SKIN DEEP

How does a child who smuggled gold out of communist Cuba at age five end up shaping the future of dermatological care for patients of color across three continents? On this episode of Skin Deep, Dr. Anna Chacon welcomes Dr. David Rodriguez — a Miami-based dermatologist with over 35 years in clinical practice, pharmaceutical research, and academic medicine. A first-generation Cuban American, Dr. Rodriguez trained in internal medicine before dedicating his career to dermatology, building practices in Coral Gables and Kendall. He is a founding member of the Skin of Color Society and co-editor of the landmark textbook The Skin of Color, co-authored with Dr. Susan Taylor. His driving conviction? That patients of color deserve research-backed, culturally intelligent care — and that dermatology still has significant ground to cover. What does it actually take to shift a patient's behavior before the damage is done? Dr. Rodriguez challenges the field's tendency to chase procedures over prevention, making a pointed case for patient education. "Every hour, somebody's diagnosed with a melanoma. Every hour — and they're not ninety. They're forty. They're thirty." The conversation spans cultural skincare habits in Hispanic and Caribbean communities, the transformative impact of biologics on conditions like psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, and a frank look at why 10,000 dermatologists simply aren't enough for 350 million people. Woven throughout is an extraordinary personal narrative: a child who literally smuggled gold out of communist Cuba and grew up to become one of the field's most respected voices. Dr. David Rodriguez is a Miami-based board-certified dermatologist with practices in Coral Gables and Kendall, specializing in medical dermatology and clinical research. A first-generation Cuban American, he graduated medical school in 1981 and has been in practice since 1989. Dr. Rodriguez is a founding member of the Skin of Color Society and co-editor of The Skin of Color, a landmark textbook co-authored with Dr. Susan Taylor. He conducts ongoing pharmaceutical clinical trials and has mentored the next generation of dermatologists — including Skin Deep host Dr. Anna Chacon — throughout his career. In This Episode: (00:00) Dr. Rodriguez introduces four decades of dermatology, research, and his deep connection to Dr. Chacon's family (02:04) How the Skin of Color Society was founded — and why the research gap in skin of color medicine still hasn't closed (05:00) Cultural skincare habits in Hispanic and Caribbean communities and what dermatologists are really up against (08:41) A five-year-old, an 18-karat gold chain, and the day the Rodriguez family fled communist Cuba (14:30) Melanoma, denial, and why patient education is the gray area medicine is still failing (20:30) Mentoring Dr. Chacon, the biologics revolution, and what dermatology looks like when it gets it right (28:18) Religious persecution, communist indoctrination, and how the Rodriguez family finally got on a plane to Miami Share with a dermatology pro you know, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes! About the show: Welcome to Skin Deep, a podcast designed for dermatology professionals. Host Dr. Anna Chacon, a distinguished dermatologist and author, shares her unique experiences and offers valuable insights on the future of dermatology, including telemedicine and teledermatology in reaching underserved communities. Dr. Chacon provides actionable recommendations for dermatology practices, emphasizing compassion, patient education, and staying current with advancements in the field. About the host: Dr.... Chapters (00:00:00) - Looking back on my time in Cuba(00:00:36) - Dermatologists of Color(00:07:03) - Hispanics on the dangers of the sun(00:12:53) - Cubans speak about life in America(00:16:38) - Dermatology on Skin Cancer(00:20:31) - The importance of free healthcare for dermatologists(00:27:41) - Describing the Communists in Cuba

What does it take for a girl from Costa Rica, raised between music and financial hardship, to inspire one of America's most recognized dermatologists?Jeanette Enriquez, born December 22, 1941, in San José, Costa Rica, is the grandmother of Dr. Anna H. Chacón — host of Skin Deep and Miami's board-certified dermatologist and beauty expert. A lifelong advocate for family unity and education, Jeanette raised six children across two countries before immigrating to the United States. Her story is not one of credentials, but of something far more enduring: values passed hand to hand, generation to generation. What does it take to raise a doctor? Ask her grandmother.In this intimate episode of Skin Deep, Jeanette traces her journey from a musical childhood in Turrialba, Costa Rica, to a sixty-year marriage that began with handwritten letters. She and Dr. Anna H. Chacón explore financial hardship in