Iβm a board-certified dermatologist who saves lives (!) by helping people reduce their risk of succumbing to common chronic diseases by fixing their immune systems and getting great looking and feeling skin, hair, and nails along the way. My weekly newsletter is an opportunity for you to get to know and trust me by learning from what I'm building in life and business.
Let's reimagine community healthβ¦ π₯π«
Welcome to the February 1, 2024 edition of the Above & Beyond Dermatology Newsletter. Thanks for reading. As always, any feedback is encouraged and appreciated.
Follow-up:
- Dry January is over. I'm glad I participated! Aside from the small glass of sake I mentioned last week, I remained dry for the whole month and didn't think much of it.
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I'll now revert to having a drink on occasion (occasion being the operative word β special occasions are a great place for such a poison in my opinion). This was a good lesson in being mindful about alcohol even if it's not a "problem" for me, and I'm feeling great.
β - Average daily π¦ intake for January: 107.1 fluid ounces (for context, 1 gallon is 128 fluid ounces)
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This is without a doubt way more water than I typically drink per day. I attribute this to the simple fact that I'm tracking it. What gets measured, gets managed.
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Daily water intake is an underappreciated, inexpesnive, and high yield aspect of our overall wellness, so be kind to your body and water it!
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I'm going to continue to track this, as it would likely drop precipitously if I stopped doing so. My goal is 128 fluid ounces (1 gallon) per day. I'll keep you posted.
The Direct Care Derm
The show is up to 656 listens in 4 weeks! Thanks to all of you who have listened, subscribed, rated, reviewed, and given me feedback/encouragement.
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βListener Leslie from San Francisco, whose professional background is as a performer and occasional director in the theatre as well as fundraising for nonprofits, gave me some fantastically constructive feedback on the show.
Not many people have the courage and kindness to do that. I'm grateful to him and look forward to putting his thoughtful and actionable advice to work.
βEpisode #007 (Part 2 of "Vulnerability as the Doorway to Connection") featuring an intimate and eye-opening conversation with the Dr. Bryce Bowers is out today.
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Bryce goes deep on where he's been (πͺ¨ bottom) and where he's going (π). Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
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I'm grateful for his story. I know it's going to help a lot of people.
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And, to boot, episode double-O-7 couldn't have gone to a better dude. This guy is licensed to kill you with his upper midwestern charm, good looks, and even better advice.
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βIn this episode:β
π₯ The wheels come off.
π₯ Dr. Bowers' humble beginnings and an unexpected mentor (shout out Uncle Mike!).
π₯ Sometimes someone else needs to believe in you before you believe in yourself.
π₯ Tipping points and the critical importance of a supportive network.
π₯ Two residency programs as model cultures of physician trainee wellness.
π₯ The art of being a great listener -- he gets it from his mama.
π₯ Being vulnerable and moving on from shame and guilt.
π₯ Substance abuse among physicians and second chances.
π₯ Rising from the ashes and building the Badge of Burnout.
π₯ Should Bryce and I start a Red Table TikTok for Docs series a la Jada Pinkett Smith?
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If you enjoy this clip and want to hear more about Uncle Mike, check out the full episode.
What I'm Writing
- βGratitude for Then and Now (Warning: dogs + babies thirst trap!)
- βWhy Iβm Showing Upβ
- βAlphabet Soup: Credentials Matter, But They Can Also Be Red Flagsβ
- βM-V-P! M-V-P! No, Not That Kind. Iβm talking Minimum Viable Product!
What I'm Learning
βYouTube, as expected, is an interesting place.
Bite-sized Shorts (videos less than 60 seconds in length; YouTube's copy of Instagram Reels and TikTok videos) get quite a bit more engagement than normal videos, so I'm focusing on those.
Since I'm at the stage where I'm simply gathering data because I want to know what works and what doesn't, I was prepared for and expecting the trolls. I was also hoping for them.
The presence of trolls is a good sign for two reasons.
First, it means someone who isn't my mom (happy birthday, mama!) is watching at least part of it. This is marketing. It's how we get ourselves in front of new audiences. They aren't all going to like us. That's what targeted marketing, a topic for another day, is for.
Second, it means I have a point of view. By virtue of having a point of view, Iβll naturally rub some people the wrong way. Fortunately, my goal is to attract people who like what I'm authentically creating and incorporating into my business and repel people who don't. Without a point of view, it's hard to attract or repel.
I know YouTube is an important place to show up if you want to build the kind of thing I'm trying to build, so I'm showing up there. Like anything else I do consistently, I'll get better at it over time.
