Physicians and spouses lining up to do skin tests at a panel on ‘How to Look Glamorous & Youthful,’ held at the 2003 AAPI convention in Orlando, Florida. (Photo: Ela Dutt)

ORLANDO, FLORIDA: Physicians need time off and women physicians feel the need to treat themselves too --- to beauty care and keeping fit --- just as they instruct their patients to do. This was the theme of the first of its kind seminar at the 2003 AAPI annual convention in Orlando, Fla.

The Women Physicians Committee (WPC) organized the first of its kind set of panels on ‘Age Defiance’ and ‘How to Look Glamorous & Youthful,’ through skin care and hair styling, as well other beauty aids such as hair removal and botox treatment, issues patients don’t usually associate with their family doctor’s bedside manner and calm and caring exterior. But physicians need looking after too, especially women physicians who are more often primary care-givers to their own children and aging parents indicated AAPI’s women’s committee in its diverse choice of subjects at the convention. They also hosted a panel on cooking right, with a live demonstration by registered dietician and certified diabetes education Madhu Gadia. “The beauty programs were included because women in this generation want to make sure they look fit,” said Dr. Rani Lakhi, chair of WPC.

Anuj Pabby, fellow in cosmetics and dermatology, speaks on how to take care of skin and beauty, at a panel on ‘Age Defiance’ at the convention. (Photo: Ela Dutt)

In well-attended panels, Anju Pabby, a fellow in Cosmetics and Dermatology, spoke at length about the harmful effects of exposure to the sun. “A lot of us grew up in an age when we didn’t think of sun exposure or its cumulative damage over the years. While one cannot reverse the damage already done, it’s never too late to start taking care of it,” Pabby said. She discussed in detail the methods most effective in dealing with an Indian skin which reacts differently to sun exposure than Caucasian skin. It is best to go with prescription products rather than off the shelf items, she maintained. While Tretinoin build up the collagen and should be used regularly, glycolic acids have more temporary effects but don’t change the pigments even if they give a temporary glow to Indian skin types.

As for chemical peels, she warned against aggressive treatments. “It’s very important with Indian skin not to be aggressive. You run the risk of being left with dark spots or light spots,” Pabby warned. In her practice, she said, Indian patients usually came with problems of acne or melasme (sun spots caused either by pregnancy and hormonal changes or aggravated by sun).

Pareen Merchant, cosmetologist, who led a lively interactive session at the panel. (Photo: Ela Dutt)

“You have to wear sunscreen,” Pabby reiterated several times. For hair removal, she recommended laser treatment as most effective of all. But she cautioned the women to choose their clinic with care. “Go to an experienced person, a doctor who understands the physics and knows what settings are right for your skin.”

Cosmetologist Pareen Merchant who runs a spa in Orlando organized an interactive session with her hairstylist doing a haircut live on stage and her staff conductive skin-type tests for which women physicians lined up enthusiastically. “It’s nice to have Anju Pabby give a lay presentation on current topics like botox, hair removal. And its always fun to get tips on hair,” said Anisha Abraham, president of the Young Physicians of AAPI, and incoming co-chair of WPC.

Madhu Gadia, a registered dietician and author of a cookbook, during the demonstration of ‘Resetting the Indian Table’ at the convention. (Photo: Ela Dutt)

Dietician Madhu Gadia from Iowa, told News India-Times how she became popular in her Midwestern town when she started demonstrations on Indian cooking. In her book ‘New Indian Home Cooking’ out this year published by HPBooks, Gadia shows time saving and nutritious ways of cooking traditional Indian dishes. On stage at AAPI’s convention, Gadia cooked curried garbanzo beans, phulgobhi salad (stir-fried), and kele ka raita, all of which the audience got to taste.

“There are more demands on young Indian (American) women (than other young American women,” contended Abraham, an active duty major for the last 10 years and currently chief of Adolescent Medicine at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

“They have to give back to their families, maintain family ties while following a career. It’s a challenge and many women go to part-time. That’s okay, it’s a personal choice. But we have to support women going into various fields like politics and professions.”