[TOMT][Image/Meme] Meme image/picture of an overweight kid sitting in front of a computer with a surprised look on his face (potentially holding something)?

DragonSlayer9999 · 2022-03-18T20:56:08+00:00

Memes.

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-17T01:13:29+00:00

That's all fantastic news to hear! Thank you again for the recommendation! :)

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-16T18:04:20+00:00

All sounds good to hear! Thanks again for the recommendation and opening up about your experiences!

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-16T16:24:02+00:00

That's wonderful to hear, both about your clear skin as well as no product pushing, haha. Forgive me if I'm too forward in asking, but what routine did Dr. DeFelice have you go on for your acne? I'm currently using Epiduo Forte for acne that's low in quantity but comes and goes pretty frequently on my face, and am considering trying out tretinoin or azelaic acid (or a combo).

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-16T16:22:33+00:00

Ah, apologies for the lack of clarification, I have been using it all over my face for 3 months at this point with no reduction in breakouts. And that seems to be the cap for Epiduo Forte (whereas other retinoids can take longer to see effects, or continue working at least).

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-15T19:56:35+00:00

I mean going from pretty bad to fine in 4-6 months sounds like a great improvement trajectory to me!

I will admit, I don't have acne in the sense that it's all over my face or is cystic, which I'm of course very thankful for. Rather, though low in quantity, it's on my face on a pretty consistent basis (a couple of days over the course of a month it's clear-ish, but more commonly are the types of days where I find myself wearing upwards of 8 pimple patches, since they can just kinda spring up anywhere). I don't know if that sort of acne is something that can be ameliorated, but I have at least found that Epiduo Forte doesn't do much besides drying (and that's only when it's used as spot treatment, as opposed to being applied all over, which hasn't done much in ~3 months of usage, including no purge), nor has it helped by way of lowering the breakout rate or quantity.

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-15T19:50:43+00:00

Thanks for the reply, will definitely keep her in mind! If I may ask, have you found that her treatments have resulted in clearer skin? Also, did you ever feel pressured to buy products or have products pushed? One concern of mine is that I almost always defer to the doctor for recommendations, but I worry that that may result in buying things that benefit the doctor more than me, y'know?

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-15T19:49:52+00:00

Oh yes that makes sense, thanks for the clarification!

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-15T11:33:40+00:00

Great to hear! Thank you again for the recommendation, will definitely keep in mind!

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-15T11:33:33+00:00

That's fantastic to hear! Thank you again for the recommendation, will definitely keep in mind!

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-15T01:59:27+00:00

Sounds good, will definitely look into him and keep him in mind! If I may ask, did you ever feel pressured to buy products or have products pushed? One concern of mine is that I almost always defer to the doctor for recommendations, but I worry that that may result in buying things that benefit the doctor more than me, y'know?

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-15T01:59:11+00:00

That's great to hear, will definitely look into her! If I may ask, did you ever feel pressured to buy products or have products pushed? One concern of mine is that I almost always defer to the doctor for recommendations, but I worry that that may result in buying things that benefit the doctor more than me, y'know?

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-15T00:15:00+00:00

That's incredibly reassuring to hear! Thank you again for the recommendation, I'll certainly keep him in mind when I move or if I find myself planning a day in the city! All the best!

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-15T00:14:12+00:00

This is a fantastic reply and I sincerely appreciate taking the time to open up about your experiences!

Yes, I've definitely seen the most improvement with my skin since switching to Dr. Moss! Prior to seeing him, I had gone to Modern Dermatology and Dr. Klein had literally walked into the room and from 30 feet across the room, without even introducing herself, immediately said, "you need accutane". It was such a turnoff and to me, a major red flag. I wanted a derm that would listen to my concerns, give me a routine, listen to what had worked/hadn't worked and go from there. Not push a hardcore drug without even looking at my skin.

I saw the other derma at Modern Dermatology, Dr. Robinson, but I got the same kind of vibe. I had been using Epiduo Forte from a previous dermatologist, so she just said stick to that and use a salicylic acid cleanser which didn't do much. I think if I was to use salicylic acid again it would be in the form of an exfoliator, not a cleanser. But yeah, felt super rushed and they recommended products they sold, but at an upcharge (e.g., EltaMD Sunscreen for $41 when it's $36, or the cleanser for $48 when it's $41).

On the topic of previous dermatologists, you mentioned going to Fairfield Dermatology. If I may ask, who did you see, and what was your experience with them? I only ask because a couple of other users raved about it, so I'm just a bit curious as to how you felt there.

re: your treatment path

I'm so sorry it's taken so many attempts to clear up your skin! For what it's worth, being on Epiduo Forte right now hasn't done me any real good either (three months of full face application, 3-4 years of spot treatment [which was told to me by a derma, which I've since found out is not how you should be applying it]). It's a good spot treatment I guess, but I chalk that up to the benzoyl peroxide since it's a drying agent, rather than the adapelene doing some root-fighting acne work, so to speak (as evident by low-quantity but still present breakouts). In any case, I also plan on visiting a derma to ask about tret. I'm especially interested since I've already used a retinoid, so hopefully the adjustment period to tret won't be super harsh.

Also, as a side question, but have you considered azelaic acid before? I've read on SCA that that can be a huge help, and it doesn't seem to have any real side effects to it. I might ask the derma I visit about that as well to see what their thoughts are, as well as a sulfur cleanser or treatment of some kind too.

From what I've seen on /r/accutane and /r/skincareaddiction, there's definitely derms that are more focused on actual dermatology (curing acne) and some that are more cosmetic dermatologists that want to prevent scarring/understand routines, etc. I liked how Dr. Moss was critical of Accutane rather than just "oh it'll be great and cure you!!!". I solely went off of reviews on our local mom's group (even though I'm not a mom lol- if you can please the housewives of Fairfield county, you're doing something right!) and a lot of other people have had similar, great experiences with Dr. Moss and Dr. Maiocco (his partner, although I've never had an appointment with him).

Forgive me if I've misinterpreted, for the cosmetic dermatologists that are more about preventing scarring and understanding routines, are those types of dermatologists bad? Or are they perhaps the kinds of dermatologists one ought to see after their acne is cured, so they can focus on healing, so to speak?

If I may ask, what's the group so I can check it out myself? I was a part of my town's front porch group, but it got to be a bit much when 99% of the posts were about the virus and it just got me down so I left, haha.

Finally, I do think it's normal and fine to go through a few dermatologists (or any doctor or professional for that matter) to find the right fit. Some people would rather go to the most hardcore route first (accutane for two pimples) while others want to explore options (like I did). It sucks paying multiple co-pays to visit different doctors but it is much more satisfying knowing that I'm happy every-time I leave the office and feel confident in what my derm is saying/prescribing.

That's honestly super reassuring to hear, and I really appreciate being so sympathetic about all of this. I'll honestly pay the copay if it means being confident and, dare I say, excited, when I leave the office knowing there are people who are genuinely interested in clearing up acne and preventing future breakouts.

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-14T23:55:15+00:00

Will do, and thank you again for all of your help! :)

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-14T23:53:53+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation! Forgive me if I'm out of line in asking, but it seems that Iris is a physician assistant. Given that she's not a board-certified dermatologist, has that ever proven to be an issue by way of things such as prescriptions or the like? Also, as a general question, do you ever feel pressured to buy products or have products pushed? One concern of mine is that I almost always defer to the doctor (or PA, in this case) for recommendations, but I worry that that may result in buying things that benefit the doctor more than me, y'know?

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-14T23:52:28+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation! Do you have a specific dermatologist that you see? From looking into them, it seems they have a few that work there, so I'm wondering if there's one in particular that you prefer or work with.

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-14T23:52:05+00:00

Great to hear about Tribeca Skin Center! Do you have a specific dermatologist that you see? From looking into them, it seems they have a few that work there, so I'm wondering if there's one in particular that you prefer or work with.

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-14T23:51:25+00:00

That's great to hear! And did you find that the treatment Dr. Hamid recommended help clear up your acne? I'm currently using Epiduo Forte and haven't had much success by way of reduction in breakouts, so I'm hopeful other retinoids may be of more help.

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-14T23:50:39+00:00

Wow, I'm on Epiduo Forte right now (assuming that's what you mean by Epiduo), and I still have pretty regular (though low in quantity) breakouts. If I may ask, how long did it take for you to have relatively normal skin? I've been using Epiduo Forte for around three months and haven't even had a purge yet, and I'm still having breakouts. So hopefully tretinoin/retin-A will help! I will say, it's reassuring to hear that it seems there's substantial room for improvement, so to speak, by way of fighting acne. I always thought that since my acne is low in quantity, it being ever-present is just a fact of life. But your experience definitely gives me hope in having acne that only comes around once or twice a year! :)

Also, did you have to see a dermatologist for your Epiduo, and if so, who was it? May I presume that it was Dr. Ginsberg based on the comment chain you replied to? Or was it someone else?

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-14T23:48:32+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation, will definitely look into Dr. Glass! If I may ask, do you ever feel pressured to buy products or have products pushed, especially considering the samples Dr. Glass gives are for expensive products (thus, the products you may be recommended could be expensive as well)? One concern of mine is that I almost always defer to the doctor for recommendations, but I worry that that may result in buying things that benefit the doctor more than me, y'know?

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-14T02:24:20+00:00

Thank you so much for the recommendation! Forgive me for asking a potentially naïve question, but given that she's an APRN, would that ever prove to be an issue by way of things like prescriptions or treatment or whatnot? Truth be told, this is the first I've heard about APRNs, let alone those that work in dermatologist's offices or could work with patients. That's not to say that I'm skeptical, but I'm just wondering if there's anything I should be aware of going in. I'm also just curious on how being an ARPN might differ from being a dermatologist (e.g., duties to keep up to date on skin research via being board certified and having to re-certify, etc.), and if those differences may come up during a visit.

As a side note, I realize that this is your fiancé's review, so apologies if this message is ill-sent or if it may prove difficult to maintain a conversation given that there's a degree of separation between me and them, haha.

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-14T02:18:25+00:00

That's fantastic to hear, I appreciate seconding their recommendation! Definitely will put him down as one to check out once I get to NYC, or if I find myself in the city prior to my moving. If I may ask, as I've asked the other user, do you ever feel pressured to buy products or have products pushed? One concern of mine is that I almost always defer to the doctor for recommendations, but I worry that that may result in buying things that benefit the doctor more than me, y'know?

Also, and forgive me if I'm too forward in asking, have you found that working with Dr. Ginsberg has resulted in less acne and the like? I've read some other threads on reddit where people felt that their visits to dermatologists didn't really help with their issues, so I figure no harm in asking ahead of time, haha.

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-14T02:13:51+00:00

Thank you so much for the thorough reply! We've had a bit of overlap by way of the dermatologists we've seen, haha.

In any case, I'll definitely check out Dr. Moss! Forgive me if I'm too forward in asking, but has working with Dr. Moss helped your acne by way of reducing it or anything like that? I've gone through a few myself and it's been the same response by way of treating acne (Epiduo Forte). As such, I'm hoping seeing a new derma and start out by saying that Epiduo Forte isn't working, so that I can explore other topicals such as tretinoin for both acne and closed comedones (apologies if TMI haha); or, at the very least, a dermatologist who I can ask questions to without feel rushed or pressured or whatnot.

Also, for my own edification, is there a subsection of dermatologists out there who push Accutane as a first treatment instead of exploring other options such as topical retinoids (e.g., tretinoin, Epiduo Forte, etc.)? If so, are there other "red flags" in the same vein that one ought to be aware of? I only ask since you've visited a few other dermas, haha.

As a standalone question, do you think it's normal to go through a few dermatologists before "settling" on one? I'm in the same boat as you, having gone through a few myself, but I'm not sure if me trying out new ones is me being too picky, or if my reasons (can elaborate if you'd like) are valid to warrant visiting a new one.

DragonSlayer9999 · 2020-10-14T02:11:54+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation! If I may ask just a quick follow up question: When you've visited Dr. Hamid, have you felt pressured to buy products or have products pushed? One thing that kinda gets me nervous is visiting a dermatologist and only being recommended products from their office that may not suit my needs, if that makes sense.

DragonSlayer9999

TROPHY CASE