Should You Go to Urgent Care for Skin Issues?

The Best Care for Skin Issues - Now

At Northeast Dermatology, we pride ourselves on the comprehensive and quality care we provide for our patients. Another factor that differentiates our practice is the access we give our patients to that care, which is why we offer same-day and next-day appointments for emergent issues.

Going to Urgent Care for Skin Issues - Not the Best Fit

The nationwide average wait time to see a dermatologist is between 4-6 weeks and can be significantly longer for non-established patients and in rural areas. Patients at a local university system have been known to wait up to nine months for the next available dermatology appointment. This perception (and reality in many regions) has lead many patients to believe that they have to look elsewhere for their urgent and acute skin problems.  

It is a rare day at our practice that we don’t see a patient that is struggling to control their skin problems after seeking care from an alternative provider, illustrating why it isn't ideal to go to urgent care for skin issues. The reality is that outside of the field of dermatology, most providers only receive rudimentary training on skin diseases.  

Urgent Care for Skin Issues Happens at the Dermatology Office. Not at Urgent Care.

If your provider has to take out a textbook, bring in three colleagues to confer, or use Google in the room to try and figure out how to treat you, then it is probably a coin flip as to whether you will receive an accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Maybe you decide to get care from your home. Numerous telemedicine alternatives are becoming widespread as a care option as well. However, training of these providers varies wildly and even the best dermatologists can struggle when not given an optimal history and exam environment including proper lighting and tactile feedback.  

Need Urgent Care for Skin Issues? Call. We Can See You.

Our patients can get the right diagnosis and treatment the first time. We pride ourselves on access and it would be rare for our patients to wait more than a few days to be seen, with same-day appointments typically available for urgent conditions. It will save you frustration, anxiety, money, and time in the end, with fewer visits and fewer copays. 

Make Northeast Dermatology your first call for any new skin problems.