So there's a cashier at the grocery store I go to who has horrible acne. I know it's not my business, but a part of me wants to ask her about it and let her know there are meds that can help. I hate to see her suffer. Has anyone ever done anything like that? How did it go? Or is it totally not cool?
In general, IMHO, I think its inappropriate to offer advice without being asked. That goes for medical, social or professional situations.
Now, there are obvious limits to how stringently I observe that. Perhaps if I see someone buying a certain brand of shoe, I might say, "you know, that exact pair are $20 less at Kohl's" or something like that.
Its hard to think of medical examples which I think would be appropriate - perhaps...oh heck, I can't really think of one right now.
When you comment on something having to do with another's appearance, especially when its the face, even more so when it might be a young person and construed as negative attention, I think you run the risk of offending the other person. I can remember when a kindly store employee approached me in a department store while I was a teenager and felt it necessary to comment on my breast size and that she hoped I "always wore a bra to prevent sagging" and that she had some suggestions that I would appreciate 20 years on. Needless to say I was humilated that a stranger would comment, even helpfully so, about an intimate part of my body and in front on my friends.
I can understand wanting to help the clerk you know, but unless they asked for it I see your comments about their acne as potentially embarassing to them if not offensive. Maybe you could cut out an article about your miracle drug and leave it lying around the end of the rubber belt at the grocery store and he/she would find it! Sort of like how my mother would leave articles around about teen drug use to see if I wanted to talk about it!
