Dermatologist

[rzi]

I'd like to find the best possible dermatologist in my area, Southeast Conn.

I went to one by the name of Goldstein, claims to be a assistant professor at Yale or something, he was terrible.

I'm 18, very very conscious of my skin and am having an incurable problem with Acne.

How would I go about finding the best cosmetic dermatologist possible??

 

[iamaloser]

How was he terrible?

 

[rzi]

Originally Posted by iamaloser

How was he terrible?
First off he didn't explain anything to me, barely looked at my face. Said food/amount of water consumed was shown by the ADA to have no effect on acne. Prescribed me 75mg Doryx (Doxycycline Hyclate Tab Delaye) and Benzaclin within three minutes. Didn't mention anything about causes or explanations, necessity of opening pores with hot water/steam. Also he failed to mention the (rare) side effect of depression (of Doxycycline) to me which I got very badly. When I got home from school I started freaking out about the acne and blowing almost everything out of proportion to near panic attack / basically (as girly as it might seem) wanting to cry. The depression was no joke at all.

 

[Brian278]

Every dermatologist I've ever been to has told me the same thing about food/water, because there isn't any double-blind study that proves it as far as I know. Plenty of people will tell you otherwise, and it might have to do with certain things only working with certain people so it doesn't show up significantly across an entire sample. In any event, a doctor isn't going to tell you something that hasn't been proven using an empirical study, because it wouldn't be responsible. A dermatologist isn't going to talk to you about diet/pore size anymore than an oncologist is going to talk to you about alternative treatments of leukemia.

If I were you, I'd go on whatever they ask you to for as long as you need to before they'll put you on Accutane. That's the industrial strength stuff.

 

[rzi]

Originally Posted by Brian278

Every dermatologist I've ever been to has told me the same thing about food/water, because there isn't any double-blind study that proves it as far as I know. Plenty of people will tell you otherwise, and it might have to do with certain things only working with certain people so it doesn't show up significantly across an entire sample. In any event, a doctor isn't going to tell you something that hasn't been proven using an empirical study, because it wouldn't be responsible. A dermatologist isn't going to talk to you about diet/pore size anymore than an oncologist is going to talk to you about alternative treatments of leukemia. If I were you, I'd go on whatever they ask you to for as long as you need to before they'll put you on Accutane. That's the industrial strength stuff.
I'd hope you're not serious. Perhaps, I conveyed my point unclearly .. I'm concerned with my face aesthetically. There is a direct correlation between pores and skin, infact it basically is your skin appearance wise. Clogged pores cause Acne, blackheads and etc. Drinking lots of water, and healthy foods which aid in the detoxification process would most certainly help in clearing up ones face. I don't wish to attempt using tens of different pills and topical creams as that's not how I approach health problems. Theres usually a natural cure for most things. Take for example my father's High Blood Pressure. Immediatly, his cardiologist prescribed him lipitor I think, or some kind of pill which would allow him to eat whatever he might like, be it french fries doused in whiskey. He opted to research the problem thoroughly and found out that Coffee, Salt and Alcohol have the biggest influences upon High Blood Pressure. He cut down to 3-5 cups a week of coffee, half a beer every night or two and we eat most of our food at home with no salt. If for some reason we go out to dinner he requests no added salt. His pressure is now fine, without having to put weird pills into him. I visited a holistic Ayeurvidic doctor in lower manhattan which told me to start taking 25K Beta Carotine units 2x/d. Also she asked me to cut down to red meat 1-2x/week, avoid seafood, peanuts, vinegar, alcohol and sugar to the best of my capabilities, drink a lot of water and some other things which I have written down. No way do I see myself taking Accutane any time soon. I'm willing to take some pills, creams as I want to have close to perfect skin. Thats why I wanna see the best dermatologist I can.

