Dr Arlene Rose: healer, artist, medical practitioner

When you first walk into Dr Arlene Rose's office, you instantly recognise the signs of a deep devotion to the arts, harmony, and positivity. As you observe the artwork - most of which she has painted herself - you forget for a moment that you are really in a doctor's office and cannot help being filled with inspiration and hope. As a matter of fact, even the Wi-Fi username, 'We care for you' exudes positivity.

Once you meet Dr Rose, however, everything comes into perspective. You realise that the beautiful space she has created at DermaKare Skin and Body Centre, which she founded 10 years ago, is merely a reflection of who she is, a true believer who has dedicated her 22 years of medical experience to restoring balance and happiness to every life she touches.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, as the daughter of a general practitioner and an environmental scientist, Rose's life has been steeped in science since the very beginning. Being the oldest of three children, taught her to care for others early on in life. She attended Mona Prep before excelling at Campion College and eventually heading to Wolmer's High School for Girls for sixth form. Although raised to be a scientist, she could never suppress her deep love for art and began painting at age 15.

Rose's first inspiration to become a doctor came from watching her mother, the GP at work.

"I used to work summers in my mother's office and I remember seeing patients go inside her office, hobbling in looking so broken. After a few minutes in her office, I remember them coming out looking so peaceful and hopeful. They received hope from my mother. I saw that and thought I have to be able to do that for people one day, turn the despair into hope. That's what lead me to become a doctor," she fondly recalls.

Her first experience working in traditional medicine, however, did not go as planned. After graduating from medical school at UWI, Rose went to work as a GP at her mother's office. Her first day at the office was her last.

"The first patient who came to the office had a prescription with 10 medications," she remembers. "I thought something was wrong because some of the meds were prescribed to cover the side effects of some of the other medications. This did not feel like helping, this was not what I wanted to do, it seemed counterproductive to me".

Inspired by her Aunt Shirley, a dermatologist, Rose opted to delve into the field, seeing where it might allow her to nurture her joint passions of healing and art. This path led her to Wales, where she specialised in dermatology and emerged top of her class. She returned to Jamaica, worked at a family run medical centre as a Dermatologist for years and eventually founded DermaKare and has never looked back.

 

Science and faith go hand in hand

 

What stands out most about Dr Rose, is that she is a woman of faith. A devout Christian for over 10 years, it was during her time as a part of the Transformed Life Church, that her gifts really came alive.

"I am a serious doctor, but I know when to write a prescription and when to pray, and some patients get both," Ros;e notes. "I find that my faith in God has actually helped me in my practice tremendously, because He gives me divine guidance as I search for the best way to treat patients".

Rose holds a MBBS from the University of the West Indies and a masters degree with distinction from the University of Wales, College of Medicine in Cosmetic Dermatology, but she is in no way defined solely based on these certifications. In fact, her work, although medical by nature, is best described as healing. Her practice operates from the premise that bringing balance to the mind and spirit is an integral part of restoring health to the body and she, therefore, mixes science with faith in her quest to deliver truly holistic treatment options for patients.

Most fascinating, however, is that despite her many accomplishments in the medical field, Dr Rose openly admits that perhaps Western medicine does not hold all the answers. As a result, she is heavily inspired by Eastern wisdom, and age-old healing methods drawn from East Asian and European cultures, that seek to prevent illness rather than to medicate.

She notes, "I have been led to use energy, and I don't mean Reiki, but rather soundwaves, pulsed electromagnetic fields, far and near Infrared therapy, and light therapy to bring about changes in the body, which western medicines could not bring. We are missing a lot as Western doctors. We should take the best of what the East offers and connect it with the best of what we have."

 

The path to healing begins in the mind

 

A major component of the work Dr Rose does is her focus on the mind and its integral role in physical health. As strange as it may seem, in her work as a cosmetic dermatologist, she recommends all her patients to find mental balance by identifying their sources of stress and finding ways to overcome them.

"Your emotional state plays a huge role in illness, as does trauma," Dr Rose notes. "Even the American Medical Association has recognised that 85-95% of illness can be attributed in some way to stress".

Another novel aspect of her practice is her belief in the power of Forgiveness Therapy. Forgiveness is defined as the process of uncovering and letting go of anger at someone who has caused pain. She believes that the process can be the path to healing in many situations, as anger is frequently at the core of a client's issue and may be the centre of several disorders.

 

Beauty is More than Skin Deep

 

One may wonder how does an artistic medical doctor with a gift for healing and a deep belief in holistic health, become a leader in Cosmetic Dermatology, a field that many have come to identify purely with vanity. For Dr Rose, her work is all about allowing patients to be the best version of themselves while using methods and products that enhance their overall health.

"When a person is not their happiest self, they don't go out and do the things they love to do. For a lot of people, mostly women, you can tell when they are not comfortable in their skin. When a camera comes out, they shy away and they start wearing more makeup to try and hide and cover areas they are not proud of," she notes.

In line with Dr Rose's dedication to holistic health, all of DermaKare's procedures seek to heal the specific problem, while delivering countless other health benefits. As a result, the technologies they employ are renown for both their healing and beautifying properties. For example, there are non-surgical facelifts that also help to counteract swelling in the feet. Other treatments also have the added benefit of reducing bad cholesterol, increasing liver function and improving sleep quality.

Rose, has built an entire business around holistic wellness and helping patients to be the best version of themselves, and business is booming. Her brainchild, DermaKare, is one of the most prominent names in the industry and their wide range of services are heavily sought after by patients of all ages and lifestyles. Rose is credited with pioneering game-changing and innovative procedures within Jamaica, such as Metabolism-boosting shots and scans, fat freezing, microcurrent therapy, laser body sculpting and the list goes on. Furthermore, all the procedures are non-surgical, meaning patients leave the office and are able to continue their daily lives with no painful recovery period.

Her ground-breaking work has earned her much acclaim, and her business has been extremely successful. However, despite this, it is overwhelmingly clear that Rose, is driven by only one thing, the desire to use her gifts to help others.

"So many people have that one physical thing, that even if we can't see it as a major issue, it is holding them back and sometimes you need to just deal with it, get on with your life and be happy. This is why I do what I do".

What first started as a simple teenage dream of turning despair into hope, is now a reality for Dr Arlene Rose.