Find Skin Health Specialists near you

FAQs:

What is the Skin?

The skin is the body’s largest organ, made of water, protein, fats and minerals. Your skin protects your body from germs and regulates body temperature. Nerves in the skin help you feel sensations like hot and cold. Your skin, along with your hair, nails, oil glands and sweat glands, is part of the integumentary system. “Integumentary” means a body’s outer covering.

What is Skin Health?

As a general rule of thumb, healthy skin is warm but not hot or inflamed. It feels relatively smooth rather than dry and flaky or moist and too oily. Healthy skin is well hydrated and nourished by a healthy diet. It is also protected against sun damage.

Why Does Healthy Skin Matters?

The skin serves many different roles and purposes, the most important being to protect your body from external dangers such as bacteria, chemicals, foreign objects, dirt, temperature or UV rays from the sun. The nerves in your skin also give your brain important information about things you come into contact with. Is an object hot, cold, soft, hard, blunt or sharp? The knowledge gathered by your skin can quite literally be lifesaving. And that’s not all. Your skin plays a key role in regulating your body fluids and temperature. It can help to prevent excess fluid loss but also remove excess water and salt. In addition, it’s your first defence against disease and infection, and even protects your internal organs from injury. With so much work to do, your skin needs care and attention to ensure that it’s as healthy as possible.

What Your Skin Says About Your Health?

Skin can also alert you to a health problem. A red, itchy rash might signal allergies or infections, and a red “butterfly” rash on your face might be a sign of lupus. A yellow tint might indicate liver disease. And dark or unusual moles might be a warning sign of skin cancer. Be on the lookout for unexpected changes to your skin, and talk with your doctor if you have concerns.

How Skin Care Affects Our Overall Health?

Skin is one of the largest organs of the body. Because of this, caring for your skin can directly affect your overall health. Your skin acts as a protective shield and is most vulnerable to outside elements. It’s affected by more factors than you may think. For instance, the following can play a role in your overall skin health:

- exposure to UV radiation in tanning beds

- exposure to chemical toxins in tobacco

- unprotected sun exposure for long periods of time

- not getting enough rest, fluids, or nutrition

- Aging

How Much Vitamin C for Skin Health?

Look for serums with a concentration of vitamin C between 10% and 20%. Lower than that might not bring the promised benefits, and higher could irritate your skin without bringing any additional value.

What Health Condition Can Darken Your Skin?

Pigmentation means coloring. Skin pigmentation disorders affect the color of your skin. Your skin gets its color from a pigment called melanin. Special cells in the skin make melanin. When these cells become damaged or unhealthy, it affects melanin production. Some pigmentation disorders affect just patches of skin. Others affect your entire body. If your body makes too much melanin, your skin gets darker. Pregnancy, Addison's disease, and sun exposure all can make your skin darker. If your body makes too little melanin, your skin gets lighter.

How Does Skin Care Impact Your Social Health?

A mindful skincare routine can improve your social bonding. Tribe, if you love your skin and take good care of it, you’ll have so much more confidence in social situations. Your smile will be radiant, your skin will literally glow, and people will notice! You may even have a different relationship with your partner when he notices how you’re taking care of your skin. Your friends will love hanging around your radiant energy, and what’s more, they’ll want to know your secret! With healthy skin, you’ll be able to step out with confidence in any social group you find yourself in!

How Can I Improve My Skin in Days?

Double up on moisture. If your complexion's dull, dry and/or generally meh, opt for a double dose of moisture morning and night by using a serum with hyaluronic acid, which acts as a magnet drawing moisture deep into the skin, followed by a hydrating cream.

What Should Be Used to Maintain Skin Health?

Skin care is often made out to be a complicated process that requires tons of time and products. Cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen are the three basic products you need. Lifestyle is also important. Eating a nutritious diet full of proteins, healthy fats, and produce can nourish the skin from the inside out.

Is Skin Care Different for Everyone?

Everyone’s skin is different. You may know people that splash some water on their face and call it good. This may work well for them. The fact is that everyone is different, and most people are going to need to do more than that to keep their skin looking healthy. You probably have a good idea of what it takes to keep your skin at its best. If you do not know exactly what type of skin you have, it is important to find out.

What is a Dermatologist?

