It’s been a long time since I’ve blogged, mainly because I wasn’t sure what to say or how to say it. What a miserable 2½ years; and what a stressful pandemic! I began typing these words during the Oscars while on a plane back from our 1st in person American Academy of Dermatology Annual meeting in 3 years- I purchased 2 new Hydrafacial machines in Boston and learned about the latest advances in Dermatology. There were many opportunities to connect with colleagues and industry, not like Will Smith connecting with Chris Brown over a GI Jane joke, but we connected over our love for Dermatology. That Oscars smack led to an interview about hair loss on NBC3, Las Vegas. I told the reporter that while slapping a man won’t cure his wife’s alopecia, it will raise alopecia awareness. There are many new treatments for Alopecia Areata and other types of hair loss- like Janus Kinase (JAK) Inhibitors and Platelet Rich Plasma. We’ve all been hit in the face these past few years, and I wanted to highlight some positive things going on at Las Vegas Dermatology like our Hydrafacial/Elastin Skin Care and Allergan Botox/Juvederm special events on 7/6, 7/15 & 7/26- call 702-456-3120 to schedule.
In Judaism at 13 years old, a boy is called before Torah (the Jewish Bible) and presented to the community with a Bar Mitzvah celebration, and that boy becomes a man who is now responsible for his actions. My nephew had his coming of age ceremony in his hometown of London, England at the end of June 2022. The Bar Mitzvah was a tremendous success with family, friends, community all praying, dancing, enjoying great food and even playing with an electric car race track which kept the kids entertained most of the party. Celebrating a centuries old tradition with family and friends helped me feel like life was somewhat back to normal for the 1st time in years. Many people are still masking in Europe, including my neighbor on the plane as I write these words- he looks to have on the same N95 fit mask he has worn without changing the entirety of the pandemic, though it could just look that way because of the number of times he’s touched it then everything else on the plane. This was my 1st trip across the pond since visiting Ukraine in 8/2019 where I enjoyed the history, culture and company of a freedom loving people. I never imagined back then that American and societal freedoms would be taken away or that the lives of those Ukranians I met in Odessa, Kiev and Lviv would be forever changed by an invading Russian Army.
As a global society, it will take us quite some time to heal from all that we have endured, but the more normal we behave the more normal we become. I have drawn a lot of strength this pandemic from my friend Lucy Jacobs; a 94 year old Auschwitz survivor who has cried every day for 80 years at the loss of her parents and family that 1st day in the infamous Nazi Concentration Camp at age 14. For someone who has seen so much pain, Lucy is full of love, and her stories of tragedy are only matched by her tales of hope and overcoming adversity. While in Europe, I visited Pompeii, which in the year 76 was destroyed as Mount Vesuvius erupted spraying volcanic ash so high that the entire city of Pompeii was covered and all the people living there perished as the result of this natural disaster. Seeing the beautiful greenery, vineyards and architecture contrasted in the most heart wrenching fashion with the plaster casts of those who had no chance to escape nature’s fury in Pompeii. These stories of pain and suffering along with the tragedies we have all experienced this pandemic should serve as additional reminders of the importance of living our lives. If you’re ready to live your life and are ready to look your best, we are ready to help, because Life Goes On!
