Preparing for a Dermatology Visit: What to Bring and Expect

A dermatology appointment is often short, and the skin problem you have lived with for months has to be explained in a few minutes. A little preparation helps you get across what matters, and it helps the doctor see the whole picture. This page pulls together what the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the Skin Cancer Foundation and DermNet say about preparing, what an exam can involve, and what follow-up looks like. Clinics differ, so any instructions your own clinic gives you should come first.

Before you book

There can be a wait to see a dermatologist, and the AAD suggests booking as early as you can, and booking routine visits several weeks or even months ahead. It also recommends briefly explaining your concern to the receptionist or in the online form. If a mole is itching, bleeding or changing, say so, because dermatologists try to fit urgent issues in as soon as possible. Asking whether the office keeps a waitlist for cancellations is another idea the AAD mentions (AAD: How to select a dermatologist).

What to bring

The AAD suggests a notebook and pen. In it, write your questions, because it is hard to remember them all in the room, and list every medicine, vitamin and supplement you take, including non-prescription products such as those for acne. The reason it gives is practical: something you take could be contributing to a skin, hair or nail concern, and some medicines may interact with others.

Beyond the list, the sources point to several other items. Know your family history, since many skin conditions run in families and it matters especially if a blood relative has had skin cancer or another serious disease. Bring a copy of any lab results or tissue sample results from another doctor, which can help the dermatologist reach a diagnosis and avoid repeat testing. The AAD's guidance for remote visits adds a timeline of when your current symptoms began, your allergies, previous skin problems, major illnesses or surgeries, and illnesses in the family (AAD: Telemedicine, how to prepare for your appointment). Skin changes over time, so a dated sequence of notes is useful.

Photographs can help for conditions that come and go. The Skin Cancer Foundation suggests bringing smartphone photos of spots that have changed over time (Skin Cancer Foundation: Annual skin exams). The AAD also suggests, for photos taken for a remote visit, multiple well-lit pictures that clearly show the area, and avoiding a hot shower, rubbing or picking at the skin, or applying skin care products just beforehand. If a rash has flared and faded, a photo from the worst day can show the doctor what they will not see in the room.

On the day: bare skin and easy clothes

The AAD says not to wear makeup, nail polish, heavy moisturiser or other skin treatments, because the dermatologist needs to see your bare skin and nails. If you must wear makeup, bring what you need to remove it. The Skin Cancer Foundation gives the same advice for skin checks and adds that hair should be loose so the scalp can be seen, with ponytails, buns and clips taken out. Clothes that are easy to remove make the exam quicker and less awkward.

What the skin exam can involve

Many appointments focus on one area, such as a rash on the arms. A full-body skin check is different. The Skin Cancer Foundation describes it this way: you undress and put on a medical exam gown, and the dermatologist looks over the whole skin surface, including hard-to-see places such as the scalp, back, buttocks, behind the ears and between the toes. They may use a handheld magnifier called a dermatoscope. Underwear usually stays on unless you have a concern about a spot on your genitals. The Foundation says that if you have never had atypical moles or skin cancer, the exam is likely to take about 10 minutes, and that if a spot looks suspicious the doctor may remove all or part of it for laboratory analysis.

The same site recommends a dermatologist visit once a year as part of an early detection strategy, and says people at higher risk should go more often. Recommendations about routine checks differ by country and organisation, as the page on skin cancer screening basics explains. Your doctor can advise what suits you.

Questions worth asking

The AAD encourages you to ask your dermatologist to explain anything unfamiliar in simple, plain language, and to write down the medical names of any conditions mentioned so you can read about them later. The questions below are suggestions that fit most visits, not a script.

• What is the likely diagnosis, and what else could it be?
• Do I need any tests, such as a scraping, patch test or biopsy, and what will they tell us?
• What should I expect over the coming weeks, and what would be a reason to get in touch sooner?
• When and how will I hear about any results?

Possible tests: patch test or biopsy

Some visits end with a test. DermNet describes patch testing as a way to find substances that cause allergic contact dermatitis. Diluted allergens on tapes are applied, usually to the back, and the patches stay on for 48 hours. The skin is read 48 hours after removal, which means 96 hours in total, because reactions usually take 48 to 96 hours to develop (DermNet: Patch tests). The allergens tested include a baseline series plus extras chosen from your work, body site, suspected exposures or your own products, so a list of what you use at home and work is helpful. Follow your clinic's specific instructions about the patches and about your skin and medicines beforehand.

If a biopsy is suggested, the page on what to expect from a skin biopsy describes the types, numbing, stitches and results timing. DermNet notes that bleeding is more of a concern with bleeding tendencies or blood-thinning medicines such as warfarin or aspirin, which is another reason the medicine list matters. Do not stop or change any medicine unless your own doctor tells you to.

What follow-up looks like

Follow-up depends on the problem. The AAD notes that the dermatologist may want another appointment, in person or remote, to see whether the skin condition is improving, and it advises keeping the follow-up visits they recommend. In practice that can mean a review of how a treatment is working, a result discussion after a test, or a recheck of a spot. Keeping the notebook going between visits, with what changed and what you tried, makes the next appointment more useful. For how a diagnosis is built and why it sometimes changes, see how dermatologists diagnose skin conditions.

The short version

Bring a written list of medicines and supplements, a short timeline, questions, and any photos of changes, and arrive with bare skin and nails. Expect the exam to be thorough but usually brief, and be ready for the possibility of a patch test or biopsy. Your own clinic's instructions come first, and follow-up visits are a normal part of getting to a clear answer.