Dermatologists in Pinehurst, NC

Most skin problems are not urgent, and a few are, so this comes first. Go to an emergency department for a red or painful area of skin that is spreading fast, for a rash with blistering or peeling skin along with a fever, or for skin pain that is far worse than the skin looks. That instruction is ours rather than any one source's, and we would rather label it than let it read as sourced. Your clinician is the right person to confirm that line.

What the sources say is worth reading alongside it. MedlinePlus describes necrotizing soft tissue infection as a rare but very severe bacterial infection that can destroy muscle, skin, and underlying tissue, developing after something as small as a cut or scrape. It says a small red painful lump or bump spreads, then a very painful bruise-like area develops and grows rapidly, sometimes in less than an hour, and that treatment is needed right away to prevent death. Its own routing instruction is to contact your provider right away if symptoms of infection occur around a skin injury, including drainage of pus or blood, fever, pain, redness, or swelling. On cellulitis, MedlinePlus lists fever with chills and sweating and skin redness or inflammation that gets bigger as the infection spreads among the symptoms, and routes anyone with symptoms of cellulitis to contacting their provider right away.

The blistering case has its own name. MedlinePlus describes Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis as a severe skin reaction most often triggered by particular medications, which often begins with a fever and flu-like symptoms before the skin blisters and peels into very painful raw areas that resemble a severe hot-water burn. It says the condition also damages mucous membranes in most affected people, including the lining of the mouth and the airways, which can cause trouble swallowing and breathing, and that it often affects the eyes. It calls the disease life-threatening. None of these pages is a reason to spend time searching a directory.

Dermatologists diagnose and treat conditions of the skin, hair, and nails: acne, eczema, psoriasis, suspicious moles, rashes, hair loss, and more. Many also offer cosmetic procedures such as laser treatment, fillers, and chemical peels, though insurance typically covers only medical visits.

Whether to have a baseline skin exam when you have no symptoms is less settled than it sounds. The US Preventive Services Task Force concluded in its April 2023 recommendation that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of visual skin examination by a clinician to screen for skin cancer in adolescents and adults, and it says clinicians should use their judgment when deciding whether to screen. It is explicit about who that does not cover: the recommendation does not apply to people with a personal or family history of skin cancer, and it does not apply to people with symptoms such as changes in the size, shape, or color of skin growths, or irregular moles. If you are in either of those groups, this is a conversation to have with a clinician rather than a question this page can answer.

One detail from the same Task Force summary is worth carrying, because it changes where people look. It says melanoma is about 30 times more common in White persons than in Black persons, that persons with darker skin color are often diagnosed at later stages when skin cancer is more difficult to treat, and that the most common type of melanoma among Black persons occurs mostly on skin not frequently exposed to direct sunlight, such as the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, or under the fingernails or toenails.

A primary-care provider is a reasonable place to start with a skin complaint, and whether it needs a specialist is a judgement for the clinician who sees it rather than one this page can make for you. What is worth taking to a dermatologist directly: a skin issue that is persistent or visibly changing, a new or growing mole, a sore that will not heal, or an irregular-looking lesion. Fast-spreading, febrile, or severely painful skin belongs in the first section of this page rather than this one.

Referral rules are set by your plan rather than by the dermatologist, so check your plan documents or call the number on your insurance card. The provider profiles below list accepted insurance so you can rule out mismatches before calling.