The ratio of thumbs-ups to thumbs-downs will increase, and the engagement of people who appreciate what I'm doing will gradually drown out the engagement from the trolls.
Just like it's OK and actually good to get some B's (ma gave me this wise advice way back when), it's OK and actually good to get some thumbs-down.
I don't recommend feeding the trolls consistently, but these were softballs. Poor Dr. Fauci!
What I'm Loving
Sol Sciences new regenerative skincare product -- Sun Powder!
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My residency mate, good friend, and wildly talented skin cancer and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Teo Soleymani, and Harvard-Trained cosmetic dermatologist, Dr. Michael Abrouk, formulated Sun Powder to help people protect themselves against sun-related skin aging.
What's Polypodium?Polypodium leucotomos is a species of fern that is native to Central and South America. Extract from this fern can decrease UV-mediated damage to DNA by enhancing the activity of your bodyβs own antioxidant defense mechanisms. Indigenous peoples have used the antioxidant properties of this plant for centuries to combat sun-related skin issues.
βHeliocare, which I've also used and like, contains Polypodium leucotomos extract but lacks other active ingredients found in Sun Powder such as nicotinamide, vitamin C, collagen peptides, biotin, hyaluronic acid, and L-glutathione.
I just tried it (delicious), and I'll be incorporating it into my routine for at least a month. Check out the Sun Powder website for more information, and reach out to me if you'd like to try it. I'd be happy to get you a nice discount on the retail price.
Disclosure: I have no financial relationship with Sol Sciences / Sun Powder.
Nutrition Tip of the Week
From Tim Spector's Food for Life: The New Science of Eating Well:
I will add a 6th tip that I heard recently: If your great grandmother wouldn't have recognized it, try to avoid it or at least minimize how much of it you eat.
Chestnutπ° Checkers
This segment was inspired by an episode of Nathan Barry and Rachel Rodgers' excellent podcast Billion Dollar Creator, in which they explored ways that some creators are playing chess while others are playing checkers.
They referred to this as "chess not checkers," but Nathan mentioned that some people thought they said "chestnut checkers" and were confused. I laughed. π€·ββοΈ
So, where am I playing Chestnut Checkers?
In my new virtual practice, Above & Beyond Dermatology, I'm reimagining the meaning and potential value of community-based health.
Each member of the practice will have the opportunity to opt in to interactive, peer support communities comprised of other members who have something in common with them.
For example, there will be a community for my members who struggle with persistent, adult, usually hormone-related acne, a terribly frustrating and debilitating condition. While each of these members will have a direct relationship with me, they will also be able to learn from, support, and teach one another within the group.
I believe in the healing power of community. It's about time we start incorporating it into dermatology. This is just one of the levers I'm using in Above & Beyond Dermatology's mission to raise the standard of care.
Shout Out of the Week
Yesterday was my mama's birthday.
She NEVER asks for anything for her birthday, but this year she jumped on our extended family group chat and asked people to rate and review my podcast because she knows how important it is to help the show grow. How cool is that?
Happy birthday, mama! πβ€οΈ
Catnip (Dognip?)
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As always, I'd like to express my gratitude to each of you for being one of my first 192 subscribers! It means the world to me. If you know anyone else who may enjoy or benefit from this newsletter, please share this note with them or send them here to sign up and get a free gift from me. Talk soon, Stephen P.S. β Above & Beyond Dermatology, my integrative dermatology practice is OPEN for virtual AND in-person visits (house calls, too!) to residents of Wisconsin and virtual visits for residents of Minnesota, Colorado, Nebraska, and Alabama. If you or someone you know lives in one of these states and is looking for a dermatologist, simply email me at drlewellis@aboveandbeyondderm.com, text me at 715-391-9774, or fill out this short form and I'll be in touch. β |
βAbove & Beyond Dermatology
Iβm a board-certified dermatologist who saves lives (!) by helping people reduce their risk of succumbing to common chronic diseases by fixing their immune systems and getting great looking and feeling skin, hair, and nails along the way. My weekly newsletter is an opportunity for you to get to know and trust me by learning from what I'm building in life and business.
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When it comes to sun preferences, I donβt judge my patients or anyone else. But I do know from experience that one of the best ways to look like a grandma or a grandpa when youβre actually just a mom or a dad is to abuse the sun on a consistent basis. If youβre interested in sun protection, a great tool in the kit is a reliable broad brimmed hat that youβll actually wear. However, functional sun hats often leave something to be desired when it comes to fashion. Fortunately, the good folks at...