Notifications
Clear all

Dermatologist Made Me Feel Awful About Myself.

MemberMember
8
(@tea-rex)

Posted : 05/11/2015 3:04 pm

I'm a pretty peaceful, tactful person. I drove 20 miles to see this dermatologist who had great reviews online--I have no idea why--and he was so terrible. His bedside manner was just atrocious. He wouldn't listen to me, he kept interrupting me when I tried to speak, he would dumb down the conversation so that I would "understand" when I'm an adult here and would appreciate it if I was spoken to in a professional manner. He ignored the fact that I had comedonal acne and focused on my red skin caused by a severe reaction to Epiduo. He made fun of my facial redness and also a scar on my forehead which I am very insecure about. He's like "How'd you get that scar?" and I said "I was in a bad car accident when I was a child." And he's like "Haha, look like the car won." And the nurse even laughed. I couldn't believe it. I was absolutely mortified. I'm actually very disappointed in myself that I tolerated that sort of talk. I was desperate for an answer for my skin--I'm already feeling awful because of it--and this guy just makes me feel worse all over again! And I drove so far to see him! I wish I was braver and stuck up for myself but I've been so down I just took it :(

 

EDIT: Oh! And he also said I shouldn't be using moisturizer because I have oily skin. That's the first person ever who told me to do that. And, he gave me some samples for my flare up called Elidel (pimecrolimus cream) 1% and before I put it on my face I researched it and it has been said to cause skin cancer. Needless to say I did not use it.

Melloman liked
Quote
MemberMember
7
(@d3adlyarr0w)

Posted : 05/11/2015 3:10 pm

Went to a specialist about a month ago I guess to find out what type of scar I was experiencing, what could make it fade with patience and so on.

When I arrived, after asking those questions it felt like he's trying to avoid it and started comparing my scars to other people saying ''You are lucky you don't have their variant''. My dad even had to pay him about 30$ with all his unnecessary information. Why can't they just give me recommendations, be positive and have a good behavior because I don't find it anywhere close to funny making fun of a scar. That specialist I spoke to made me look bad also but I didn't really give a shit about him and continued.

You shall also know that nobody is perfect, everyone has an issue somewhere on their body.

Quote
MemberMember
144
(@tracy521)

Posted : 05/11/2015 3:21 pm

wow that's awful! I don't get how people can be so mean? they need to be sensitive when it comes to acne and scars. geesh!! i went to a guy derm once when my skin was really bad and i had a cluster of cyts together that i wanted injected. i always see the pa when i go there but that time they put me in with the derm and he was such a jerk. he wouldn't shoot the cysts and then told me its not that big of a deal and that its not cancer. i was like wtf was that all about? i wasn't sitting there crying and acting like a crazy person i just wanted my cysts injected! so a few days later i called back and made an appointment with the pa and she was like why didn't the derm inject those cysts for you? i told her i had no idea why and that he was being rude and she was like totally shocked. i hope she said something to him. i was so mad though i never saw him again i only went to the pa because she was so kind and caring. she was the one that got me totally clear in 16 years so i owe my life to her because she never stopped until she found something that worked for me. women are so much more empathetic its like to a man nothing is that big of a deal.

Quote
MemberMember
31
(@psychokitty)

Posted : 05/11/2015 3:30 pm

That's lame. I hear some pretty awful stories about derms. They can sound pretty high and mighty. I tend to not stick up for myself in situations like that, too. You kind of go into shock and don't realize what's even happening until it's too late. It might make you feel better to give him a bad review on yelp or something. Maybe you can spare someone a visit to him because of it. Assholes are really not worth getting down about yourself. Remember, he'd the one with issues here. But I do agree with him about the not moisturizing oily skin part. I find the best thing for moisturizing oily skin is mixing aloe gel (no less than a 98% brand) with pure jojoba oil. Jojoba oil is very similar to human sebum so it trick your skin into thinking is produced enough oil. Both aloe and jojoba oil will help acne and the aloe will calm down your reaction to the Epiduo.

Quote
MemberMember
45
(@geminirock19)

Posted : 05/11/2015 3:48 pm

No offense anyone here if you're related to a dermatologist or love them... but they're truly about as useful as a pen with no ink. I've never been to one who wasn't self-involved or catty, or just not plain right. And don't worry about not sticking up to yourself, I'm always thinking of things I should've said AFTER the fact! You really don't realize what happened until it's over because normal people usually don't say things like that to you. I'm sorry he was such a jerk!!

