Is My Dermatologist a Prude?

[kcowan]

...What I don't get is how the dermatologists tell what is dangerous and what isn't. My then-wife had some rather large moles which concerned her but the doc dismissed them with what seemed like a sub-millisecond look. Others that looked like nothing to us concerned him greatly and were removed.

That is why we pay the big bucks! Mine are always dismissed as sebaceous keratosis, big ugly irregular masses all over my back, front, sides and legs. I keep my shirt on to prevent scaring small children!

But I am on a 4-year cycle. So he is not overly concerned.

 

[braumeister]

What I don't get is how the dermatologists tell what is dangerous and what isn't.

According to my dermatologist, the two main things to note when you examine a mole are:

• Irregular shape (most harmless ones are more or less round)
• Black (most harmless ones are more or less dark brown)

Of course the pro will have many more criteria, but for most of us those are the most noticeable things when we examine ourselves.

 

[Dare]

I think the official mnemonic of things to watch out for is ABCDE:

Asymmetry (uneven in size)
Border (uneven borders)
Color (multiple colors)
Diameter (larger)
Evolving (if it's changing)

But I also recommend that if a mole of any description gives you a bad feeling, just get it removed. It's a minor procedure, and if you catch something early it's totally worth it. My dad had a mole removed that had no color and was symmetrical; it just looked a little irritated around the edges. And it was melanoma.

This thread is a great reminder for me to make sure I'm getting checked regularly. I've had trouble finding a doctor that does a thorough check - so many just glance at what they can easily see and call it good. I'd love to find one of the really detail-oriented doctors some of you have described. I don't suppose anyone knows a good one in the Milwaukee area?

 

[swakyaby]

I suppose my dermatologist falls somewhere in-between: His office staff has me strip to my underwear and I am given a paper gown. He starts by asking me if I noticed any skin areas of concern. His examination goes over my face, ears, hairline, neck, between the fingers, between the toes, armpits, torso. He especially scrutinizes the lower legs because he says he often finds the most worrisome skin lesions there on women. When it comes to the underwear, he lowers the front until it reaches the pubic hair, but did not peek inside. On the back, he stretches the underwear elastic to fully expose both butt cheeks.

He and my primary care doc have recommended annual skin exams. I have no history or family history of skin cancer, but I am fair-skinned.

 

[Amethyst]

We are waiting on a couple of skin biopsies for Mr. A. He's had a Moh's procedure in the past, but there's no telling what will be needed until the lab results. The dermatologist took one look at his face, said, "That one's cancer, needs a biopsy. That one's precancerous and we'll just freeze the heck out of it." They looked the same to me!

The dermatologist did say that anything that looks like "a sticker you can peel off" (which Mr. A. has on his back, and I consider rather cute) is generally harmless.

 

[splitwdw]

Maybe Al's dermatologist wanted to get him in and out quickly. From posts on this forum, Al seems to be a showman/jokester. Maybe he says things he thinks are funny to dermatologist but aren't.

 

[timo2]

The best dermatologist I had closely checked everywhere, including private areas. Since then I see PA's and they don't check down there. So I had the actual dr. inspect one day, and he only did a snap look. very alarming. I expect any of these people to be thorough and professional.

 

[Moemg]

My dermatologist went over every area of my body .She is knock dead gorgeous so when my SO wanted a dermatologist I suggested her but my SO wanted a guy .He goes to her husband who is also super thorough.

 

[redduck]

My dermatologist went over every area of my body .She is knock dead gorgeous so when my SO wanted a dermatologist I suggested her but my SO wanted a guy .He goes to her husband who is also super thorough.

Three thousand miles is a reasonable distance. Does she accept Medicare?

 

[Moemg]

My new dermatologist is gorgeous. I want her to thoroughly examine my body at least once a week, but her admin said that this is not permitted. So, I guess I'm on the once-a-year schedule. Too bad.

I think Socca & I have the same dermatologist and she does accept Medicare and is very nice .