A few key things I would look for when choosing a Consultant Dermatologist
Finding and choosing the right doctor can be very hard. Do you read reviews? Do you talk to other people? ‘Does anyone know a good dermatologist?’ If you thought choosing a sunscreen was tough, finding a dermatologist you can trust is even harder. So here are a few key things I would look for when choosing a Consultant Dermatologist:
Check gmc-uk.org to make sure the person you are seeing is actually a consultant dermatologist – it should say ‘on the specialist register for dermatology’
Check how much they charge: just like with sunscreen, expensive is definitely not better. A reasonable consult fee should be between £200-£300 pounds – closer to the £200 outside of London and closer to the £300 in London. The best dermatologists I know both in and outside London are roughly around that mark. Ask how long the consultation is. You should expect it to be booked for 30 minutes. You are paying for the time. Ask if there is a prescription charge. Some places charge £30-£75 for the doctor to write the prescription. That isn’t the cost of the actual medicine – just the cost of writing the script.
Check to see what the doctor promotes or sells in their clinic. Are they selling or promoting a lot of cosmetic skincare brands? Are they expensive? I would see that as a red flag It is my opinion that doctors should not be selling skincare products in their practice. And they definitely should not be selling prescription products and possibly making a profit from that.
Doctors are not allowed to make a profit from the sale of prescription medicines.
Check to see if their clinic has lots of gadgets like radiofrequency machines or promotes things like ‘medical’ facials or peels. This is another red flag. Lasers have a very limited number of indications (acne scars, resurfacing for photodamage, removing redness and dilated capillaries). I work hard to make sure the treatments I suggest or prescribe are affordable. A compounded topical is usually about £35 for 15 ml. Roaccutane is usually about £40 for 2 months of treatment. Many of the tablet treatments I prescribe are generic medicines so they don’t cost more than a NHS prescription charge usually. I can get patients a full blood screen for £60 (but you do it yourself at home! It’s not as bad as it sounds). We all work hard for our money and I am not in the business of ripping people off.
And I try to get my patients the best prices for everything – I don’t make a profit off of prescriptions or blood tests so it’s in my best interest to make it all as affordable as possible. I discuss this all with my patients. I don’t want anyone to be unable to get the best treatment for their skin problem because of cost. I will never suggest you purchase a vitamin C serum for £150 or get a peel for £800. I will never try and sell you a box of skincare products for £600. You don’t need that, no one needs that. All you need is the right diagnosis and a knowledgeable, honest doctor. If you want some Consultant Derm recommendations, please DM me. I don’t know any derms in Europe but I know a lot of great ones throughout the UK as well as in London and a few in Dubai and in Australia and NZ.