Also, I have combination skin and I moisturize only in the morning. I can't do it at night or my oily-ness makes me break out. So you just have to play around with what works... definitely do some trial and error!

Hugs!

Quote
MemberMember
27
(@254fgjjk)

Posted : 05/11/2015 4:21 pm

That's horrible.

Quote
MemberMember
128
(@melloman)

Posted : 05/11/2015 4:53 pm

I've brought this up on numerous occassions on here. There's a lot of horror stories like derms and doctors saying things like:

"You all set, pizza face?"

"Don't worry, I'll make you pretty again."

 

Your dermatologist doesn't seem to care. That's a bad sign. He may end up giving you medication that will mess you up worse. I know mine did, and the medication would just make my acne and body worse. I would reccomend no dermatologists at all. They're all trained to give you FDA approved medicines. They always do trial and fails, and some do it to squeeze more money from you. Not all derms are bad like that, though. But yours clearly doesn't care enough so you should switch or stop going to derms altogether.

 

I avoided all medications and ignored all the doctors' advice, and started healing naturally. Once I found the issues my body was having (leaky gut), I did what I could to heal my gut, and my acne vanishes!

Quote
MemberMember
17
(@k3tchup)

Posted : 05/12/2015 12:34 am

Not that I am sticking up for anyone here. Docs can be assess. I actually had a similar experience years ago when I went to a derm. I go to a general doc these days if I need to because of it. It's unfortunate what he did and trying to be funny or make a joke did not help. It's sad that he couldn't see your plea for help. But forget about him. Focus on the now. This drug will help with the redness.. And it has not been proven to caus cancer. You have about the same if not a lesser risk than those taking similar drugs post organ transplant. But you have the option of stopping the med when the redness subsides. Long term exposure is limited for you which is often a key for many types of diseases and disorders.

While the Internet can help educate you, you can't run scared because you read a black box warning about something such as this. Hell, many things cause cancer around us. But someone of us never develop it. I wouldn't worry about it for now.

Quote
MemberMember
59
(@snowflake01)

Posted : 05/14/2015 10:07 pm

Tea rex, I am so sorry...i was absolutely horrified too when I read how he treated you. Not surprised, unfortunately, because I've been to my share of doctors and learned the hard way that many are like that. And i understand why you felt angry when you forget to talk back to them in the moment..that's happened to me too more times than i can count unfortunately, even today with a plastic surgeon. please don't blame yourself...like everyone else had said, and I'm glad to see we all know the feeling...it really is difficult to respond quickly to emotional abuse. It's meant to throw you off and it does. So don't worry, probably best that you didn't spend a minute more trying to argue with him or else I'm sure he would have gotten even nastier (If that's even possible). I think what's more frustrating is seeing amazing reviews and hoping for somebody decent then meet the real person and they're like that. Ugh. He should have never commented on your scar especially not in that way. I once went to a plastic surgeon for one thing and he some how worked into the conversation that he can see one of my eyes is higher than the other. I wasn't even there to discuss my eyes. Rude. I hope you do find someone who can help...there are better doctors out there for sure...this one was extremely unprofessional. Don't let him discourage you from getting the help you want/need xx

Quote
MemberMember
214
(@lore91)

Posted : 05/15/2015 8:12 am

That's horrible...honestly, I find doctors can be so so insensitive.

 

When I was trying to get a referal to a dermatologist I had to go through my GP. I told her about how much acne was effecting me and how depressed I was...she basically turned around and said "Get over it...everyone has problems in their life. When I was your age I didn't go out at all because I was in studying to become a doctor..." and she started going on about her life and how amazing she was!

 

I was sitting there just thinking wow...what an amazing bedside manner.

Quote
MemberMember
8
(@tea-rex)

Posted : 05/15/2015 2:41 pm

Went to a specialist about a month ago I guess to find out what type of scar I was experiencing, what could make it fade with patience and so on.

When I arrived, after asking those questions it felt like he's trying to avoid it and started comparing my scars to other people saying ''You are lucky you don't have their variant''. My dad even had to pay him about 30$ with all his unnecessary information. Why can't they just give me recommendations, be positive and have a good behavior because I don't find it anywhere close to funny making fun of a scar. That specialist I spoke to made me look bad also but I didn't really give a shit about him and continued.

You shall also know that nobody is perfect, everyone has an issue somewhere on their body.

