Calling all Seattle folks - need good dermatologist rec
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free skin care · Fri Aug 31, 2007 10:47 am

Hi Seattle EDS folks, I've been wanting to switch to a good dermatologist that has a focus on cosmetic dermatology, but not of the laser variety. (And not someone whose main interests are skin cancer and severe eczema - I want a derm who's about being pretty!)

I saw Jettie Person a few years ago, and absolutely hated it. The office is awful and cramped and the staff is rude, she's always behind schedule and it takes three months to get in if you're a new patient, and she's not at all holistic in her approach and doesn't really care to take your wishes into account - I walked out with three prescriptions I didn't want and no questions answered about the possible causes for my issues.

So I'm on the hunt. I liked the look of Paula Zook at The Polyclinic, but there are no reviews of her that I can find. I don't mind visiting different folks until I find the right fit, since my benefits plan allows for several office visits per year to any specialist, but I want to find a good fit sooner rather than later.

If any of you have had positive or negative dermatologist experiences in the Seattle area, could you please weigh in? I'd love to know whom you visited, for what services if you're comfortable listing them, and overall how you liked them. Oh, and I live and work near Capitol Hill/north end of downtown, so I prefer people in that range, but I'm absolutely willing to travel for a fabulous dermatologist, I just haven't found reason to yet.

Thanks so much!

free skin care · Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:18 am

I recently went to a derm for the 1st time 2 weeks ago. I was getting really deep painful acne on my chin that wasn't responding to my usual bag-o-tricks and was getting worse.

I work in Redomnd so I called a few offices on the east side. The derm @ the Pro Sports Club looked really good but was booked out for 2-3 months. A large derm practice wasn't taking any new patients (I forget the name, Eastside Dermalogical Associates?) My physician is at the Polyclinc so I figured I'd try them. I was shocked when they said the 1st available appointment was in 2 days Smile

Paula Zook is on maternity leave so John Streidl was filling in for her. He was nice, answered all my questions and had a sound plan (although, it's not like acne is a big mystery). The appointment was pretty short < 15 min, but I really didn't need a lot of time. He focused on the acne treatment and didn't volunteer any suggestions or recommendations for any other aspects of my skin (like getting the post acne dark spots to fade). He also didn't get up close and inspect my skin. I don't know if that's normal for a derm. Obviously he could see the zits and scars from a distance (I swear, some of them can be seen from space!) but I guess I'm used to esthicians who give you a thorough inspection.

I think that the derm at pro sports club would have been more into making recommendations beyond fixing the acne, since she's affiliated with their Spa. But I don't know if she'd also be more on the hard sell for products and procedures.

FWIW, since I'm already on the pill, Streidl gave me diffrin, cyclamycin and tetracyclyn. He said if that doesn't work, give a call and we can try something else.

free skin care · Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:29 am

Cool, thanks so much for weighing in here, Julie! Good to know that Dr. Zook isn't available now, as I may keep my eye on her and come back to her - maybe this is unfair or shallow of me, but I'm sort of biased in favor of a) female and b) pretty dermatologists. You know? Jettie Person was female, but she was very unkempt looking, and it was just clear that appearances were not why she was into dermatology. I think that's great and all for a certain sector, and obviously if I had a more specific skin condition or a skin cancer issue, I'd want someone who specialized in that direction.

But since I want holistic and natural BEAUTY out of this, I gravitate towards doctors who seem to give a flying fig leaf (Carekate's expression that I'm stealing because I love it!) about their appearance. I want a doctor who understands where I'm coming from! Especially since I'm paying good money for both the appointment and whatever treatment they prescribe. I also didn't want someone who was all about Botox or a certain spa line (totally understand your concerns about the one from ProSports there), though I'm pretty good at holding my own against pushy sales folks.

What I REALLY want is a naturopath who specializes in dermatology, but is willing to dabble in Western stuff if need be. Kind of an impossible Holy Grail there, I know, so I'm doing my best!

And bummer - today is my last day working in Redmond, or I would maybe have tried to get in with the Pro Club's derm like you suggested! It's right around the corner from me, and directly across the street from my boyfriend's office! But alas - the Polyclinic is right by my new job I start next week plus near my apartment, so I think I'll keep that in mind. I don't know if I'll wait for Zook to come back or not, but I'm very glad to hear that you weren't horrified, even if they weren't as specific or in-depth as you might have hoped.

Again, thanks for the feedback - every last bit helps!

free skin care · Fri Aug 31, 2007 6:36 pm

You could see if anyone at Bastyr has a recommendation? I don't really mess with naturopaths so I'm not much help there.

I'll give a holler if I have any more derm experiences. I haven't had any any breakouts since the 1st visit so (fingers crossed) I won't have anything more to report.

free skin care · Fri Aug 31, 2007 6:51 pm

Heh, unfortunately, Bastyr is where I got the Jettie Person rec - apparently she's one of their "referral file" peeps. Ah well, thanks anyway for chiming in about the Polyclinic, I definitely appreciate it!

free skin care · Thu Oct 25, 2007 3:26 pm

In case any Seattle EDS folks are interested, I just visited Paula Zook today (she's back from maternity leave now). I had a really great dermatologist experience for the first time in my life -- and I'm PICKY, man!

The cons: They book fifteen-minute time slots for normal appointments, and only half-hour ones for more complex ones which include nurse chat time and waiting time, so you feel a bit rushed no matter what. But that's kind of to be expected at places like that.

The pros: She's super knowledgeable, friendly, pretty (no more going to crusty old men with scary eyebrows for my beauty needs -- I wanted a derm who got where I was coming from!) and helpful, and she gave me TONS of information about the possible solutions for my issues. She diagnosed a condition I've been frustrated over that no other derm had put their finger on, and she said a certain oral medicine can help but said she knew that might not jibe with my hippie health preferences. She then proceeded to rattle off a massive list of potential side effects, and answered all my many questions about this and that.

She also asked me about the skincare products I make myself, indulged a bunch of questions about sun protection, and helped me make a decision about Retin-A (which I decided to go back on after many years of not using it, in the hopes that it helps chill out my cystic hormonal acne). She seemed to have a really great appreciation for how all the body's systems work together to cause symptoms, and she was very cool about respecting my more natural preferences, while informing me about less-natural options. She also specialized in some female-specific issues that were part of the package, and she asked me a LOT about my menstrual and hormonal birth control past to get a clear picture of what was going on.

A+++++++++. Like I said, I (as many EDSers) am a pick gal when it comes to skin, so a dermatologist doesn't exactly have it easy when I walk into their office. Smile

But this was a really great visit, and I highly recommend her to any other gals in the area! I don't know about parking costs, as I bused/walked, but I did see a garage so that's nice, given that the Capitol Hill/First Hill area can really suck for that.

And a bonus, both receptionists who checked me in were super-sweet and helpful, unlike the really nasty one I got on the phone when I originally booked the appointment. Hey, given that four out of the five people I interacted with were awesome, I'd say that's a pretty good ratio for a big ole clinic like that!

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