Savvier friends guide me on what to look for when I visit.
I book a consultation with several eminent cosmetic dermatologists (we spend hours cross-referencing shoes online; we should be just as diligent about deal-hunting with our doctors). Savvier friends guide me on what to look for when I visit. In the waiting room, they instruct, put your phone away and look around. Watch the faces of those coming in and out: Are they unnaturally taut? Observe the staff, because a derm often treats them to procedures, too. “If they look crazy,” advises one friend, “run.” Oh, and don’t forget: Bring in a photo of yourself from ten or fifteen years ago so the doctor has a visual guide of—here’s a melancholy phrase—the person you used to be.