A dermatologist is a medical doctor who specializes in conditions that affect the skin, hair, and nails. Whether it’s rashes, wrinkles, psoriasis, or melanoma, no one understands your skin, hair, and nails better than a board-certified dermatologist.

What Does a Dermatologist Do?

A dermatologist diagnoses and treats a broad array of skin conditions. By looking at your skin, they may also be able to identify symptoms that could point toward an internal condition, such as issues with your stomach, kidneys, or thyroid. That’s not all dermatologists do. They may perform minor surgical procedures, such as mole removal or skin biopsies. Some specialize in performing larger surgeries, such as removing cysts. Dermatologists also treat skin issues that affect your appearance, and many have the training to provide cosmetic treatments such as Botox, fillers, chemical peels, and more.

What is the Difference Between Dermatologists and Estheticians?

Estheticians aren’t medical doctors. They can’t diagnose skin disorders or prescribe medications. They can only help with treatments that affect the appearance of your skin. Some esthetician procedures include:

1. Scrubbing (exfoliating) skin.

2. Teaching how to use makeup to conceal scarring.

3. Applying acne treatments.

4. Suggesting skin care products.

5. Waxing.

6. Airbrush tanning.

4 Skin Types

1. Normal skin

‘Normal’ is a term widely used to refer to well-balanced skin. The scientific term for healthy skin is eudermic. Normal skin is well balanced: neither too oily nor too dry.

2. Dry skin

‘Dry’ is used to describe a skin type that produces less sebum than normal skin. As a result of the lack of sebum, dry skin lacks the lipids that it needs to retain moisture and build a protective shield against external influences. Dry skin can feel tight and rough and look dull.

3. Oily skin

‘Oily’ is used to describe a skin type with heightened sebum production. This over production is known as seborrhea. Oily skin has a glossy shine and visible pores.

4. Combination skin

Combination skin is, as the name suggests, skin that consists of a mix of skin types. Skin types vary between the T-zone and the cheeks on combination skin.

Conditions and Disorders that Affect the Skin

As the body’s external protection system, your skin is at risk for various problems. These include:

1. Allergies like contact dermatitis and poison ivy rashes.

2. Blisters.

3. Bug bites, such as spider bites, tick bites and mosquito bites.

4. Skin cancer, including melanoma.

5. Skin infections like cellulitis.

6. Skin rashes and dry skin.

7. Skin disorders like acne, eczema, psoriasis and vitiligo.

8. Skin lesions, such as moles, freckles and skin tags.

9. Wounds, burns (including sunburns) and scars.

Factors that Influence Skin Health

Everyone’s skin is different. Some people may be naturally more able to achieve a glowing appearance than others due to a range of factors.

The factors that influence skin health include:

1. Genetics: A person may be more likely to have dry or dull skin due to their genes. Some dry skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis, are related toTrusted Source genetics.

2. Hormones: Fluctuations in hormone levels can trigger breakouts of acne and change how oily or dry a person’s skin is. This is true for people of all sexes, particularly during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause.

3. Health conditions and medications: If a person has other coexisting health conditions, or takes medications, this could impact the health of their skin. For example, hormonal birth control can have either a positive or negative influence.

4. Environment: Exposure to sunlight, extreme temperatures, dry air, tobacco smoke, and pollution can all have a negative impact on the skin.

5. Behavior: Water intake, diet, sleep, stress, and exercise can influence the skin. The products a person uses on their skin can also either help or hinder skin health.

6. It is not possible to control all of these factors, but there are many a person can change in order to promote healthy skin. We will look at some of these in the following sections.

Foods for Better Skin Health

Here are some foods that have been acknowledged by research as being skin-healthy.

1. Mangoes contain compounds with antioxidant properties. These compounds help to protect components of the skin, such as collagen.

2. Tomatoes have skin cancer-prevention benefits. One study in mice revealed that daily tomato consumption decreased the development of skin cancer tumors by 50 percent after UV light exposure. Research has shown that incorporating tomato paste into your meals may help to protect against sunburn. After 10 weeks, people who consumed 40 grams of tomato paste per day had 40 percent less sunburn than the control group. Lycopene, the pigment responsible for giving tomatoes their deep red color, is thought to play a role in the protective effect of tomatoes against UV damage.

3. Olive oil is associated with a lower risk of severe facial photoaging — that is, cumulative damage to the skin that includes wrinkles, dark spots, and discoloration, which result from long-term sunlight exposure.