Guatemala, the weight of cultural traditions, and what it looked like to watch a granddaughter choose studying over socializing, every single time. "The day I leave, I will go with the greatest pride, having seen Anna grow into the amazing professional she is today."Jeanette Enriquez was born on December 22, 1941, in San José, Costa Rica, and grew up in Turrialba, where her family roots ran deep and music filled the home. At fifteen, she began working as a cashier to support her family. A mother of six, a home economics teacher, and a great-grandmother, Jeanette has been a lifelong champion of family unity, cultural traditions, and perseverance — values she passed directly on to her granddaughter, Dr. Anna H. Chacón. In This Episode: (00:00) Jeanette Enriquez recalls her childhood in Turrialba, Costa Rica, and the musical memories that shaped her (00:05:15) A love that arrived by letter: how she met the man she would spend sixty years married to (00:08:30) From Guatemala to the United States: building a life between two countries, two cultures, and six children (00:12:08) Jeanette shares what she asks of her family above all else: never lose your unity or your love (00:19:00) The granddaughter who never went out on weekends: Jeanette recalls Dr. Anna H. Chacón's sacrifice and dedication Share with a dermatology pro you know, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes! About the show: Welcome to Skin Deep, a podcast designed for dermatology professionals. Host Dr. Anna Chacon, a distinguished dermatologist and author, shares her unique experiences and offers valuable insights on the future of dermatology, including telemedicine and teledermatology in reaching underserved communities. Dr. Chacon provides actionable recommendations for dermatology practices, emphasizing compassion, patient education, and staying current with advancements in the field. About the host: Dr. Anna Chacon, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Indigenous Dermatology, specializes in treating patients in remote and rural communities. As the first dermatologist serving Alaska's Bush region, she travels by bush plane to reach isolated communities. Dr. Chacon holds medical licenses in all 50 states, DC, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, providing both in-person and teledermatology services. Resources: Website: www.drannachacon.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miamiderm LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miamiderm/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miamiderm/ YouTube:

What does it really cost — personally and professionally — to build a practice without borders?In this solo episode of Skin Deep, Dr. Anna Chacon—board-certified dermatologist, valedictorian, and Brown University Program in Liberal Medical Education alumna—reflects on the extraordinary career that shaped her into one of medicine's most unconventional practitioners. Licensed in all 50 states, D.C., Guam, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, and named Best Teledermatologist in the USA in 2024, Dr. Chacon is a Miami native of Hispanic and indigenous heritage who fought through significant barriers to reach the top of a specialty with only 3% Hispanic representation.   Dr. Chacon takes listeners across three continents and through some of medicine's most remote outposts: studying leprosy and HIV skin disease at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in the Philippines, learning from albinism specialists in Tanzania, and volunteering in West Africa where scarce resources blocked even the most basic treatments. She recounts becoming the first dermatologist to serve Utqiaġvik, Alaska's Iñupiat community through the Arctic Slope Native Association, the complexity of telehealth licensure in all 50 states, and a remarkable case of Kimura's disease successfully treated off-label with Dupilumab. Her mission, she says, is always evolving—from Miami Derm to America's dermatologist. Dr. Anna Chacon, MD FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist, author, and Miami native who earned both her undergraduate degree in Economics and her medical degree from Brown University's Program in Liberal Medical Education, graduating valedictorian from Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart. She completed her residency at LAC+USC Medical Center and owns Gables Dermatology & Aesthetics in Coral Gables, Florida. A prolific author in peer-reviewed journals including JAAD and the British Journal of Dermatology, she was named Best Teledermatologist in the USA in 2024 and is a founding voice in Indigenous Dermatology.In This Episode: (00:00) Why she chose medicine and what drew her to dermatology over every other specialty (04:51) What it means to be a Latina woman in one of medicine's least diverse fields (10:06) What she learned treating leprosy, albinism, and parasites across three continents (14:58) Why she became the first dermatologist to serve Alaska's northernmost Indigenous community (20:30) How COVID accelerated her move to telehealth and a nationwide practice (22:30) What getting licensed in all 50 states actually costs in time, money, and effort (31:00) How a Kimura's disease patient advocated for his own off-label treatment — and improved (41:07) Why social media has become a lifeline for patients with rare skin conditions Share with a dermatology pro you know, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes! About the show: Welcome to Skin Deep, a podcast designed for dermatology professionals. Host Dr. Anna Chacon, a distinguished dermatologist and author, shares her unique experiences and offers valuable insights on the future of dermatology, including telemedicine and teledermatology in reaching underserved communities. Dr. Chacon provides actionable recommendations for dermatology practices, emphasizing compassion, patient education, and staying current with advancements in the field. Resources: Arctic Slope Native Association (ASNA) — Utqiavik, Alaska: https://arcticslope.org  Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) — Philippines: Chapters (00:00:00) - Skin Deep with Dr. Ana Chacon(00:00:42) - Dermatologist Ana Chacon on Becoming a Board Certified Der(00:07:12) - Latina dermatologists on the road to success(00:14:21) - Desire to serve Indigenous communities(00:19:41) - Televised dermatologists: Becoming America's dermatologist(00:30:00) - Representative cases of skin cancer in all 50 states(00:33:43) - How to manage a chronic health problem effectively(00:36:20) - Cultural environments affect doctors(00:38:21) - How to care for rosacea and other skin conditions effectively

What happens when a physician knows a patient still has a chance — but the hospital, the insurance company, and the nursing staff have all decided it's time to let go? Dr. Anna Chacon, board-certified dermatologist and host of Skin Deep, welcomes a truly singular guest — her father, Dr. Arsenio Chacon. A retired critical care pediatrician with more than thirty years of practice in Miami, Dr. Arsenio trained at Cook County Hospital in Chicago and spent the bulk of his career leading the pediatric critical care unit at Baptist Hospital. What drove three decades in one of medicine's most demanding specialties? A conviction that took root in rural Cuba and never left: that a physician's most important quality, beyond clinical skill, is the courage to act on instinct when every force in the room is telling you to stand down. From a childhood of coffee trees and cane fields in rural Cuba to the political persecution that forced his family's escape, Dr. Arsenio traces the origins of a resilience that would define his entire career. What does it mean to fight for a patient's life when the insurance company, the hospital administration, and even the nursing staff have already moved on? He's direct about it. He also offers candid views on why physicians must educate themselves in business — or risk being exploited by those who did. "The patient is the one with the disease," he says. That one principle, he explains, protected his family life as much as it shaped his clinical practice. A rare and personal conversation.Dr. Arsenio Chacon is a retired physician who practiced critical care pediatrics in Miami, Florida for over thirty years. Born in rural Cuba and raised amid political upheaval, he immigrated to the United States as a teenager with his family, overcoming language barriers and cultural displacement to pursue medicine. He completed a pediatrics residency at Cook County Hospital in Chicago and a fellowship in critical care, ultimately leading the intensive care unit at Baptist Hospital in Miami. Known for his clinical perseverance, ethical integrity, and outspoken advocacy for physician business literacy, Dr. Chacon retired from practice and is the proud father of host Dr. Anna Chacon.  In This Episode: (00:00) Dr. Anna Chacon welcomes her most personal guest yet to Skin Deep (03:30) A father jailed for his politics, a mother who sold coffee on the black market, and the family's escape from Cuba (09:36) The one rule Dr. Arsenio never broke — and the advice he gives every doctor who wants a sane life (16:47) From Cook County's busiest wards to Miami's ICUs — how a critical care career was built (24:31) Why a physician must hold the line when the hospital, the insurance company, and the nurses have all moved on (33:40) What living with Opus Dei priests taught a future doctor about discipline, methodology, and never improvising (45:55) When administrators outearn the physicians — and why every doctor needs to understand business Share with a dermatology pro you know, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes! About the show: Welcome to Skin Deep, a podcast designed for