You don’t book a dermatology appointment without having a good reason for doing so. In most cases it’s because you’ve develop some type of skin malady you find embarrassing, painful, or both. Since you’ve gone to the trouble of booking the appointment, the least you can do is make sure you’re prepared for it. Proper preparation will increase the chances of the dermatology doctor making a quick and accurate diagnosis and prescribing the proper treatment.
Most dermatology offices are really busy, so it’s likely you will have to book the appointment several weeks in advance, this give you plenty of time to sit down and start making lists which you will bring to your appointment.
The first list you want to create will be about your current situation. You will want to write down the exact symptoms you have experienced, when you started experiencing them, and how the symptoms have progressed over time. If you have already gone to your family doctor for the condition, you will want to make a note of what they believe the problem to be, and what treatment they tried. If earlier treatments were tried and failed to work properly, you will want to make an exact note of the type of treatment, the dosage (if medication), how long it was tried, and what the results were. If you have a family history of the condition, make a note of that as well. Remember the more information you can provide the staff at the dermatology appointment, the quicker you will be properly diagnosed.
In addition to your first list, you need to make a second list. This one should be include all of the questions you want to ask while you’re at the dermatology appointment. You shouldn’t count on your memory to keep track, doing so practically guarantees you’re going to forget at least one question. In addition to your list of questions, pay attention to what the dermatologist tells you and don’t hesitate to ask additional questions. It’s important that you understand and are comfortable with the treatment plan that gets diagnosed.
Since you’re already at the dermatology office, you have a perfect opportunity to ask about additional issues, such as an oddly shaped mole, or a patch of skin that has become red or developed a strange texture.
After you’ve been treated, you need to pay careful attention to your overall health, and to the health of your skin. If you notice anything strange happening, something you weren’t told to expect, you need to contact the dermatology office right away and make a follow up appointment. It’s possible you have been misdiagnosed, or your body has had a negative reaction to the treatment.