4. Cocoa flavanols found in dark chocolate may improve the structure and function of skin. Scientists discovered that cocoa flavanols decreased roughness and scaling on skin, increased skin hydration, and helped to support the skin’s defenses against damage from UV rays.

5. Green tea has been tied to many skin benefits. Compounds found in green tea called polyphenols rejuvenate dying skin cells, which suggests that they may be useful for healing wounds or certain skin conditions. It has shown promising results as a potential treatment for skin conditions such as psoriasis and dandruff. Patches of dry, flaky, and red skin often feature in these conditions — usually as a result of inflammation and the overproduction of skin cells. Green tea may slow down the production of skin cells and suppress inflammation.

6. White tea has anti-cancer and anti-aging properties. One study indicates that some ingredients in white tea may protect the skin from oxidative stress and immune cell damage.

7. Kale is one of the best sources of lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein and zeaxanthin may protectTrusted Source against light-induced skin damage, especially from UV rays.

8. Omega-3 found in oily fish, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds or oils such as linseed oil and corn oil may prevent dryness and scaling of the skin.

9. Soy may help to improve crow’s feet skin wrinkles that appear at the outer corner of the eyes in menopausal women.

Foods to Avoid to Protect Skin Health

Here are some foods more widely believed to affect skin health, including the formation of acne, than others. These are some of the biggest offenders.

1. Milk and Dairy Products

Milk and dairy products are often cited as public enemy number one when it comes to acne. They often contain high levels of hormones that promote oil production which leads to blocked pores.

What products are included in this list? Probably some of your favourites, including:

- Milk

- Butter

- Ice cream

- Cheese

- Yoghurt

- Cream

- Curd

Not only are dairy products common as foods by themselves. They are often used as ingredients in favourite meals and must be avoided on all levels. Fortunately, there are many non-dairy alternatives on the market that allow you the experience of milk products without unwanted skin consequences.

2. Alcoholic Beverages

Alcohol is an inflammatory that exacerbates existing skin conditions, like acne, causing more breakouts. Combine that with the fact that many exotic alcoholic beverages and cocktails are loaded with sugary additives. Sugar is pro-inflammatory as well as alcohol so it's a double whammy for promoting acne according to A. Vogel. Yet another reason alcohol is bad for skin is that it causes dehydration. This, in turn, forces your body to produce more oils, which leads to breakouts.

3. Refined Carbohydrates

This includes bread, sugar, white rice, white flour and similar foods. All of them, as mentioned above with sugar, promote inflammation which can be very bad for people who already have acne prone skin by increasing the frequency and duration of acne outbreaks.

4. High-Glycemic Foods

In addition to refined carbohydrates, some high-glycemic foods, can also lead to more inflammation and create greater difficulty controlling acne. These foods include things like:

- Potatoes

- Parsnips

- Carrots

- Watermelon

Many of them even look healthy at first glance, though they can cause wild fluctuations in blood glucose levels that increase inflammation.

Instead, look for fruits and vegetables that have lower glycemic index numbers, such as:

- Broccoli

- Brussels sprouts

- Cauliflower

- Artichokes

- Asparagus

- Leafy greens

- Beans

- Watercress

- Radishes

- Water chestnuts

These foods do not cause wild fluctuations in blood glucose levels and actually help to soothe the skin.

5. Fatty Foods

Fried foods and those that are highly processed with trans fats often contain cytokines, which are pro-inflammatory and known for making the skin red and blotchy, creating a target-rich environment for blemishes to form.

6. Whey Protein Powder

This is one that isn't talked about much. The dietary supplement, whey protein powder increases amino acids, like leucine and glutamine which grow at faster rates, contributing to the formation of acne. Healthline reports that studies have indicated direct links in the consumption of whey protein and acne amongst male athletes as well as correlations between the severity and duration of acne outbreaks amongst those using whey protein supplements.

7. Highly Processed Convenience Foods

This includes a wide variety of foods filled with ingredients that promote skin inflammation, are filled with unhealthy fats, and contain shocking amounts of refined sugars, flours, etc. They may make meal preparation easier and are often budget-friendly, but they are not good for acne-prone skin.

