I've never had a problem with acne until this year. Maybe its stress... i dont know. I just know I want it gone. I searched for reviews on the net but only found reviews for doctors who treat serious skin-related issues like skin cancer.



Any recommendations ?

( i searched for the dermatologists mentioned in the other threads, but they are recommended for serious issues like skin cancer or mole removal )

7/21/2008 5:13:57 AM

I can't vouch for this place--I've never had an acne problem. But I found this in about two seconds on Google.

http://medicalsparaleigh.com/acne-treatment-dermatology-doctor.html?gclid=CNL-9pLT0JQCFQZinAod1jpfrw

7/21/2008 5:24:39 AM

most doc's just want to dole out scripts and get their money.

i have a derm. i've been going to since i was a kid, i'll look up their info.

they are in asheboro though, dunno how far you will drive for a good doc.

7/21/2008 10:06:31 AM

whichever one will give you accutane. worked wonders for me.

7/21/2008 10:13:28 AM

I go to the http://www.dermatologypros.com/ which is on lake boone by Rex. I was prescribed accutane 5.5 months ago, two weeks to go. Holla. Anyways. I like them. I met with Wilmoth, he seemed a little dead but was friendly and actually talked. Ive been doing monthly checkups with the PA nurse.

I never really broke out really bad until I moved to NC last summer. Grad school and the heat have really kicked my ass. I break out like a mofo. The accutane has helped a lot but I still break out a little

7/21/2008 11:31:44 AM

Go see Dr. Eric Challgren. His office is on Lake Boone Trail. He is an NC State grad and an excellent dermatologist.

7/21/2008 12:18:12 PM

i think you can go on city search and angies list to check reviews

7/21/2008 12:19:18 PM

^^ i second challgren. my brother has been to him and i saw him once a few years ago (i didn't go for acne but the brother did)

7/21/2008 1:07:10 PM

Since were chatting up acne, Ive got a question. I was going to post it in the accutane thread but its been dormant too long to reply.

OK. I just finished my six month course of accutane about 10 days ago. It was so so for the first 4. Then pretty clear for the final 2 months. Pretty clear for the 9 days after I finished. I wake up today with this huge whitehead on my cheek. To top it off, the ingrown hair I managed to pluck out the other day has swollen into this lump/cyst like creature under my chin.

Is this a really bad sign for the future or just a normal adjustment to switching off the medicine?

8/20/2008 10:50:11 PM

Try washing your face?

8/20/2008 11:25:03 PM

^ yeah, you should still do basic upkeep

if you are washing your face and some acne comes back after the accutane (I still get mild acne, but I treat it with a topical gel), don't totally freak out

ingrown hairs are unrelated, really

[Edited on August 20, 2008 at 11:28 PM. Reason : .]

8/20/2008 11:27:45 PM

Well Im obviously still washing my face. Doing the same routine as when I was on accutane. The basic 2x a day wash and lotion.

I was just saying some ingrown hair spot seemed to turn into this cyst thing. I realize theyre two completely different things. Ive been shaving and having zits for 10+ years now. Le sigh

8/21/2008 12:11:09 AM

recommendation: wash your face three times a day, don't buy proactiv because that just encourages people to wash their face 3 times a day. if all else fails: retin-a micro

8/21/2008 12:13:19 AM

Well washing my face never worked in the past. Ive tried most creams (retin-a included) and antibiotics. Thats why I finally decided to do accutane (sort of like a pill version of retin-a for bad acne). It got rid of the puss right away, the gross cyst stuff went away over time. Its supposed to be permanent for most people. Some have it gone for a while but then it comes back. Ive just never read someone having it come back after 1-2 weeks. Thats why im prematurely freaking out

8/21/2008 12:39:01 AM

new question--not acne related though

I'm hypothyroid and have had for over a year now the unslightly side effect of hair loss Other than thyroid regulation, I've read that seeing a dermatologist is a good idea to properly identify the issue of hair loss and create a plan to help strengthen the follicles and encourage growth. I've just started an EPO supplement and hopefully that will work some too. I just made another appt with my endocrinologist to re-eval my dosage, but I'd love to make a dermatologist appt as well.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good dermatology practice--preferably specializing in hair treatment?

10/28/2008 3:48:22 PM

^^i did two courses of accutane as a teenager and i still have acne. i have pretty much given up on anything other than just washing my face. i do have more cystic acne than i used to, and i've talked to a few others who took accutane and now have more cystic acne, esp in the chin/jaw area. i dunno if they're related, but it sucks either way.

