Can You Replace Your Dermatologist with Your Smartphone?

Self Magazine

by Alexandra Samuel


Courtesy photo
Courtesy photo

These days, your smartphone can stand in for all kinds of people in your life: a chef, a personal trainer, an on-call financial advisor. You name it, there's an app for it. And now, your smartphone may be able to sub in for your dermatologist. Pocket Derm is a brand-new app and website that asks you to fill out a questionnaire and upload pictures of the area(s) of concern, then sends you a customized Pocket Derm skin care prescription -- all for only $30 per month. Think of it like an incredibly customized Proactive kit. But, I mean, is that legit? After all, we're talking about replacing a living, breathing MD with a technological algorithim. So since we were so skeptical, we caught up with two of New York's best dermatologists to get the scoop.


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Teledermatology (which is basically what Pocket Derm is) can help treat patients who can't get to an in-person derm visit, but is most certainly not a perfect science, since an in-person visit lets the doctor review regimen options, discuss exactly how to use it, and give complimentary skin care advice, says Joshua Zeichner, M.D., Director of Cosmetic & Clinical Research at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Misdiagnosis can lead to scarring, too, which is a major downer.

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Echoing Dr. Zeichner's sentiments was fellow dermatologist, Dr. Amy Wechsler, noting it's even harder to find out what the root of a problem is without in-person conversation. "You don't know if the issue is worse during certain times of the month, habits, consistency, scarring or other issues, etc. This will prevent you from prescribing the most effective treatment as a fair amount of guesswork would be needed to come up with a skin regimen," she adds.

The bottom line? You should always see the doc. Find a good derm in your area on the AAD Website. Better safe than scarry, right?

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