What Not to Do at a Dermatologist Appointment

Skin care is highly important in today’s busy and hectic society. With exposure to many stressors and toxins, the skin bears the brunt of it all. This is shown in problems that occur such as acne, rosacea, eczema, and fever blisters. Lifestyle issues and genetic problems, and allergies or hives, can also cause irritations and issues on the skin.

This is why there is such a big demand for dermatologists. These are skin doctors who specialise in understanding, assessing, diagnosing, and treating skin conditions. They deal with issues that affect the skin, hair, or nails. Dermatologists are able to provide ongoing advice and changes that people can make to reduce the impact of their skin condition.

When booking an appointment with a dermatologist in San Francisco, it is important to help them be able to help the patient. Dermatologists work in a specialized field and are in high demand. Therefore, they want to treat each patient effectively and efficiently. Patients can help the dermatologist by NOT doing these things before an appointment.

First, do not wear nail polish. The nails and cuticles are an important part of helping a skin doctor assess and read what is going on in the body. Nail polish, and the chemicals that make it up, interfere with this. It is important to have clear nails so that the dermatologist can look for any clues and signals.

Second, don’t mess up the regular skin care routine. It is a good idea to go about the average morning skin regime, just without adding makeup. For cleaning and cleansing, do so as per usual. Even if there are treatments or creams involved for facial problems, still use these so that the doctor can see how the skin reacts and why or why not something is working.

Third, be sure to bring any medications. Sometimes patients receive medicine from a general practitioner for easier to treat conditions such as acne. Skin doctors know what these medications are and it is important to their assessment to see them. Patients can also take a photo of the script and medicine packaging if it is more convenient.

Finally, do not feel uncomfortable or embarrassed. Although appointments with dermatologists can be invasive and intimidating, there is no reason to feel ashamed. This goes for things such as not shaving or having a large pimple. These skin doctors have seen it all and approach each case with a non-judgemental and professional attitude.

Disclaimer: We are unable to guarantee any result, even though most of our patients do see success. The results of our services will vary greatly to each patient’s level of commitment and compliance with the program.

Author

Picture of Dr. Julia Arzeno, MD, FAAD

Dr. Julia Arzeno, MD, FAAD

Dr. Julia Arzeno is a board-certified dermatologist and the Medical Director at Berman Skin Institute in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a distinguished academic background from UCLA and specialized training in Mohs Micrographic Surgery, she has successfully completed over 2000 Mohs procedures.

Dr. Arzeno is dedicated to providing personalized patient care and is actively involved in dermatologic research, contributing to numerous publications and presentations in her field.

Her commitment to advancing dermatology and enhancing patient outcomes reflects her passion for exceptional medical service. This content has been medically reviewed by a qualified medical professional.

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