8. Chocolate

While the key ingredient in chocolate is not the primary culprit, but milk chocolate and lighter chocolates are heavyweights when it comes to promoting acne. WebMD recommends choosing dark chocolate, which is made with less refined sugar and milk as a better fit for people seeking to clear their skin.

9. Chicken

Another shocker on the list of foods not to eat when trying to control acne is chicken. Just like dairy there are often added hormones in chicken that could trigger inflammation making your skin more vulnerable to breakouts.

10. Coffee

For some people, it's the added sugar and dairy they introduce to the coffee that's the problem. For others, it's the "adrenaline" rush that first cup of coffee in the morning creates that gets you going. Unfortunately, it also boosts the levels of the stress hormone cortisol creating a ripe condition for ramping up oil production and causing acne.

Nutrients for Healthy Skin

Your skin needs the right balance of nutrients to do its main job: a barrier that protects the rest of your body from things outside it. To help keep your skin looking, working, and feeling good, feed it well from the inside.

Healthy Fats

This is how your skin gets its "glow." Too little fat in your diet can make your skin wrinkled and dry. Focus on monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats from plants like nuts, seeds, and avocados and from fish. These help your skin stay moist, firm, and flexible, and they're better for your heart than saturated fats. Omega-3 fatty acids are a kind of polyunsaturated fat, which your body can't make but needs to build cell walls. They also block a chemical that lets skin cancer grow and spread, and they may lower inflammation.

Protein

Your body turns the proteins you eat into building blocks called amino acids and reuses them to make other proteins, including the collagen and keratin that form the structure of skin. Amino acids also help slough off old skin. Some amino acids are antioxidants that protect skin cells against UV rays and from "free radicals" made when your body breaks down certain foods or is around cigarette smoke.

Vitamin A

Both the upper and lower layers of skin need vitamin A. It seems to prevent sun damage by interrupting the process that breaks down collagen. Since it's an antioxidant, it may give your skin some protection against sunburn (although not as much as wearing sunscreen). It helps the oil glands around your hair follicles work and may also help cuts and scrapes heal, especially if you're taking steroids to reduce inflammation. Without enough vitamin A, your skin might get dry and itchy or bumpy.

Vitamin C

Think "C" for collagen: This vitamin helps the twisted web of protein hold its shape. It's also a powerful antioxidant, protecting you from free radicals and possibly lowering your chance of skin cancer. Low levels of vitamin C can cause easy bruising and bleeding gums, as well as slower-healing sores.

Vitamin E

This antioxidant and anti-inflammatory can also absorb the energy from UV light, which damages skin and leads to wrinkles, sagging, and skin cancer. It works with vitamin C to strengthen cell walls.

Zinc

The outer layer of your skin has five times more of this mineral than the layer underneath. Zinc helps your skin heal after an injury. It's needed to keep cell walls stable and for cells to divide and specialize as they grow. Zinc may protect skin from UV damage because of the way it behaves in relation to other metals in your body, like iron and copper. It also acts like an antioxidant. Too little zinc can look like eczema, but the itchy rash won't get better when you put moisturizers and steroid creams on it.

Selenium

Selenium is a mineral that helps certain antioxidants protect your skin from UV rays. Selenium deficiency has been linked with a greater chance of skin cancer.

10 Skin Care Secrets for Healthier Looking Skin

These general skin care tips from dermatologists can benefit just about everyone.

1. Apply sunscreen every day before you go outdoors. Sunscreen is the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth. It really can slow down skin aging. It can also help prevent skin cancer. Look for a sunscreen that offers broad-spectrum protection, SPF 30 (or higher), and water resistance.

2. Don't smoke. Smoking speeds up how quickly your skin ages. If you smoke, your wounds will also take longer to heal. And research shows that smoking worsens some skin diseases, including psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa.

3. Check your skin for skin cancer. Skin self-exams can help you find skin cancer early when it's highly treatable. If you notice a spot that differs from the others, or one that changes, itches, or bleeds, make an appointment to see a dermatologist.

4. Use a self-tanner if you like looking tanned. Anytime you tan indoors or outside, you prematurely age your skin. You also increase your risk of getting skin cancer. A self-tanner can give you the look you want without the risks. To keep your skin healthy, you want to protect it from the sun even when using a self-tanner.

