Fight camp at AKA Thailand was my prelude to a 2 week working vacation in South West Asia at the end of October 2023; I was preparing to fight skin disease at the DASIL 11th world Congress in Bangkok, Thailand. Travel changes you, be it the people you meet, adventures undertaken, sites seen or lessons learned and this trip was no exception. Mike “Quick” Swick is the visionary and former Mixed Martial Arts Fighter behind a Fitness Oasis in Phuket, Thailand. Mike inspired me with his stories of failure before putting together his World Class Training Facility set in a Tropical Paradise; filled with amazing food and like-minded individuals looking to better themselves by tapping into their most raw, animalistic, and physical nature- the ethos of AKA Thailand is self-improvement. For 5 days, I completed 2x-4x a day work outs with professional Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai experts who guided me through how to strike with my elbow, fist, knee and foot; while the toughest person of the bunch, a 95lb, 5’0’’ Yoga instructor tortured me and others by putting our bodies into positions which peeled our muscles from the bone in ways I did not imagine possible. Much of the AKA experience changed my perspective on life and gave me an inner peace knowing that every day there are a group of like-minded individuals from across the globe dedicated to improving their physical fitness through a repeated and regimented set of activities in an inclusive and welcoming environment with amazing Thai Food and protein smoothies.
From Phuket, I travelled to Siem Reap, Cambodia- one of the poorest countries I’ve ever visited with some of the kindest people. My first full day in Cambodia, a tour guide from Angkor Tour Guides arrived at 4:30am with a mountain bike and we rode in pitch black darkness, save the light from iPhone and Apple Watch to the Temples of Angkor Wat. The largest set of Buddhist temples in the world was filled with people looking to catch the sun rise over the complex and the physical structures and views were inspiring. We biked over 20 miles that day and explored many of the Temples. I met an artist and UFC fan who sold me an Elephant painting he, “made”- it wasn’t until later that day I discovered many, “artists”, made this same painting and sold the same table runners, t-shirts and silk scarves.
What does this have to do with skin? To this point, nothing, which changes now…I practiced sun avoidance on vacation, when possible, but used Heliocare on days in the sun, applied LVDerm Sunscreen and continued my post-microneedling/laser treatment regimen from the 4 procedures performed by my Laser Aesthetician Melissa Ship prior to vacation. In Bangkok, I chaired the Psoriasis section of the DASIL conference and gave lectures on new advancements in both Psoriasis and Atopic Eczema. During my lecture, I asked the audiences if they had used any of the newer drugs available in the United States and sadly, most of these physicians did not have drug access- it’s a good time to have skin disease in America, but not so much the rest of the world. One of the Dermatologists at the meeting, showed me around Bangkok and took me to a local restaurant where I enjoyed Tom Yum Soup served in a style quite different from what I am used to in the U.S. Being with my international colleagues there is a language and cultural barrier, which allows me the opportunity to exercise self-restraint and avoid a rush to judgment- the answer almost never being to talk slower and yell. Dr. Michael Gold is a mentor and the driving force behind DASIL- he invited me to a dinner on Exosomes- cell signaling products that can be derived from plant, animal, or human sources. Unbeknownst to me at the time of the event, the biggest spenders on Exosome therapies were being awarded plaques- the stunningly beautiful models who I took my picture with turned out to be Aesthetic Physicians who were using the product. After meeting founder and patent holder Dr. Byong Cho of ExoCoBio the parent company of Benev sitting through multiple lectures over 3 days on Exosomes among numerous other topics, I’ve decided to incorporate Exosome into our practice at Las Vegas Dermatology®. Look for even better hair growth and anti-aging options as Exosomes are used in combination with ablative procedures and in addition to PRP with microneedling for hair loss.
I would be remiss if I did not introduce Dr. Sarah Bovenberg, Dr. Scott MacLeod & P.A. Jessica Pepich. We are excited to have all 3 of them on board to join P.A. Gurule, The Derm Bros® and our Aesthetician Melissa as each of them brings something special to our clinic. If you require MOHS surgery for your skin cancer, we now have our own world class surgeon in Dr. Sarah Bovenberg ready to cut to cure. Las Vegas Dermatology® continues to run multiple clinical trials for everything from Atopic Eczema to Squamous Cell Skin Cancer, and Psoriasis- Jasmine Jaeger has returned to run our studies freeing up Jasmine Basa to lead our back office team. If you or someone you know has eczema, hives, psoriasis or squamous cell skin cancer feel free to call the office to see if we have a clinical trial for your condition- many times medications are free and there may be financial compensation.
If you made it this far, I’d just like to thank you for taking the time to read these words and to be a part of our Las Vegas Dermatology® family. A big part of our success this year is directly related to the efforts and dedication of my DermBro, Dr. David Cotter, he has worked hard to motivate the team, take excellent care of patients and recruit the talent that allowed us to expand into the 5,000 square feet of adjacent office space. As a team, we continue to treat Acne, Cysts, Rashes, Skin Cancers, and more! We also have lots of fun tools to help you look and feel your best- from botulinum toxins, fillers, kybella, lasers, Sciton BBL, and hydrafacial to the newest skin care products like Alastin, Hydrinity and Upneeq. The Las Vegas Dermatology Foundation, a tax deductible 501c3 is taking donations and will use your funds to for those with skin disease- checks can be sent to the office or our Paypal. We are a group of dedicated individuals looking to fulfill our vision For a Healthier and More Beautiful Life. I hope you take the time to go on your own adventure and that it inspires you to be a better person.
Adventure Awaits, Answer the Call-
Dr. Vegas
