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I love my dermatologist. My husband tells people that I have a crush on him, which is partly true; he's young and cute and really nice, but that's not what I love about him. I love that he has made my skin look better than it ever has in my entire life.
I am not kidding.
Every time I declare my love for Dr. Skin (not his real name) I get emails, typically asking the same questions. So here's my How to Talk to the Dermatologist FAQ. You're welcome.
I'm not to sure what I should ask or show. Could you tell me what things I should point out?
There are really two reasons to see a dermatologist: one is because you're unhappy with the way your skin looks, and the other is because you are concerned that something is just not right. If you're there because you are seeing something that concerns you -- a mole with uneven edges, or a scaly patch of skin that just won't heal -- then clearly you're going to show that to the doctor. But what if you're not there because you think you have skin cancer? What if you want to see the doctor because you're tired of breaking out or you want to know what to do about these wrinkles?
When I made my initial appointment with the doctor, the receptionist asked why I wanted to come in, and I told her: I had acne and wrinkles, and nothing I was using for either seemed to be making any difference. And yes, it felt shallow to say "I hate breaking out, and I don't want to look old," but it's important to be honest. Unless you tell the doctor what you want help with, there's no way she can help you.
Keep in mind, though, that a dermatologist is a skin doctor -- she's there to help you care for your skin. Wrinkles and acne are her bread and butter, and while you may be embarrassed by that pimple on your cheek, she's not. She just wants to help you get rid of it.
When you go for the appointment, skip foundation and tinted moisturizer and anything else you have been using to cover up the problem. The doctor needs to be able to see your skin as-is, in order to assess what's going on and treat it appropriately. If you layer on the concealer, it's hard for the doctor to really judge what the issue is.
Be clear, up front, about what you're willing to do, particularly if you're seeing the doctor about wrinkles. Do not let yourself be pressured into doing something you don't want to do. The dermatologist I see does everything from skin cancer screenings to Botox injections. I wasn't interested in anything injectable, even though that was an option in this practice, and I said so. I have some deep frown lines on my forehead (eh, who doesn't, right?) that a topical treatment will not completely eradicate; my dermatologist never once suggested anything more dramatic than a Retin A gel, although he was careful to point out that I could not expect that treatment to completely erase those lines. I really appreciated that he was listening to me, and wasn't pushing a treatment that I didn't want.
Did you go in just for your face ... or did you also have some body treatments done? I hate the way my skin looks on my legs so I wanted to see if they could recommend something for that.
Most recently, I've gone in just for my face, but I've seen dermatologists over the years for various parts of my body. I've had moles removed from my arms and legs, for example. My husband goes yearly for a full body screening. If you have questions about any part of your skin, feel free to ask.
If you already have some idea of what kind of treatment you are looking for, do some research before you choose a doctor. I am not advocating storming in to the dermatologists office and demanding that he do a certain procedure or prescribe a specific drug; he's the doctor, not you. But if you know that whatever it is you want treated is more cosmetic than medical, you might want to look for a practice that includes a strong aesthetic or cosmetic component. The doctor I see does both the medically necessary treatments, like removing odd looking moles, and the entirely cosmetic procedures, like Botox. Large hospitals will
