Dr. Sylvia Huang: Not just skin-deep
March 4, 2007 | 12:00am
Dr. Sylvia Muñoz Huang, M.D. says she didn’t really plan on being a doctor, much less the highly-respected dermatologist she is today. "I didn’t really know what I wanted," she recalls. "Growing up, it never really occurred to me to take up Medicine. I was part of the first batch of Physical Therapy graduates at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, and after graduation, I spent a year running a business. I was 20 then, and bored. When a classmate one day asked me if I wanted to go to med school, I said ‘Okay, get me an application form’."
Years later, she’s a wife, the mother of three, and is one of the most notable dermatologists in the country today. Much, she says, has changed since her days in medical school: "Back then, dermatology dealt mostly with pathologic cases, with patients who had skin disorders who really required treatment. There was only a handful of dermatologists in the country. These days, there’s a dermatologist on practically every street corner," she laughs.
This, she says, is because of people’s growing preoccupation with how they look. People have become more conscious of their appearance, and the sheer number of new beauty products, treatments and beauty-related services can attest to Dr. Huang’s observation: "A dermatologist these days is treating as many cosmetic cases as pathologic." And Dr. Sylvia’s schedule is as full as it’s ever been.
But not all the recent developments in dermatology have been good. "There are people out there who claim to be dermatologists, who go abroad and take some three-month certificate course, and then come back here to open clinics. Most people don’t know that a real dermatologist goes through years of medical school, and internship, and residency. In fact, some of the patients of these ‘doctors’ end up in my clinic, because they’ve been given the wrong treatment."
And according to the doctor, this growing concern for beauty can sometimes put too much focus on outward appearance. "People, especially women, want to look good, and the skin is the most visible manifestation of beauty. But sometimes, it’s not the treatments, the procedures, or the creams and lotions that help. It’s as simple as ‘if you want good skin, just be happy.’ It makes a big difference when you’re not stressed, when you’re emotionally and psychologically fulfilled. If you’re happy, your skin manifests that. Sometimes," she confesses, laughing, "I feel like I’m as much a psychologist as I am a derma."
Along with her prescriptions, she dispenses personal advice to her patients who need it. It’s a holistic approach to dermatology, but more importantly, it shows a quality in Dr. Huang that is becoming increasingly rare in a profession that deals with the superficial: genuine care.
"A patient might come to me complaining about a blemish, or a little bump here, and I treat that. But when you get to know some of these patients, you find out that maybe they’re concerned about that blemish because they think their husbands or boyfriends won’t love them anymore because of it, and then that may be a sign of a deeper problem, in their relationships.
Or you can get women who are bored, and keep coming back for treatments. Sometimes, it’s simply that these people have nothing else to focus on but themselves, and their face and skin. "Try joining an NGO," I tell some of them. "You just need to find something to do that you find fulfilling." With some patients, they just need somebody to tell them that beauty isn’t everything." Bold words, coming from someone who makes a living on beauty, but Dr. Huang, apparently, gives much importance to her role of healer as well as medical practitioner.
"But when some patients come back to thank me," she says, "it makes it all worthwhile. I remember one of them said ‘you saved my marriage!’ and I joked, ‘OA ka naman, I just treated your skin,’ but that made me feel very good about what I do."
When asked about her plans for the future, she shrugs and smiles. "The present keeps me busy. The field of dermatology is changing very quickly. I have to keep up with the latest technologies and techniques, and that keeps me going. And I have my children. My eldest, Pamela, is studying to be a dermatologist, too, and that’s one thing I also look forward to."
Let’s all hope that her daughter carries on with Dr. Sylvia’s work, then, that she, like her mother, will give beauty not only to the skin, but to the person inside it as well.
Years later, she’s a wife, the mother of three, and is one of the most notable dermatologists in the country today. Much, she says, has changed since her days in medical school: "Back then, dermatology dealt mostly with pathologic cases, with patients who had skin disorders who really required treatment. There was only a handful of dermatologists in the country. These days, there’s a dermatologist on practically every street corner," she laughs.
This, she says, is because of people’s growing preoccupation with how they look. People have become more conscious of their appearance, and the sheer number of new beauty products, treatments and beauty-related services can attest to Dr. Huang’s observation: "A dermatologist these days is treating as many cosmetic cases as pathologic." And Dr. Sylvia’s schedule is as full as it’s ever been.
But not all the recent developments in dermatology have been good. "There are people out there who claim to be dermatologists, who go abroad and take some three-month certificate course, and then come back here to open clinics. Most people don’t know that a real dermatologist goes through years of medical school, and internship, and residency. In fact, some of the patients of these ‘doctors’ end up in my clinic, because they’ve been given the wrong treatment."
And according to the doctor, this growing concern for beauty can sometimes put too much focus on outward appearance. "People, especially women, want to look good, and the skin is the most visible manifestation of beauty. But sometimes, it’s not the treatments, the procedures, or the creams and lotions that help. It’s as simple as ‘if you want good skin, just be happy.’ It makes a big difference when you’re not stressed, when you’re emotionally and psychologically fulfilled. If you’re happy, your skin manifests that. Sometimes," she confesses, laughing, "I feel like I’m as much a psychologist as I am a derma."
Along with her prescriptions, she dispenses personal advice to her patients who need it. It’s a holistic approach to dermatology, but more importantly, it shows a quality in Dr. Huang that is becoming increasingly rare in a profession that deals with the superficial: genuine care.
"A patient might come to me complaining about a blemish, or a little bump here, and I treat that. But when you get to know some of these patients, you find out that maybe they’re concerned about that blemish because they think their husbands or boyfriends won’t love them anymore because of it, and then that may be a sign of a deeper problem, in their relationships.
Or you can get women who are bored, and keep coming back for treatments. Sometimes, it’s simply that these people have nothing else to focus on but themselves, and their face and skin. "Try joining an NGO," I tell some of them. "You just need to find something to do that you find fulfilling." With some patients, they just need somebody to tell them that beauty isn’t everything." Bold words, coming from someone who makes a living on beauty, but Dr. Huang, apparently, gives much importance to her role of healer as well as medical practitioner.
"But when some patients come back to thank me," she says, "it makes it all worthwhile. I remember one of them said ‘you saved my marriage!’ and I joked, ‘OA ka naman, I just treated your skin,’ but that made me feel very good about what I do."
When asked about her plans for the future, she shrugs and smiles. "The present keeps me busy. The field of dermatology is changing very quickly. I have to keep up with the latest technologies and techniques, and that keeps me going. And I have my children. My eldest, Pamela, is studying to be a dermatologist, too, and that’s one thing I also look forward to."
Let’s all hope that her daughter carries on with Dr. Sylvia’s work, then, that she, like her mother, will give beauty not only to the skin, but to the person inside it as well.
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