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At 22, Dr. Camille Howard-Verovic, D.O. thought she had her life figured out. She was working as a junior marketer, following the path she had planned for herself. Then her mother became seriously ill, changing both the course of her life and the way she envisioned her future.
What stayed with Howard-Verovic was the care her mother received at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
"The doctors were brilliant, and they took the time to talk to her," the New York City-based board-certified dermatologist and founder of Girl+Hair, told SheKnows. The experience was devastating, but it also "sparked something" inside her.
"I remember talking to my friends: ‘I'm going to be a doctor.' And they'd be like, ‘What? Do you know how hard that is?'" she recalled. Looking back, she recognizes how audacious the decision may have seemed. Still, she felt certain she was moving toward something larger than the life she had previously imagined for herself.
"I had the certainty that it was going to be OK, and that my purpose was going to be a little bigger than what I saw myself as in that moment."
Finding Her Purpose in Dermatology
That sense of purpose ultimately led Howard-Verovic to dermatology, a specialty she loves not only for the science behind it, but for the opportunity it gives her to connect with people and to help them feel seen.
As one of the roughly 3% of dermatologists in the United States who are Black, Howard-Verovic understands the importance of her presence in a field in which Black physicians remain profoundly underrepresented.
"I just feel so honored," she said.
That representation matters to patients who may not have previously encountered a dermatologist who understands their skin, hair or lived experiences. It also shapes how Howard-Verovic approaches patient care - not as an authority issuing instructions, but as a trusted adviser helping each person make informed decisions about what is right for them.
"My role is to give you the science, to give you your options," she explained. "It's for us to discuss what's the best option for you, but you ultimately have to tell me what you would like to do. I'm always here for you to help you along that journey."
For Howard-Verovic, collaboration is essential because no two patients arrive in her office with the same concerns, experiences or ideas about beauty. Understanding what someone sees in the mirror is only part of her work. She also wants to understand how that person feels about what they see.
Where Dermatology and Psychology Meet
Skin concerns rarely exist in an emotional vacuum. Acne, hyperpigmentation and visible signs of aging can affect how people feel about themselves, but Howard-Verovic often notices another emotion beneath their frustration: guilt.
"I always want to get to the root or to understand my patient's mindset when it comes to how they feel about themselves," she said. "That's where I think the dermatology and psychology come together."
Some patients believe their skin concerns must be the result of something they did wrong. Others feel guilty for wanting help changing or addressing an aspect of their appearance in the first place.
"Many patients think that they did something wrong, it's their fault," Howard-Verovic said. "And then, on the flip side of that, there's a lot of guilt in women wanting to feel better about themselves."
She encounters that conflict particularly often among Black women and other women of color, who may feel pressure to reject narrow beauty standards while simultaneously questioning whether they are allowed to want aesthetic enhancements.
Howard-Verovic wants them to know those feelings do not make them shallow, selfish or somehow less accepting of themselves.
"My role, in that moment, is to remind my patients that it's OK to ask for help," she said. "It's OK to want to look a certain way. I'm here as your doctor to meet you where you are."
That same principle has guided Girl+Hair, the hair and skin care company Howard-Verovic founded to address the needs of women with textured hair. What began as an effort to fill a gap in the market has grown into something much larger.
"Girl+Hair turned into something much bigger than what I thought it would be," she said. "I feel like, in 2026, the community now is really coming full circle."
The Doctor and the Woman in the Mirror
Howard-Verovic may spend her days encouraging patients to accept themselves, question restrictive beauty standards and recognize the many forms beauty can take, but she is also candid about the fact that she experiences some of the same conflicts they do.
She describes two sides of herself: Dr. Howard-Verovic, the physician grounded in science and self-acceptance, and Camille, the woman who sometimes wants "so desperately to hold on to the things that once were."
The distinction allows her to acknowledge an uncomfortable truth: Knowing that aging is natural does not automatically erase every complicated feeling a person may have about experiencing it.
"Dr. Howard's ethos is to forgive herself, to give herself grace when she wants to enhance her beauty," she said.
For her, self-acceptance and aesthetic enhancement do not have to be mutually exclusive. A woman can challenge impossible standards without feeling ashamed of wanting to change something about her appearance. What matters is that any decision is made thoughtfully, responsibly and with a qualified medical professional she trusts.
Howard-Verovic brings that philosophy into her conversations with patients, inviting them to be honest about what they want without judging themselves for wanting it.
"Give yourself grace and allow yourself to feel what you feel," she said. "Feel what Camille feels."
Self-Care Is Not Selfish
Giving herself that grace is an active practice for Howard-Verovic. It means making room for the physician, founder, mother and woman she is without demanding that every part of her always exist in perfect harmony.
It also means recognizing that self-care can look different for everyone. It may involve caring for your skin, pursuing an aesthetic treatment, protecting your time or simply acknowledging an emotion instead of trying to justify it away.
Howard-Verovic's goal is not to tell women how they should look or feel. It is to give them accurate information, help them understand their choices and support the decisions they make for themselves.
"If you have the means to do other things to enhance your beauty in the way you feel fit, go for it," she said.
Ultimately, Dr. Camille Howard-Verovic is not about meeting one fixed definition of beauty or always feeling completely confident. It is about extending to herself the same compassion she offers her patients and giving both Dr. Howard and Camille permission to be honest about what they need.
"Because at the end of the day," she said, "self-care is not selfish."
