It’s no secret that dermatology is a challenging and complicated field. A lot of times, patients will go to their dermatologist with concerns about acne or other skin issues, only to leave feeling confused and uncertain about what they’ve been diagnosed with.
Here are some tips on how to be prepared and stay informed during your visit—and what to do if you disagree with the diagnosis you receive.
Ask for a deeper explanation of the diagnosis.
If you’re not sure what exactly you’re dealing with, ask your dermatologist to explain it in further detail. If you have questions about the treatment plan, ask them! Don’t leave until everything is clear. You might want to bring a friend or family member who can help you remember everything later on.
It’s also OK to ask your doctor for clarification if there are any medical words you don’t understand in your diagnosis or prescription. They should be more than happy to explain it to you in simpler terms, so there is no confusion.
Get a second opinion on the diagnosis
If you feel like there has been a misdiagnosis or that something doesn’t seem right, get a second opinion from another dermatologist before starting any
A Dermatologist is a specialist who deals with skin and allergies. If you are experiencing a rash, hives, acne, pimples, spots or other dermatological conditions then it’s important that you see one as soon as possible.
Most people will have to deal with a Dermatologist at some point in their life. Unfortunately many don’t know what to expect and may not be prepared for what will happen.
This blog post is going to cover the entire process of dealing with a Dermatologist. I’ll go over everything from booking an appointment to preparing for your consultation and what happens afterwards.
I hope that this guide will help you prepare for your own consultation and ensure you get the most out of it.
If you’ve been misdiagnosed with fungal acne chances are you’ve already visited a dermatologist and have had what may have felt like an unsatisfactory experience.
After doing some research, I found that there isn’t much online about what you should expect from your dermatologist appointment. This is where I come in: I’m going to tell you exactly what happened to me when I went to see a dermatologist for fungal acne, and give you some information that could help make your visit more productive than mine was.
When I first started experiencing fungal acne symptoms, I searched high and low for information on how to get rid of them. After countless hours of searching the internet, I finally came across the term Malassezia folliculitis (also known as pityrosporum folliculitis), which explained my symptoms perfectly. However, it was hard to find any information on this topic by doctors or people who actually knew what they were talking about. What seemed like a godsend at the time ended up being a complete waste of money and time.
First of all, let’s address why visiting a dermatologist may be necessary in the first place. Dermatologists are
When you are dealing with a dermatologist, it is important to remember that they aren’t super heroes and that there is a lot of things that even the best doctors can’t treat. It will be helpful for you to keep this in mind when you are preparing to meet with your doctor.
I once went to see my dermatologist because I had a rash on my face and I thought it was acne. Now, even though I have been suffering from acne for most of my life, I know what real acne looks like. This was not acne.
My dermatologist told me that I had fungal acne. Fungal acne is a condition that happens when your skin reacts badly to certain kinds of makeup or lotions or soaps. The best thing to do if you have fungal acne is to stop using these products and see if it gets better by itself. In my case, it did get better by itself, but it was still very unpleasant for me at the time because I had no idea what was going on with my skin.
There are some other things you can do if you have fungal acne and don’t want to just stop using makeup or lotions or soaps. You can use a topical antifung
The first time I ever saw a dermatologist was in August of 2017. At this point I had been dealing with what I would now call “fungal acne” for about 3 months, and I was desperate for help.
I’ll never forget what the first doctor said to me: “You don’t have acne. You just have sensitive skin.”
I was shocked. At the time, my entire face was covered in pustules, cysts, milia, and blackheads. But according to this doctor, it wasn’t acne.
The more he talked to me, the more confused I became. He kept telling me that my body was just reacting to certain products and that I should just avoid them altogether so that my skin would stop breaking out.
I left his office feeling lost and hopelessly confused about how to treat my skin issues. Despite all of the research I had done before visiting him, nothing he said made sense at all. The fact that my body was allegedly “reacting” to certain products didn’t bother me; after all, everyone has their own unique reactions to different things (some people can’t drink milk, others can’t eat gluten). What bothered me
Dermatology visits can be scary but with a little preparation and the right mindset, you can get the most out of your appointment.
The first thing to do is pick a dermatologist who has experience treating fungal acne, like a dermatologist at the International Institute of Hair and Scalp Specialists (IIHHS). Many dermatologists don’t know what fungal acne is, or how to properly treat it. If you want to be successful in getting rid of fungal acne, you need someone who knows what they are doing.
Once you have found a good doctor, make sure that you arrive prepared for your appointment. There will be lots of questions about your skin and hair care routine so try to remember what products you have used in the past few weeks before your appointment.
It’s also important to come prepared with questions that are specific to your situation; make sure you get them answered! Here are some common questions people ask their doctor:
How long will this take?
How should I use my product?
If I am not getting better after 6 months, what should I do next?
What else can I do to help my fungal acne?
Can fungal acne cause other health problems?
How did I
In my experience, dermatologists are used to their patients coming in with a specific issue and expecting them to handle it. But this is not a simple skin issue. It’s an infection that requires systemic treatment.
A lot of people with fungal acne have been misdiagnosed with acne vulgaris. Others get referred to a dermatologist who doesn’t take fungal acne seriously and simply prescribes an anti-fungal cream or shampoo, which isn’t enough to deal with the infection. (Note: I’m on the fence about the existence of fungal acne, but I think its proponents make some valid points. It is not yet fully understood by scientific research.)
If you’ve been misdiagnosed, you might want to show your dermatologist this blog post to help them understand more about the condition and how they can approach it. If they don’t want to help you (or if they don’t understand the condition), you can ask for a referral to another dermatologist. Or, if you just want to go straight for the jugular, ask for a referral to an infectious disease specialist.