic schedule, I take time off to explore the world with my family. Even if I am not an art fanatic, I have started a modest collection of my favorite paintings. Now that I find crowded places and loud party music somewhat distressing, I enjoy quiet dinners bonding with true friends anytime I want to. And at this stage in my life, I am able to provide for and take care of my parents and loved ones, and give to those in need of my help.
Indeed, life begins at forty. And I am loving it!

On Blogging: Why blog?

Last month I celebrated my 46th birthday.  The deluge of greetings was overwhelming, gifts, food and cake kept on coming, and it took me a week to reply to all the messages I received and thank each and every one of my well-wishers. I am truly blessed.

The outpouring of affection and support for me was more apparent this year because I am finally more connected and in touch with family, friends and patients not only through text, calls or email, but more recently also through Viber, Whatsapp, and of course Facebook with Messenger.

This new connectedness also increased the pressure from family and friends who have not seen me in quite some time, for me to provide updates on my status, life, and experiences, and also for advice, medical or otherwise.  And so I finally bring my stories online.

It is my wish that you find my narratives interesting and fun!  I write these simple articles on themes close to my heart.