5. Use skin care products that match your skin's needs. What's your skin type — oily, dry, normal, combination, or sensitive? Do you have a skin condition? Using products formulated for your skin's needs will help your skin look and feel its best.

6. Resist the urge to scrub your skin clean. If you've been sweating heavily or have a serious acne flare, it may seem natural to scrub your skin. Don't! Scrubbing irritates your skin, which can worsen any skin condition, including acne.

7. Wash your face when waking, before bed, and after sweating. Washing when you wake up removes the dirt and bacteria that settle on your face while sleeping. Before bed, you want to remove makeup and grime, such as smog, smoke, or dirt, which may have landed on your skin.

8. Gently wash your face. Gentle cleansing helps skin look its best. To gently cleanse your face, wet it with lukewarm water. Then apply a mild cleanser, gently applying the cleanser in a circular motion with your fingertips. Finish by completely rinsing off the cleanser and gently patting your face dry with a clean towel.

9. Stress less. Finding healthy ways to manage stress can help your skin, too. Some skin diseases like psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (eczema) often appear for the first time when someone feels really stressed. Stress can also cause flare-ups of many skin conditions, including acne, eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea.

10. See a board-certified dermatologist if you dislike something about your skin. When it comes to our skin, dermatologists are the experts. These doctors diagnose and treat thousands of different skin diseases. They also have the expertise needed to help people safely rejuvenate and care for their skin.

Smooth Skin Home Remedies

Here are some home remedies that may improve skin health for a smoother appearance.

1. Honey. Honey is a natural exfoliator that also happens to have bioactive properties that may be beneficial in treating a number of skin conditions and reducing the appearance of wrinkles.

2. Coconut oil. Coconut oil is an effective moisturizer with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that may help also treat certain inflammatory skin conditions. Since it may clog pores, it’s best to limit its use to the body.

3. Oatmeal baths. Oatmeal baths can help your skin retain moisture and treat certain skin conditions. You can make your own oatmeal bath or shop for oatmeal baths online, along with other oatmeal skin care products for your face and body.

4. Essential oils. Some essential oils, when diluted with carrier oils, can be applied to the skin to reduce wrinkles and treat a number of skin issues. Some essential oils for wrinkles include lemon, rose, and jojoba oils.

5. Humidifiers. Humidifiers add moisture to the air to prevent your skin from drying out. It’s also an effect remedy for psoriasis. You can shop for humidifiers online.

Skin Fun Facts

Your skin is your largest organ and plays a vital role in detecting hot and cold, regulating your body temperature and protecting your muscles, bones and internal organs from outside infection and disease. But that’s just for starters. There is so much more to your skin than you might think. Here are some of the most interesting facts about your skin:

1. The average person’s skin covers an area of 2 square meters.

2. Skin accounts for about 15% of your body weight.

3. The average adult has approximately 21 square feet of skin, which weighs 9 lbs and contains more than 11 miles of blood vessels.

4. The average person has about 300 million skin cells. A single square inch of skin has about 19 million cells and up to 300 sweat glands.

5. Your skin is its thickest on your feet (1.4mm) and thinnest on your eyelids (0.2mm).

6. The skin renews itself every 28 days.

7. Your skin constantly sheds dead cells, about 30,000 to 40,000 cells every minute! That’s nearly 9 lbs. per year!

8. Some sources estimate that more than half of the dust in your home is actually dead skin.

9. Dead skin comprises about a billion tons of dust in the earth’s atmosphere.

10. Your skin is home to more than 1,000 species of bacteria.

11. Skin that is severely damaged may try to heal itself by forming scar tissue, which is different from normal skin tissue because it lacks hair and sweat glands.

12. Skin can form additional thickness and toughness — a callus — if exposed to repeated friction or pressure.

13. Some of the nerves in your skin are connected to muscles instead of the brain, sending signals (through the spinal cord) to react more quickly to heat, pain, etc.

14. Your skin has at least five different types of receptors that respond to pain and touch.

15. hanges in your skin can sometimes signal changes in your overall health.

How to Find the Right Skin Health Specialist for You

Here are some of the most important things to consider as you start the search for a dermatologist you love.

1. Start with word-of-mouth recommendations.

Getting a referral from a friend, family member, or even your primary care physician is the best place to start your hunt for the right dermatologist. You’ll know that you can trust their opinion, unlike simply reading online reviews, which aren’t always entirely transparent. Googling can provide you with basic information about a doctor, but turning to your PCP or other people you trust first is almost like using a matchmaker; they’ll have a better understanding of what you’re looking for and can provide more nuanced recommendations.