10/28/2008 3:53:43 PM

I love the Cary dermatology center and the people there.

that is my recommendation.

10/28/2008 3:54:45 PM

http://www.cdcskin.com/

It's right off of exit 273 on I-40. I can vouch for their expertise and professionalism as I personally know many of the providers at this practice because my wife is one of the PAs.

[Edited on October 28, 2008 at 4:26 PM. Reason : ]

10/28/2008 4:24:57 PM

Accutane ftw!

[Edited on October 28, 2008 at 4:33 PM. Reason : Gave me mood swings tho]

10/28/2008 4:26:52 PM

Unfortunately I started getting bad acne in the 5th grade...a bit earlier than most when I was coming through school. Got picked on a lot but karma won in the end -- the guys that picked on me the most usually got worse cases of acne than me, a year or two later. A few of them still have some bad scars.


I tried just about everything, and then had two rounds of accutane.

First round my skin was very dry, especially my lips. I could easily peel of big chunks of dry skin at a time. The second time my palms got very dry, to the point I could rub my hands together and have pieces of skin fall off. After a routine checkup at my ophthalmologist and seeing some sort of artery in my eye enlarged I was taken off accutane. Thankfully no persisting eye issues, and it took care of ~98% of my acne.

10/28/2008 4:40:10 PM

*sigh* this is why i hate BTTT'ing old threads

Again, any dermatologist recommendations for specialty in hair loss treatment?



[Edited on October 28, 2008 at 4:43 PM. Reason : thanks to JT3bucky and JCTarheel though]

10/28/2008 4:42:36 PM

you should have picked one of the other threads that didn't specifically ask for dermatologists for ACNE

/message_topic.aspx?topic=535563
/message_topic.aspx?topic=510061
/message_topic.aspx?topic=452303

[Edited on October 28, 2008 at 4:46 PM. Reason : ]

10/28/2008 4:46:21 PM

actually I did...but the one i wanted was locked, and since this one was still active i was asked to post in this one instead.

10/28/2008 4:57:40 PM

Quote :

"Is this a really bad sign for the future or just a normal adjustment to switching off the medicine?"

It's too early to say. Your body may still be adjusting to not having accutane, because it's some pretty strong stuff.

I will say that I did 2 rounds of accutane and, while it worked at the time, I started breaking out again 18 months after I was done. I was told that if you don't break 18 months after finishing it, then it's pretty unlikely that you'll have the same degree of acne again. I was not happy. I hated accutane, but nothing else worked.

10/28/2008 5:57:22 PM

Ah shit, I didn't even realize this was an old thread.

Dr. Cooley in Charlotte specializes in hair loss. Specifically, he's an industry leader in follicular unit hair transplantation. I'm not really sure what you're looking for but his consultations are free and he could probably help even if you're not looking for surgery.

http://www.haircenter.com/index.html

10/28/2008 8:06:32 PM

I went to Blue Ridge Dermatology in Raleigh but it can take 2 weeks to a month to get a first appt. My primary care MD has been giving me Cleocin T pads which have really worked out well (and they come in a generic which is $10 with insurance). I have maybe 1-2 small breakouts a month now.

[Edited on October 28, 2008 at 9:41 PM. Reason : ..]

10/28/2008 9:40:34 PM

hahaha, yeah definitely not looking for a transplant i'm not balding...just losing clumps of new hair due to the brittleness of the folicles and low metabolism that hypothyroidism causes. thanks for the suggestion--his office could at least point me in the right direction for more of what i'm looking for.

10/28/2008 11:25:17 PM

Ok so I didn't read the part about hair loss at all. I am also hypothyroid, and my hair loss stopped when we got my medication leveled out, which took about 6 months. Once I got where I need to be, the hair loss stopped and my hair is healthy and shiny again.

You might want to look into taking a biotin supplement; they are really cheap at any Wal-Mart/Target. This helped my hair and brittle nails a lot. PM me if you want any more info. Hypothyroid can be miserable at times.

10/29/2008 12:43:25 AM

^my hair became really dry on accutane, i started using biotin around month 4 and i think ive noticed a difference. i just picked up a new bottle at target (1.50 for 100 tablets, 2x day).

10/29/2008 12:48:14 AM

http://www.dermatologypros.com FTW!! Just went there a few weeks ago, and was impressed.

10/29/2008 1:33:09 AM

Quote :

"Some have it gone for a while but then it comes back. Ive just never read someone having it come back after 1-2 weeks. Thats why im prematurely freaking out"

I had my acne come back about a year after I finished up accutane. Then I went back to the dermatologist and tried it again and it made me so sick that I could barely eat, even after I took it once with no problems.

