Out Out Damn Spot!

January 4, 2018 5:34 PM

I have a few solar keratosis spots and a few broken capillaries on my (fair-skinned) face, and it is time for them to go. I live in Los Angeles, home of one million doctors and doctor-facsimiles who want to make my face JUST GORGEOUS at any (and all) cost. I am really inexperienced about skin things and don't know where to start here. How do I find the person who can fix these little spots for me? Yelp is scaring me - there are plenty of options but everyone is using jargon and procedure names that make me want to run. Do you have general tips for me, or even specific people to recommend? I don't know if I need an esthetician, a dermatologist or a plastic surgeon (just kidding)(but also, not totally kidding? the lines seem so blurry). Thank you!
posted by andreapandrea to Health & Fitness (5 answers total)

Best answer: Forget Yelp. Go to realself. You will find reviews of the doctors in your area as well as people's blow-by-blow blog posts about their procedures, real before and after pics, and questions answered by multiple cosmetic professionals which lets you research both the procedure itself and a particular physician's attitude.

You probably want a dermatologist.

You can post a picture of your problem and ask the best resolution. The responses you get from different doctors are a good starting point for research.

What are some of the terms that make you nervous? I absolutely love this stuff and would be happy to chat with you about it.

Also, start wearing sunscreen every day! Not products with sunscreen in them. Dedicated sunscreen.
posted by windykites at 6:46 PM on January 4, 2018 [6 favorites]

Best answer: I had several moles on my face. Went to a dermatologist first to have them evaluated. First time I went the dermatologist removed some that weren't 'dangerous' that I wanted removed. The next time the dermatologist wouldn't remove them unless they seemed 'dangerous' and referred me to a plastic surgeon. More monies that way I believe. However, if I were you I would start with a dermatologist then see it they remove or refer.
posted by PJMoore at 6:51 PM on January 4, 2018

Best answer: Oh my gosh, Dr Zoe! She's down in La Jolla so you'd have to make a day of it but she is exactly what you need, whether you decide together to go with a procedure or just topical products. She was a military anaesthesiologist whose melasma during her pregnancy inspired her to turn her practice toward aesthetic medicine. She's wonderful.
posted by le_salvo at 9:28 PM on January 4, 2018

Best answer: If you go the route of a laser peel to remove skin discoloration and spots, be aware that recovery time can be way longer than advertised, especially for light complexions. I had a "weekend" recovery-level peel last year that made my face red, raw and swollen for over a month and left severe red blotches for six months. My face did look better after SIX months, tho. It was traumatic but apparently I was an exception according to the Dr., who is actually very good.
posted by waving at 5:34 AM on January 5, 2018

Best answer: Way back when I lived in LA I went to this place and had a lamprobe treatment for my broken capillaries. In literally 10 minutes they were all gone, and it was virtually painless and you could barely tell I had had anything done when I left. It looks like they also can do keratosis. If I still lived there, I would go back and get a few more things done, I remember it being quite inexpensive as well.
posted by nanook at 8:15 AM on January 5, 2018