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Renowned board-certified dermatologist Shereene Idriss, MD, otherwise known as PillowtalkDerm on TikTok to her 752K followers, has had a passion for medicine since she was a little girl. It was fueled by a love of artistry, specifically painting and sculpting, which helped her develop a keen eye and attention to detail. Now, as a seasoned professional, her favorite part of practicing dermatology is witnessing her patients’ transformations. “Watching how they’ve evolved [and] how they’re becoming more confident, not just in their looks, but in their personalities” is something that Dr. Idriss finds very fulfilling.
Her journey on social media started in 2018 when she wanted to find an outlet to help people outside the walls of her office. She wanted to replicate that feeling she gives her patients in office to a wider audience, especially those who might not have the privilege of seeing a dermatologist. Her goal was to “give people information so they don’t get taken for a ride,” Dr. Idriss tells POPSUGAR. “I just started answering questions and not caring about what I looked like or sounded like. I was literally in bed with my retainer and my glasses, and I didn’t care. It was so liberating and freeing.”
She also wanted to help people find affordable and effective skin-care products. “To get a message from somebody in Europe telling me I’ve helped them overcome their insecurities, or a teenager because I helped with their acne — I was shocked that I could have an impact beyond a face-to-face connection. That’s what drove me,” she says. It was that connection to her audience that also inspired her to create her own namesake skin-care line, Dr. Idriss.
When she’s not treating her patients at her practice and demystifying the world of skin care on TikTok, Dr. Idriss loves to spend her time experimenting with cooking and traveling. Ahead, you can check out her current must-have products, including an unconventional skin-care product, her favorite pajamas, and more.
