Dear Doctor: Anna Bender
The caring dermatologist helping children and their parents get clear skin
You might call your visit to Dr. Anna Bender’s office a family affair. As a pediatric and adolescent dermatologist, Dr. Bender often watches her patients grow from toddlers in diapers to young adults heading off to college, meeting and treating their parents and grandparents along the way as well.
Her passion and encouragement are both key factors that allow her to connect with patients of all ages, empowering them to stick with treatment plans. Read on for her daily routine, skincare myths debunked, and picks for beachwear that is both functional and fashionable.
Growing up, I always thought I wanted to be a veterinarian but ultimately found the human body to be the most interesting. I loved anatomy in high school, became a neuroscience major, then went to medical school in New York City. I was particularly interested in the connection between the brain and skin and how the brain affects the skin.
Ultimately, my decision to pursue dermatology was influenced by the fact that it is a very visually oriented field. Patients and doctors alike can see when there are problems on the skin and can see when treatments are working. Seeing results is really satisfying. I did my dermatology residency at Cornell, then a year at Johns Hopkins for further training in pediatric dermatology.
A Day in the Life
I’ve been practicing dermatology as an attending at Weill Cornell for five years now. On Mondays I see all adults, then the rest of the week I see pediatric patients. I also precept a clinic with both medical students and dermatology residents.
My typical day starts around 8:30am and there’s a lot of varitey. I might be focusing on short term issues like rashes, warts, and birthmarks, performing laser treatments, or following up on a longer term treatment for eczema. I focus mostly on medical dermatology in my adult patients such as skin cancer checks, acne, and rashes.
I see patients all day, with a mix of new patients and follow ups. My new patients get a longer visit. It’s important to me to spend time during the visit to address any and all concerns.
It’s very rewarding to see follow ups and get to know patients well over time.
I have several teenage patients who go off to college and come back to see me on breaks to check in. I love the chance to get to know how they are doing at school, in their studies, activities, and later in their careers. I also love taking care of older patients, many who are parents and grandparents of my pediatric patients, and enjoy getting to know the whole family.
On Technology
We use a secure web portal through which patients can send messages or photographs of rashes or marks. It’s easy to do follow ups or answer questions this way and to track the progress of a treatment. Patients can ask me questions directly through the portal, like if they are heading on vacation and can’t remember what sunscreens I recommended.
Through our electronic medical record system, I can send messages directly to the child’s pediatrician or sub-specialist and it’s easy to make referrals this way too so the entire treatment of the patient is connected.
Patients come in having read a lot on the internet. This can be great, but I always want to make sure my patients are referring to medically verified sources. I like to arm my patients with the best websites to go to if they do want to do research on their own. It’s just as important to know what not to worry about, so from time to time I have to debunk some of the myths on the internet!
Myths, Advice, and FAQs
A common skincare misconception is that tanning without burning is still okay. It actually still damages your skin. Another one is that you don’t need sunscreen in the shade, or while driving or flying. It’s important to use sunscreen even by windows because ultraviolet A sun rays can penetrate a car or plane window.
I know some people also believe that any clothing is a sufficient form of sun protection. Clothing does help protect your skin but it varies by type of clothing. For reference, a plain white tee shirt gives you a SPF of around 7. This is good, but not good enough to protect you on the beach. Sunscreen breaks down in the sun, so it’s best to wear a fabric specifically marked with a ultraviolet protective factor (UPF) of 50. J Crew, Coolibar, and Mott50 make some great options.
Finally, I tell people that pale is pretty! And for those who ask and do want the tan look, I tell them that self tanners in a bottle are safe to use.
On Compassionate Care
My whole approach to medicine is compassionate. I connect with the patient in the exam room and spend enough time listening to their perspective and their concerns.
I try to educate patients about what’s safe. To me, that means listening and attacking roadblocks as a team.
When working with children there’s also a balance between the patient and the parent. When a patient is old enough to understand the treatment, I try to empower her to take the treatment plan into her own hands. For example, for children with dry skin we’ll talk about the “3 minute rule”, which is to put moisturizer on slightly damp skin within three minutes of getting out of the shower. I find there is a much higher likelihood of a child or teen sticking with a regimen if they feel involved in the treatment plan.
A lot of what I do involves motivating patients to stick to their regimen, especially with acne and eczema. Acne treatments can take 6 to 12 weeks to work and eczema is often recurrent so it needs a maintenance plan. We all are conditioned to want instant gratification so patience is important here!
I often take photos during follow ups for acne visits to document the improvements gradually. I also schedule shorter follow ups in the beginning to make sure the patient is doing their treatment correctly and seeing the beginning of results; I also find that this accountability helps motivate patients to build good skin habits.
Lightning Round
I love what I do because…the patient and I can see the progress visually. I love to see all ages, from age 0 to 100. On my pediatric days, I love working with kids because they’re fun and you can be playful during the visit. I also love seeing my patients grow over time.
If I weren’t a doctor…I like teaching and working with children, so I might be a teacher!
I feel looked after when…I spend time with my family and friends. I also feel looked after by my awesome colleagues. We all cover for each other when one of us is out, and we have weekly rounds to discuss difficult cases. I even feel looked after by the staff in the building, and the morning coffee guy.
New Yorkers are…often well informed, gleaning different perspectives from their friends, colleagues, and the internet on various issues. This is great but can sometimes lead to information overload. It’s invaluable to give a balanced perspective to these patients. The challenge is in believing in simpler treatments. A less is more approach!
I stay healthy by…trying to eat a lot of fruits and veggies. I also try to exercise regularly because it makes me feel energized and balanced. I don’t have one “go to”, but I go to the gym, run, take long walks, or do yoga.
Favorites
NYC spots: Central Park. I live on the Upper East Side. I like the quiet during the week, and the fact that I can go biking on the weekends. I love walking through the park on my way to work.
Relax ritual: I just got into meditation. I try to do 10 minutes of meditation after I drink my coffee in the morning. It is a great way to start my day!
Hobby: I love trying different cuisines and different ethnic restaurants. Some of my favorites are Arthur Avenue in the Bronx for amazing authentic Italian and Curry Row in the East Village for Indian. I’m also trying to cook more at home.
Fall activity: I enjoy leaf-peeping in Central Park and carving pumpkins.
You can find Dr. Bender at Weill Cornell.
Know a great female doctor in NYC? We’d love to meet her, introduce us here!
