HEALTH: SKIN SIGNS OF INTERNAL DISEASE. JOSHUA FOX, M.D., is founder of ADVANCED DERMATOLOGY, P.C., in New York and on Long Island, and a spokesman for the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery: “While moisturizers and makeup, facial peels and Botox can make our skin look beautiful and young, sometimes the external skin discolorations, blemishes, blotches or other unsightly marks we seek to remove are actually signs of an underlying internal disease. Your dermatologist may be the critical first line of defense against serious illness such as cancer, lupus, high cholesterol, and pulmonary and cardiac disease, among others. In scheduling regular visits with their dermatologist, patients are actually taking an important first step in managing their overall health. Dermatologists will recognize which skin marks can be resolved with cosmetics, pharmaceuticals or cosmetic surgeries and which require a visit to a primary physician or specialist who can treat the underlying causes.”