What to Expect at Your
First Dermatology Visit

A first dermatology visit is straightforward. You will fill out a short history, change into a gown if you are having a full-body skin exam, and spend about 20 minutes with your provider, who will examine your skin, often with a handheld magnifier called a dermatoscope, discuss what they find, and start treatment the same day when possible. If a spot needs a closer look, a skin biopsy takes a few minutes under local anesthesia and results return in about one to two weeks. Belaray Dermatology sees new patients at both offices, in Hicksville and Stony Brook, and this guide explains how to get the most from the visit.

How Do I Prepare for a Dermatology Appointment?

• Bring your insurance card, a photo ID, and your FSA or HSA card if you have one. Some HMO and Medicare Advantage plans require a referral from your primary care doctor; check your plan before the visit. See insurance plans we accept.
• List every medication and supplement you take, including blood thinners, and any medication allergies. Several skin conditions and treatments interact with other medicines.
• Write down your skin history: when the problem started, what makes it better or worse, what you have already tried (including over-the-counter products), and any personal or family history of skin cancer, melanoma, eczema, or psoriasis.
• Take photos of a rash or spot when it is active, since rashes often calm down by the appointment day.
• Bring the products you use on the area, or photos of their ingredient lists, especially for a facial rash or suspected allergy.
• Arrive with clean skin. Skip makeup, nail polish, and heavy lotion on the day of a skin check so the provider can see your face, nails, and skin clearly. Wear your hair loose or bring a clip so the scalp can be examined.
• Note the spots that worry you and point them out first. A small sticker or a note on your phone helps you remember.

What Happens During the Visit?

Check-In and History

You will confirm your information, complete a brief medical history, and tell the medical assistant the reason for your visit. New-patient forms can be completed in advance to save time.

The Skin Examination

For a focused visit (a specific rash, mole, or concern), the provider examines the area in question and anything related to it. For a full-body skin exam, you change into a gown and the provider examines your skin from scalp to soles, including the ears, between the toes, the nails, and areas you cannot see yourself. A chaperone is available on request. The provider uses a dermatoscope, a handheld magnifier with polarized light, to look at pigment patterns and blood vessels that are not visible to the naked eye; this is how a benign mole is distinguished from one that needs a biopsy. The exam itself takes 10 to 15 minutes. See our guide to annual skin exams.

Diagnosis and Plan

Most skin conditions are diagnosed by their appearance and history, so you will usually leave with a diagnosis and a plan the same day. The provider will explain what they see, show you how to use any prescription, and tell you when to follow up. Ask for the diagnosis in writing or a printed after-visit summary if it helps.

What Treatments Can Happen the Same Day?

Many problems are treated at the first visit, which is one reason to see a dermatologist rather than waiting:

• Prescriptions for acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, rashes, and infections, sent electronically to your pharmacy.
• Freezing (cryotherapy) of warts, precancerous actinic keratoses, and some benign growths.
• A cortisone injection into a painful cyst, a keloid, or an alopecia areata patch.
• Removal or biopsy of a suspicious or irritated growth.
• Drainage of an abscess or an inflamed cyst.

How Does a Skin Biopsy Work?

If a spot cannot be confidently identified by examination, the provider will recommend a biopsy, which is the only way to know for certain what a growth is. It is a quick office procedure:

1. The area is cleaned and numbed with a small injection of local anesthetic. The injection stings for a few seconds; after that the procedure is painless.
2. A sample is taken. A shave biopsy removes the top of the growth with a thin blade and needs no stitches. A punch biopsy removes a small round core, usually 3 to 4 millimeters, and may be closed with one or two stitches. An excisional biopsy removes the whole growth and is closed with stitches.
3. Bleeding is stopped, a bandage is applied, and you receive written wound-care instructions. You can drive home and return to normal activity.
4. The sample is examined under the microscope by a pathologist. Results typically return in one to two weeks, and the office contacts you with the result and next steps. Ask how you will be notified before you leave.

A biopsy leaves a small scar, usually a flat pale spot the size of the sample. If a skin cancer is found, the next step is usually a scheduled treatment such as Mohs surgery for cancers on the face or an excision elsewhere.

What Questions Should I Ask My Dermatologist?