dermatology professionals. Host Dr. Anna Chacon, a distinguished dermatologist and author, shares her unique experiences and offers valuable insights on the future of dermatology, including telemedicine and teledermatology in reaching underserved communities. Dr. Chacon provides actionable recommendations for dermatology practices, emphasizing compassion, patient education, and staying current with advancements in the field. About the host: Dr. Anna Chacon, board-cer... Chapters (00:00:00) - Skin Deep(00:07:02) - How to transition from dermatology to pediatrics(00:16:25) - Inspiring doctors: Dr. J. Janakiraman(00:24:27) - Don't Give Up(00:29:36) - Cuban doctors on the issues of nationality(00:39:00) - How to survive a melanoma in the United States(00:46:53) - Cuban doctors learn the business of medicine

Why did a successful solo aesthetics business owner close three locations in two years to join a med spa?Dr. Chacon welcomes award-winning Miami aesthetician Ornella Lopresti to Skin Deep. Ornella shares her unique journey from graduating Miami Senior High's cosmetology program with her full specialty license at 18 to becoming a competitive esthetician who approaches every treatment with championship-level precision. With over a decade in aesthetics—including three years in med spa settings and work with luxury brands like Clarins and La Prairie—Ornella discusses her evolution from solo entrepreneur to successful med spa professional. Her expertise centers on anti-aging treatments, sensitive skin care, and microneedling, with a refreshing emphasis on setting professional boundaries and maintaining quality standards. The conversation explores critical topics for both professionals and patients in the aesthetics world. Are there red flags clients should watch for when choosing an esthetician? What's the reality behind trending treatments like salmon DNA and Morpheus? Ornella candidly discusses the financial challenges of solo practice, why she transitioned to a med spa model, and the importance of medical oversight for procedures like microneedling. From social media strategies to firing difficult clients, this episode delivers honest insights into the business of beauty. Plus, discover why a tinted SPF 50 is her desert island product and learn the one facial treatment she believes transforms skin better than any other.Ornella Lopresti is an award-winning aesthetician based in Miami with over 10 years of experience in the beauty and skincare industry. A graduate of Miami Senior High's cosmetology program, she earned her full specialty license in facials, waxing, and nails before turning 18 and competed at regional and state levels. Her career spans luxury skincare companies including Clarins, La Prairie, and Sisley, culminating in founding Fountain of Youth Beauty before transitioning to med spa settings. Specializing in anti-aging treatments, sensitive skin care, and microneedling, Ornella combines championship-level precision with genuine client care. She also offers pop-up facial services in Orlando and provides complimentary skin consultations to help clients navigate their skincare journeys. In This Episode: (00:00) Award-winning aesthetician Ornella Lopresti and her Miami journey (02:35) Competitive cosmetology training and the importance of industry standards (05:59) Birth of Fountain of Youth Beauty and transitioning from corporate to solo practice (10:39) Wearing all the hats: the realities of entrepreneurship versus med spa employment (14:25) Trending treatments explained: salmon DNA, exosomes, and what's worth the investment (17:45) Red flags in aesthetics: why medical oversight and licensing matter (22:05) Professional boundaries and when to fire a client Share with a dermatology pro you know, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes! About the show: Welcome to Skin Deep, a podcast designed for dermatology professionals. Host Dr. Anna Chacon, a distinguished dermatologist and author, shares her unique experiences and offers valuable insights on the future of dermatology, including telemedicine and teledermatology in reaching underserved communities. Dr. Chacon provides actionable recommendations for dermatology practices, emphasizing compassion, patient education, and staying current with advancements in the field. About the host: Dr. Anna Chacon, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Indigenous Dermatology, spec... Chapters (00:00:00) - Esthetician on Entrepreneurship(00:01:32) - Miami Senior High Cosmetology Student(00:03:10) - How Fontaine of Youth Beauty started(00:06:27) - Florence Fountain of Youth Beauty(00:07:39) - How to manage a med spa business effectively(00:11:12) - What kind of certifications or training is required? How long is(00:16:06) - Red Flags in the Esthetics Industry(00:18:00) - Morphenes for the Face(00:20:29) - What would you say is your favorite facial treatment?