Yeah...Being positive and professional is not asking a lot when that's what a doctor is being paid to do. I mean, of course being positive doesn't all the time have to be practiced but at least be realistic. Don't inject rude comments. Respect your patient as they are paying you for your expertise. And your distasteful jokes are not funny. Yeah, I understand nobody is perfect. We all have our concerns and insecurities. I'm learning to embrace my scars and every other negativity because its all in your head anyway how they make you feel and how other people make you feel. When I was a child, I had no insecurity about my scars and kids didn't seem to car either. Some might ask but I was not embarrassed to admit anything.

 

wow that's awful! I don't get how people can be so mean? they need to be sensitive when it comes to acne and scars. geesh!! i went to a guy derm once when my skin was really bad and i had a cluster of cyts together that i wanted injected. i always see the pa when i go there but that time they put me in with the derm and he was such a jerk. he wouldn't shoot the cysts and then told me its not that big of a deal and that its not cancer. i was like wtf was that all about? i wasn't sitting there crying and acting like a crazy person i just wanted my cysts injected! so a few days later i called back and made an appointment with the pa and she was like why didn't the derm inject those cysts for you? i told her i had no idea why and that he was being rude and she was like totally shocked. i hope she said something to him. i was so mad though i never saw him again i only went to the pa because she was so kind and caring. she was the one that got me totally clear in 16 years so i owe my life to her because she never stopped until she found something that worked for me. women are so much more empathetic its like to a man nothing is that big of a deal.

At least the PA was on your side and had your best interests in mind as well as your feelings. Doctors are supposed to be concerned and caring. When they lack that empathy it feels like it degrades their role. I'm glad the pa was so hardworking and never gave up. I'll keep in mind--not to be sexist--but to choose female doctors. Not just because some male doctors write off cosmetic concerns like they are no biggie but a woman can relate to you which is always a plus :) Thank you for your comment and story, Tracy.

 

That's lame. I hear some pretty awful stories about derms. They can sound pretty high and mighty. I tend to not stick up for myself in situations like that, too. You kind of go into shock and don't realize what's even happening until it's too late. It might make you feel better to give him a bad review on yelp or something. Maybe you can spare someone a visit to him because of it. Assholes are really not worth getting down about yourself. Remember, he'd the one with issues here. But I do agree with him about the not moisturizing oily skin part. I find the best thing for moisturizing oily skin is mixing aloe gel (no less than a 98% brand) with pure jojoba oil. Jojoba oil is very similar to human sebum so it trick your skin into thinking is produced enough oil. Both aloe and jojoba oil will help acne and the aloe will calm down your reaction to the Epiduo.

You're right. Assholes are NOT worth the worry. I'm trying to learn to let things roll off my shoulders, especially when they pertain to my scars. They are only as big as I make them out to be. Hmm...But doesn't aloe gel make you all shiny?

 

No offense anyone here if you're related to a dermatologist or love them... but they're truly about as useful as a pen with no ink. I've never been to one who wasn't self-involved or catty, or just not plain right. And don't worry about not sticking up to yourself, I'm always thinking of things I should've said AFTER the fact! You really don't realize what happened until it's over because normal people usually don't say things like that to you. I'm sorry he was such a jerk!!

Also, I have combination skin and I moisturize only in the morning. I can't do it at night or my oily-ness makes me break out. So you just have to play around with what works... definitely do some trial and error!

Hugs!

Hugs! Thank you. Dermatologists in the past have been able to help me with my skin but its never attacked the root of the problem which I'm still trying to figure out. I'm 28 and have had this type of acne since I was probably 12 (it just hadn't exploded yet!) I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that doesn't all the time speak what I wanna say after I was just hit up by a rude comment. I do not want to be rude back either because then that's just making more trouble. I want to be able to handle things with grace and dignity. As for moisturizing, I've been having to moisturize everyday considering how much flaking and dryness I'm still going through due to my reaction. I'm finally not as red but I am definitely still peeling. :s bleh. Also, I'm using Paula's Choice BHA 2% liquid exfoliant just to increase the cell turnover. If my skin's going to be flaky now might as well exfoliate all the way (at least I THINK this will help me get clearer skin faster--idk).

 

I've brought this up on numerous occassions on here. There's a lot of horror stories like derms and doctors saying things like:

"You all set, pizza face?"

"Don't worry, I'll make you pretty again."

