The Importance of Finding A Dermatologist That’s A Good Fit for You

Everyone has different experiences with doctors. Some are better than others. But just like with any health condition, finding a dermatologist that works with you and for you can be tricky. Specifically, because steroid creams are such a big norm to treat conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Here’s my journey.

When there are few options

Basically, there are two main dermatologists in my town that everyone goes to. I, of course, started seeing the one my family members recommended. I was diagnosed with atopic dermatitis at age 13 and honestly didn’t know much about what was going on. Other than “apply these steroids and you’ll be fine.” I respected my doctor because my family always spoke so highly of him. They always said how knowledgeable and smart he was.

A couple of years later, I decided I disagreed. Finding a dermatologist would prove not to be so easy.

My topical steroids were not working anymore. I found myself stuck in the cycle of being prescribed a stronger potency steroid cream when my current one stopped working. That’s when I decided to stop using topical steroids. They were getting me nowhere and I went through topical steroid withdrawal.

I tried talking it out with my doctor

I was 17 when I made an appointment to ask him about alternatives to steroids and he quite literally flipped out. He asked me if I was some sort of health nut. He said “that’s the problem with you young Americans. You want instant gratification!” (which was very odd to me, considering I thought the steroids were “instant gratification”. Because it treats the symptoms when you need them gone quickly, but doesn’t get to the root of the problem.)

I was in a flare so he asked me what products I was using on my skin. He approved of everything I told him I was using but was met with “there’s something you’re not telling me!” with a finger-wagging in my face and all.

I very clearly expressed topical steroid creams were not a good fit for me because they weren’t getting me anywhere and I’d learned about the long-term effects of using them. Naturally, he ignored everything I said and handed me a big bag of steroid cream samples. I left his office crying because I was shocked at what just happened. He treated me like a child and scolded me, all because I told him his treatment plan wasn’t helping me.

Of course, I decided I could never go back to him after this and my mom agreed fully supported me. She was in the exam room when he was yelling at me and she was completely shocked herself.

Finding the right dermatologist

I made an appointment with the other dermatologist in my area and it was a completely different experience. I shared my story about topical steroids and how I decided they weren’t a good fit for me. Told him that I had already gone through topical steroid withdrawal to get them out of my system.

Except this doctor didn’t yell at me, he didn’t accuse me of lying, he didn’t degrade me for wanting more options. “Sure!” he said. “Let’s find something that works for you.” I took a sigh of relief because honestly, I wasn’t used to this response. He gave me different options to try and told me to let him know how they worked. He told me to keep him updated so we can find a treatment plan that worked for me.

The moral of the story is: It doesn’t matter how smart your dermatologist is, it doesn’t matter how many awards they have. Finding the right dermatologist is hard. If they’re not going to listen to you and speak to you with respect, they don’t deserve to be your doctor. Dermatologists are not a one-size-fits-all deal. There are more options out there and it is so crucial to find the one that works for you.