• What is my diagnosis, and how certain are you?
• What is causing it, and what makes it worse?
• What are my treatment options, and what are the pros and cons of each?
• How long until I should see improvement, and what should I do if I do not?
• How exactly do I use this medication, for how long, and what side effects should I watch for?
• Is this covered by my insurance, or is there a less expensive alternative?
• Which over-the-counter products should I use or stop?
• How often should I have a skin exam, and what changes should bring me back sooner?
• How will I get my biopsy results, and whom do I call with questions?

Insurance, Costs, and FSA

Medical dermatology visits are covered by most insurance plans, subject to your copay and deductible. Participation varies by plan product, so call or text to verify your specific plan before scheduling, and bring a referral if your plan requires one. Cosmetic treatments are not covered by insurance. Medical visits, biopsies, prescriptions, and SPF 15+ sunscreen are eligible expenses for a flexible spending or health savings account, and both offices accept FSA and HSA debit cards; see our FSA and HSA guide. Itemized statements are available on request, and bills can be paid online.

Visiting With a Child

Children are seen for eczema, warts, molluscum, acne, rashes, birthmarks, and hair and nail problems. A parent or guardian stays in the room, and the exam is adapted to the child’s age. Bring photos of any rash, a list of products used on the child’s skin, and the child’s own questions. See pediatric dermatology.

Where and When

Belaray’s Hicksville office is at 358 S Oyster Bay Road, Hicksville, NY 11801, open by appointment Monday and Wednesday 7 am to 7 pm, Tuesday 7 am to 4 pm, Thursday 9 am to 4 pm, and Friday 7 am to 3 pm. The Stony Brook office is at 2500 Nesconset Hwy #20B, Stony Brook, NY 11790, open Monday through Thursday 8 am to 4 pm and Friday 8 am to 2 pm. Both are closed on weekends. Appointments can be booked online 24 hours a day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I not do before a dermatologist appointment?

Do not wear makeup, nail polish, or heavy lotion to a skin check, since they hide the skin and nails the provider needs to see. Do not pick at or treat a rash with new products in the days before the visit, because that changes its appearance. Do not stop prescription medications on your own. Do take photos of the problem when it is active and bring a list of your medications and products.

Do I have to undress for a skin exam?

For a full-body skin exam, yes. You change into a gown and the provider examines your skin from scalp to soles, including areas you cannot see yourself, since skin cancers can appear anywhere. Underwear can stay on and is moved aside only as needed, and a chaperone is available on request. For a focused visit about a specific spot or rash, only the relevant area needs to be exposed.

How long does a dermatology appointment take?

Plan on about 20 minutes with the provider for a new-patient visit or a full-body skin exam, plus check-in time. A focused visit for a single concern can be shorter. If a biopsy, freezing, or injection is done the same day, add 10 to 15 minutes. Completing new-patient forms in advance shortens the visit.

Does a skin biopsy hurt?

The only discomfort is the injection of local anesthetic, which stings for a few seconds. After that the biopsy itself is painless and takes a few minutes. The area may be mildly tender for a day or two and heals over one to two weeks, leaving a small flat scar. Most patients return to normal activity immediately.

How long do skin biopsy results take?

Usually one to two weeks. The sample is processed and examined under a microscope by a pathologist, and the office contacts you with the result and any next steps. Ask at your visit how you will be notified. If the result shows a skin cancer, the next step is a scheduled treatment such as Mohs surgery or an excision, not an emergency.

Do I need a referral to see a dermatologist?

It depends on your insurance. Most PPO and commercial plans do not require a referral. Some HMO plans and some Medicare Advantage plans require a referral from your primary care doctor before a dermatology visit. Check your plan, and bring the referral to your appointment if one is needed. Self-pay patients never need a referral.

What should I bring to my first dermatology appointment?

Your insurance card, a photo ID, your FSA or HSA card if you have one, a referral if your plan requires it, a list of all medications and supplements, a list of skin products you use, photos of the rash or spot when it was active, and your questions. Arrive with clean skin, no makeup or nail polish, and hair that can be moved aside for a scalp check.

Related reading: annual skin exams, skin cancer screening, mole removal, our FSA and HSA guide, and the patient education hub.