 

Your dermatologist doesn't seem to care. That's a bad sign. He may end up giving you medication that will mess you up worse. I know mine did, and the medication would just make my acne and body worse. I would reccomend no dermatologists at all. They're all trained to give you FDA approved medicines. They always do trial and fails, and some do it to squeeze more money from you. Not all derms are bad like that, though. But yours clearly doesn't care enough so you should switch or stop going to derms altogether.

 

I avoided all medications and ignored all the doctors' advice, and started healing naturally. Once I found the issues my body was having (leaky gut), I did what I could to heal my gut, and my acne vanishes!

I have gut problems too. I'm thinking that COULD be my root problem as well. I hope that my dieting is going to affect the acne problem too. I've always been partial to natural healing. We eat a lot of food nowadays that are manufactured and our stomachs may not be so in tune with those foods. Eliminating them has provided me with more energy and it HAS helped heal my pains. Let's see if it helps acne too :)

 

Not that I am sticking up for anyone here. Docs can be assess. I actually had a similar experience years ago when I went to a derm. I go to a general doc these days if I need to because of it. It's unfortunate what he did and trying to be funny or make a joke did not help. It's sad that he couldn't see your plea for help. But forget about him. Focus on the now. This drug will help with the redness.. And it has not been proven to caus cancer. You have about the same if not a lesser risk than those taking similar drugs post organ transplant. But you have the option of stopping the med when the redness subsides. Long term exposure is limited for you which is often a key for many types of diseases and disorders.

While the Internet can help educate you, you can't run scared because you read a black box warning about something such as this. Hell, many things cause cancer around us. But someone of us never develop it. I wouldn't worry about it for now.

I ended up throwing the medication away. I know the internet is full of different opinions but I just didn't want to risk making things worse. One thing the derm told me in response to me using Epiduo from my other derm was: "Just because you're given something doesn't mean you should use it." And that statement he said just stuck with me afterwards, and I tossed the meds away. Online I read common side effects are peeling and redness and I'm like well I already got that. And the final thing the derm told me was "time will heal." So in the meantime I've just been moisturizing and using this anti-itch cream. It's helped and now I'm back on the Paula's Choice BHA to increase the cell turnover. My skin is beginning to heal and the redness has decreased significantly. Thank you for your comment. :)

Tea rex, I am so sorry...i was absolutely horrified too when I read how he treated you. Not surprised, unfortunately, because I've been to my share of doctors and learned the hard way that many are like that. And i understand why you felt angry when you forget to talk back to them in the moment..that's happened to me too more times than i can count unfortunately, even today with a plastic surgeon. please don't blame yourself...like everyone else had said, and I'm glad to see we all know the feeling...it really is difficult to respond quickly to emotional abuse. It's meant to throw you off and it does. So don't worry, probably best that you didn't spend a minute more trying to argue with him or else I'm sure he would have gotten even nastier (If that's even possible). I think what's more frustrating is seeing amazing reviews and hoping for somebody decent then meet the real person and they're like that. Ugh. He should have never commented on your scar especially not in that way. I once went to a plastic surgeon for one thing and he some how worked into the conversation that he can see one of my eyes is higher than the other. I wasn't even there to discuss my eyes. Rude. I hope you do find someone who can help...there are better doctors out there for sure...this one was extremely unprofessional. Don't let him discourage you from getting the help you want/need xx

Thank you. It turns out that with my insurance there are not many dermatologists in my area :\ so I may just have to do trial and error on my own. The nice derm I first went to called in Ziana gel (sp?) it's clindamycin and tretinoin. I'm scared to try it... No doubt I'm not going back to that other guy I drove 20 something miles to see. Ugh, I'm sorry you went through something similar. Our bodies are not symmetrical. We will always have something that's slightly longer (like an arm) than the other. I hate it when doctors just carelessly toss rude comments out like that.

 

 

That's horrible...honestly, I find doctors can be so so insensitive.

 

When I was trying to get a referal to a dermatologist I had to go through my GP. I told her about how much acne was effecting me and how depressed I was...she basically turned around and said "Get over it...everyone has problems in their life. When I was your age I didn't go out at all because I was in studying to become a doctor..." and she started going on about her life and how amazing she was!

 

I was sitting there just thinking wow...what an amazing bedside manner.

Whaaaat! How insensitive! I think I would've just stared at her, speechless. She turns things around to make it about her...pff

Quote
MemberMember
23
(@wizard17)

Posted : 11/28/2015 7:03 am

That's really awful. I just can't stand how rudethese human beingscan be with people like us who have acne. One way or another they will get what they deserve. Don't mind them. I hope you're doing better now. 🙂

Quote