Dealing With Difficult Doctors When It Comes To Acne Products

I’m 25 and very fed up having spots all the time. My family doctor is usually really good but when I went to him yesterday, about my spots, he told me that he didn’t see what the problem was and that he wouldn’t recommend any acne products until I have looked at my lifestyle. I think this is not very helpful – what should I have said?

Start positively and tell him that you usually find him helpful and really good! Then you can say that you are disappointed with his response on this occasion, as you are upset by your spots and have found out from the Acne Support Group that there are no ‘lifestyle’ issues in acne. Ask if he is willing to treat you for this or whether one of his partners (unless he is single-handed) could see you for your skin while you remain with him for the other things he has obviously dealt with well in the past.

If he is single-handed, you will have to weigh up whether it might be worth changing doctors – remembering that he is good in other areas. Try listing those things that he may think affect your acne, such as diet, washing and so on, and show him how they have no effect at all. This will indicate to him that you have been willing to go some way towards doing as you have been asked while proving that lifestyle has no influence. You have then paved the way for your doctor to have no option but to help you find the best acne products for your skin type.

My acne is worse on my back than on my face, but of course I can hide that with clothes. I have been getting treatments (tablets and creams) from my GP. When I showed her my back last time, she nearly fell off her chair and exclaimed, without thinking about my feelings, ‘Oh, goodness me, that is a mess’ and referred me to a dermatologist. Why didn’t she ask to look at my back before? I felt like a freak and really disgusted with myself.

Oh, dear! The problem started before this last consultation. It is very important to examine people with skin problems all over but this often doesn’t happen. GPs don’t get any formal training in dermatology so sometimes don’t take a good history or examine patients fully enough. In a busy surgery it can be tempting to see the acne on your face and go straight into treatment. You may also be part of the problem if you didn’t tell her that you had acne on your back as well. Her exclamation might have been because she realised that she had not been treating the whole of you, but she has done the right thing now in referring you.