It is not hard to understand why the public now equates wrinkling and abnormal pigmentation with undesirable changes. We have taught them well. Leave aside the problem of premalignant keratoses and eventual malignant transformation. No one ever died of acne, yet I have rarely found a dermatologist who was not willing to treat it. Substitute any of these conditions in Ringel's declaration and see how it reads.
Health is an essential component of life and happiness.
Appearance is an essential component of health, but acceptable appearance does not necessarily go hand in hand with normal function. A port-wine stain on the face may not cause physical problems, but its appearance cannot be ignored. The appearance of aging may be physiologic or natural, but that does not make it inevitable or desirable for everyone. Our colleagues in anesthesiology disposed of that line of reasoning years ago. I'm tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep.