17 replies to this topic

[SebaceousOne]

I went to go see a dermatologist about my oily skin. I'm 28. Ever since I was 13, my face has been an OIL SLICK. Seriously. My acne stopped around age 19, but the super super oily skin has persisted. If I touch my forehead with my fingers, my fingers get all shiny and almost wet! I can see oil coming out of the individual pores.

Anyway, I went to see a dermatologist today. What did he say? Nah, it's not oily.

Wait, what? Yes, it is. It most definitely is. "Oh, it's all relative," he told me. Basically, he told me that if I were someone else looking at my skin, they wouldn't really notice it.

This is despite the fact that I had a friend jokingly say to me once, "You're so damn greasy", not realizing that he was crossing the line and he was actually making me feel bad. The fact that my hair becomes an unmanageable mess before the end of the day because of how oily it gets. The fact that I have to wipe my phone off with a towel every time I make a phone call because the thing gets covered in oil from touching my face. The fact that, as I said, if I run my hand along my forehead, it's pretty much wet with oil. The fact that when I look at pictures of me with my family from last Christmas, it looks like I'm extremely sweaty because of the oily shine.

I understand that he probably does have people blow things out of proportion in his office sometimes in terms of saying that something is noticeable when it's not. But I don't want to be told that my skin isn't oily when it is. It makes me feel like I can't listen to anything he says if he's not willing to acknowledge something simple like this. Even if he said he couldn't treat it or give me any advice at all, that's fine, but at least acknowledge that it's there.

He even told me that I should feel lucky because all this oil on my face will keep me looking young (give me a f*cking break), despite the fact that he told me previously that my face did NOT have any more oil than normal. He didn't even touch my face. Blargh.

Edited by SebaceousOne, 13 May 2011 - 08:01 PM.

[{DC}]

are u male or female?

[Lipslikesugar22]

You have no idea how often I have been talked down to by derms. It makes me want to become a derm even more.... they need to get over themselves and profit.

[aLeX XeLa]

I know, some derms can be so disrespectful, like you said, even if they cant do anything about it, at least acknowledge what a damn pain it is all the time rather than just thinking its hardly anything to deal with as they dont have it. Also him telling you about having all the oil on your face will keep you looking young is also just another myth (maybe he should learn a bit more), as being oily really doesnt really help with anything, other than being beyond a nuisance.
Also is it me or do a lot of derms seem to have this secret competition with one-another on how quickly they can get you out of their rooms the fastest - well sure seems that way.
I would suggest to you, to look for another derm and hope that they are more respondent (is that a word?) and considerate.

[dreamy.]

I got talked down to my derm so much that I stopped going.
It was actually quite ridiculous.

He would always be like "Your skin isn't that bad. But you made it worse by.. blah blah blah" and then would continue to prescribe me like 4 different medications for my acne. If my skin wasn't that bad why are you giving me so much medication?

I have oily skin too, and everytime I went in and I would say that I thought the medication was making my skin more oily he would reply with "No, you're skin isn't oily. The gel just has a sheen to it, you have nothing to worry about." First of all, the gel dries to invisible and doesn't leave a sheen. My skin was already oily before it but was getting oiler due to the duac and differin. You saw me for an hour, where I washed my face prior. See me after 6 hours of school and you'll see how oily my skin is.

So I stopped going to the dermatologist and I stopped using the medication I was on for 2 years that didn't work. But he would keep telling me "it takes time." 2 years time? Really? Don't think so.

My skin is better now coming off of that stuff. Most doctors/dermatologists don't care about their patients- only the money they can suck out of them. >.<

[Lipslikesugar22]

Ugh.

[psych0sis]

Back when I had bad acne on my body and face my derm had told me;

"This is horrible, we fix now"

I found it a little bit funny ; )

[Lipslikesugar22]

Sounds like an awesome derm! I think thats part of the problem! You walk in there and you feel like a freak because they are either too serious or not serious and so apathetic. Joking about it (from a professional) makes everything a bit lighter to deal with.

[melissa6980]

Back when I had bad acne on my body and face my derm had told me;

"This is horrible, we fix now"

I found it a little bit funny ; )

Sounds like a line from a chinese movie or something with the grammar.

Aside from avoiding products with alcohol or menthol that might irritate your skin and maybe make it want to produce more oil, there are some mattifying oil control gels that might help. It don't think it will make your skin produce less oil but it will make it look less oily. Also, if you're female, a very thin layer of milk of magnesia underneath foundation could help.

[kryptik]

Sounds like people can't win with you, your friend said "You're so damn greasy" and you got upset. Then the Doctor said "Nah, it's not oily" and you got upset that he didn't tell you the truth?

[Vanbelle]

It's all about going to the right derm, you know? I had a derm that wouldn't listen to me, prescribe me the same products over again and tell me to give it more time. Then I left that derm, went to a new one, explained my case, and she said trusted what I said and gave me the OK for Accutane. Of course, tane didn't fix any of my problems, but I'm glad she trusted my history with my skin to know what I wanted at the time.

Truely though, some derms suck.

[SebaceousOne]

Sounds like people can't win with you, your friend said "You're so damn greasy" and you got upset. Then the Doctor said "Nah, it's not oily" and you got upset that he didn't tell you the truth?

You appear to have misunderstood what I was saying. I wasn't saying that I disagreed with my friend. It's like if I was overweight, and a friend just said, "Damn, you're fat as hell!"

Just because you ARE overweight doesn't mean you want your friends to put it so rudely to you. I mentioned my friend saying that to me because it confirmed to me that my face WAS oily, so for my derm to say I wasn't oily was what made me mad. I thought that was pretty clear with my first post, but I guess not to everyone.

Edited by SebaceousOne, 20 May 2011 - 08:12 PM.

[kryptik]

I think you're just forever doomed to be so damn greasy.

[AmaraG]

I think most doctors at least the ones I have known, act a bit smug in general and the hate when it seems their patient knows more on a subject than them.
Not saying all doctors are douchbags, please dont think so, but enough of them are arrogant to have a reason behind the 'know it all" doctor stereotype.
Well they still cant cure acne so they aint perfect P

[SebaceousOne]

I think you're just forever doomed to be so damn greasy.

And apparently you're forever doomed to be an asshole, but you've clearly become quite used to it. So maybe there is hope for my greasiness after all. Yay! You've taught me so much.

[kryptik]

glad I could help dude

[aLeX XeLa]

ive just found a really nice derm, who actually when i talk to her, she actually listens to what i say and has time for talk, plus had time to actually diagnose whats wrong, rather than saying it could be this, or is could be that etc.
So, i guess to all those others who are having problems with their derm, like me, you will probably eventually find a good one. It took me through 4 others until this one, where they all before didnt seem to be too bothered and wanted you to be out as quick as possible until i found this one, who actually give you the time and listens to you.

[kryptik]

I heard there's plans of the US army invading your face for it's oil supply. This could solve the limited fossil fuel problems we face. Well done man.