2. Take advantage of large organizations.

If you don’t have a PCP, another doctor, or anyone else you can ask for a referral, hit the internet—but be strategic. Major dermatologic societies, such as the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons, typically offer directories of their members, with filters that allow you to search according to geographic location or specialty. (That’s an especially helpful feature if you want someone with expertise in your particular skin condition. Not to mention that these directories are a foolproof way to make sure that any derm you find is credible and board-certified.)

3. Consider cultural competence.

Racial concordance helps you relate to more than just what’s happening in the exam room because you can literally see yourself in that person. Patients often feel more heard and better taken care of when they can connect to their doctor in this way. Cultural competence is incredibly important, too, because you want a dermatologist who understands how certain cultural practices may affect treatments and protocols.

4. Look into teledermatology.

It’s certainly not a magic solution for every scenario, but teledermatology has increased accessibility to dermatologists for a lot of people. There are many instances where a teledermatology consult will be useful. But there are a lot of limitations too; even though dermatology is a visual field, a photo or video often doesn’t cut it for diagnosing certain conditions, as doctors want to be able to feel the skin. (FYI, teledermatology definitely can’t be used to diagnose skin cancer.) The cost per visit will vary, too, as some teledermatology providers offer memberships (where you pay a flat monthly or annual rate), others take insurance, etc.

5. Think outside the box if you don’t have insurance.

You can always ask the dermatologist’s office if they accept self-pay patients. Many derms will be willing to accommodate your financial situation if you don’t have insurance. They may even reduce the cost of services or offer some type of payment plan. You can also look for free health clinics or pop-ups. These can be community-based, and many universities also offer them and set up satellite offices once or twice per month. (To find one, start by calling any college or university in your area, asking your PCP or another doctor, or even contacting a local urgent care center.) Just keep in mind that these types of clinics are usually in very high demand and hard to get into—not an ideal situation if you’re going to need continued follow-ups.

6. Make the most of any appointment.

No matter which route you take to find your dream derm, you’ll want to maximize your time with them by getting a sense of their personality and treatment style. The general ‘vibe’ you feel and if you like them is important, but you’ll also want to make sure that everything is thoroughly explained to you. At the end of the visit, they should ask you if all of your questions have been answered and if you have any more. The goal is to leave not only feeling like you’ve been heard, but also that you have a good understanding of what happened during the appointment and what comes next.

How to Prepare for Your First Dermatologist Appointment

To get the most out of your first dermatologist appointment, it’s helpful to prepare. You can:

1. Bring a list of the most important issues you want to discuss with your dermatologist.

2. Note any changes in your overall health.

3. Keep a symptom diary (and bring it with you) and record your events, including the day and time they occurred, how long the event lasted, severity, triggers, symptoms and any action you took to end the event. Bring clear photos, if possible.

4. Learn about your family medical history. This information can help your dermatologist make an accurate diagnosis.

5. Wear loose clothing so your dermatologist can easily perform an examination.

6. Avoid wearing makeup or nail polish. Wearing makeup or nail polish may make it difficult for your dermatologist to examine your skin or nails properly.

7. Consider using a washable pen to circle spots on your body. Physical reminders help you remember what to mention to your dermatologist.

8. Bring copies of test results, including images and lab work ordered by other healthcare providers outside your dermatologist’s healthcare network.

9. Bring a list of all current products you take or use. Include prescription medications, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, vitamins, supplements, herbal products, soaps, makeup and sunscreens. Also, let your dermatologist know about any previous medications that didn’t work or caused side effects.

10. Bring a list of your known allergies.

11. Bring a friend or relative with you to take notes and be another set of ears and eyes to the appointment. This person can help review your dermatologist’s discussion, ask questions and remind you about scheduling tests and follow-up appointments.

12. Ask if you should schedule another appointment to discuss any additional concerns.

Sources:

Cleveland Clinic

Medikaur

AAD

Medical News Today

NIH

Healthline

WebMD

Effective Health Care

Eucerin

Derm Specialists

Dr Nikoleta

Elle

Atomic Derm

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 (in the United States) immediately.