 

[Brian278]

Originally Posted by rzi

I'd hope you're not serious.
I've been to maybe 5 dermatologists in life, and every one of them has told me that food and water has never been shown to have an effect on acne in a scientific study. You can place us much or as little faith in those studies as you wish, but medical doctors like to stick to empirically proven treatments, whether they're dermatologists, oncologists, or anesthesiologists. If you want to take a natural approach, you should avoid a medical doctor, because they're probably going to prescribe you medicine. Because it's been proven to work. If you have severe acne, Accutane is most likely the only thing that's going to give you "perfect skin". How's the diet doing on your acne?

 

[rzi]

Drinking water I suppose is not proven as good for your skin

 

[SamIam33]

In my experience, it is best to combine the services of a Dermatoligist AND a FACIALIST/ Cosmetologist. While the Derm. can give you medicine, the facialist can give you a holistic picture of your skin type and can give you more options. Its all about what works for you. I use some topical lotions, an oral medicine and a separate facial cleaner and lotions. I know you said you dont want to combine diff. lotions/pills... but there isn't one magic solution or medicine that will fix it all! Just be open-minded, consult an aesthetician and a dermatologist.

 

[Brian278]

Originally Posted by rzi

Drinking water I suppose is not proven as good for your skin

It probably is for the vast majority of people, but I don't think it's ever been proven to reduce acne. Pubescent acne is (mostly) caused by overactive oil glands from hormones. I don't think water affects either of those things in the least.

If you haven't already, you probably want to check out this forum. It seems like more what you're looking for than the inevitable prescription a dermatologist is going to hand you.

 

[greg_atlanta]

Best thing my dermatologist told me was to stop taking multivitamins. Most multivitamins contain potassium iodide (or kelp) and that makes acne redder and more inflamed. My face cleared up significantly after stopping the multivitamins.

Tells us your skin care routine and what products you use.

 

[Brian278]

Originally Posted by greg_atlanta

Best thing my dermatologist told me was to stop taking multivitamins. Most multivitamins contain potassium iodide (or kelp) and that makes acne redder and more inflamed. My face cleared up significantly after stopping the multivitamins.

Tells us your skin care routine and what products you use.

Interesting, thanks for sharing that. I might try going off the One-A-Days for a while. Did he suggest an alternative for getting a bunch of vitamins and minerals besides food?

 

[philosophe]

How did you find your dermatologist? Was it a recommendation from your personal doctor, from a friend, etc.? Usually your own doctor is a good source of recommendations.

From your story, it sounds like doctor #1 isn't a great communicator. Some patients don't mind that. Since you do, consider getting a second opinion from someone else. Perhaps it will be a better match.

 

[greg_atlanta]

My primary doctor says vitamins are a waste of money. My dermatologist told me about Twinlabs Allegery Muliti Caps which don't have potassium iodide and I've bought those a few times. Only thing I take now is 1000 mg Vitamin C with bioflavonoids which helps with stretch marks and general skin health (see my recent post on the thread about 100 lb weight loss).

Stopping the multivitamins really works -- but most people are too brainwashed by the vitamin industry to quit.

 

[rzi]

soo no one??

 

[rxcats]

Not every doctor is going to prescribe a drug. I work in the medical profession and many physicians I know lothe patients that are just looking for a "quick fix" (ie. a pill) rather than making some effort at lifestyle changes. The unfortunate reality is, most patients fail to make lifestyle changes and stick with them. As far as acne goes, most people that show up in a dermatologist's office have a pretty bad case and probably will benefit from medication. Certainly Accutane would be a last choice and only for very severe acne that fails to respond to anything else. I would suggest trying Differin gel first. It is similar to Retin-A, but is less harsh. I couldn't tolerate Retin-A; I looked like I had a sunburn all of the time. You can add an oral antibiotic later if topical treatment alone does not give you the results you are looking for. Remember that you must give treatment time to work (weeks, at least!) before giving up on it. Diet probably does not have a great impact on acne; the only real exception might be people with dietary sensitivities to specific things (ie. chocolate). Facials might be helpful in keeping pores clean and removing blackheads; just make sure that the products they are using are not going to make the situation worse.