[Edited on October 29, 2008 at 2:04 AM. Reason : .]

10/29/2008 2:04:07 AM

^^^^i just started taking a biotin and EPO Supplement. i really hope that helps.

I've been diagnosed hypothyroid since I was 15, and I've been reading that hair loss can be a side effect in patients that take levoxyl or synthroid (i take levoxyl) over a long period of time. i've got a follow up with my endocrinologist to talk to him more about it and double check my regimine. my last visit i told him i was losing more hair, and he said "we'll probably up the dosage," but when i went to pick up my RXX he hadn't. but like i said i want to talk to a dermatologist too. it may be something else that's not related to my thyroid at all.

i guess i should've put my ? in one of the thyroid threads...but since i was asking for a derm specifically...ehhhhh--hindsight 20/20

it's just so depressing i have long and what used to be a lot of thick hair. i've really noticed a change in the past year. it's probably 60-70% of what it was a year ago, and it just keeps falling out. i've used lighter conditioners; i don't brush my hair, but only comb it when there's a tangle; i don't blow dry or use harsh chemicals; and still every time i wash my hair i lose a huge clump. on avg you're supposed to lose 50-100 strands a day or something...i lose about 200. i don't have bald patches though, so that's good

10/29/2008 8:28:52 AM

Are you more stressed out lately? Have you lost any weight? I lost some weight recently and started shedding a bit more than normal. You also might consider taking a protein supplement as well if you can stomach those shakes.

10/29/2008 11:30:39 AM

nah...nothing is different.

10/29/2008 11:32:50 AM

Quote :

"I had my acne come back about a year after I finished up accutane. Then I went back to the dermatologist and tried it again and it made me so sick that I could barely eat, even after I took it once with no problems."

your liver and kidneys hated you. did you get the blood tests done?

[Edited on October 29, 2008 at 12:12 PM. Reason : same brand and dose?]

10/29/2008 12:12:27 PM

this thread is worthless without pics.

10/29/2008 4:01:07 PM

FAI756843, have you tried any home treatments first? I wouldn't rush off to the doctor without trying something like an EVOO wash first for a couple of weeks.

10/30/2008 2:36:30 AM

Quote :

"and it made me so sick that I could barely eat, even after I took it once with no problems."

That stuff is absolutely amazing, works miracles like nothing else can, but it is pretty hardcore shit all the same. You'd better really need it before you decide to do it, and when you're on it keep tabs on possible reactions and your cholesterol levels and things like that, and stay away from any vitamin A supplements b/c you're already basically getting a superdose chemically altered for less bad side-effects.

10/30/2008 11:53:31 PM

I third (or whatever) challgren.

See him if you're going to see anyone. He's great!

10/31/2008 3:25:18 AM

I've been dealing with acne for a long time. I've done the Accutane-thing, and it sucked. I was cleared up for about a year or two, then it came back. Granted, it hasn't been as bad as it was then, but when I have an entire breakout, its pretty ennoying. I have been on so many topical and oral medications for it, that I've lost count. (I'm 22, this thould all be over with! I've had the problem since like 7th grade.)

Anyhow, I have seen numerous dermatologists, and tried so much stuff. My best suggestion for anyone is - don't listen to what worked for other people. It's not likely that it will just magically work for you too. Plus, you may find that you're allergic to one particular ingredient. Just see a dermatologist on a regular basis and do whatever they suggest. They can look at your type of acne and figure out the best course of action for you. A whitehead isn't just a whitehead, a blackhead isn't just a blackhead, nodular acne is not just plain-ol-acne - it all varies by each person's body chemistry.

As for which dermatologist - I have no suggestion. Just go by whatever you get from people here.

[Edited on October 31, 2008 at 9:48 PM. Reason : ]

10/31/2008 9:47:39 PM

Quote :

"your liver and kidneys hated you. did you get the blood tests done? "

Yes I did, all the blood tests were perfect. And it was the same brand and everything. It was really strange how it was so hard on me the second time around when the dermatologist told me that it would be easier. I even took an extremely low dose to see if I wouldn't get sick but it didn't work.

10/31/2008 10:33:16 PM

get some benzyclin cream

11/2/2008 10:36:33 AM

what I'm going to suggest for acne is not a joke. Google Milk of Magnesia for acne and then give it a try.

11/2/2008 2:27:56 PM