Why honesty is key when we treat your acne

Why I will never sell you acne products or treatments you don’t need

Dr Fatima Ahmed

Acne is a complex condition that can have a serious impact on your self-confidence.  As an expert dermatologist, my aim is always to do what is best for your condition and give you the best possible advice

The most important thing about acne is often not how serious it is, but how it impacts your self-image and self-confidence.  I see everything from mild to severe acne on a daily basis; sometimes the people with the mildest acne feel most self-conscious about it.  My aim is always to treat the spots and then any other side effects, such as scarring and hyperpigmentation, in the most appropriate way to give you the best possible skin as quickly as possible.

Choosing the most appropriate treatment

However, achieving the best results as quickly as possible doesn’t mean reaching straight for the nuclear option.  For example, a lot of patients come in asking for Roaccutane; generally, they have a friend who has used it successfully, so they are keen to try it.  However, Roaccutane is a very strong drug with lots of potentially serious side effects.  If you have only mild or moderate acne, it’s not an appropriate treatment; we have plenty of other options that can bring the condition under control without the risk of these harmful side effects.

On the other hand, if someone comes to me with very severe acne that I know will be stubborn and resistant to other solutions, I will refer them back the NHS for Roaccutane as the most appropriate treatment (Roaccutane is available through consultants on the NHS, so I always advise patients to take this route as it will be most cost-effective for them).  Significantly, over the course of a year, I will see only a couple of patients for whom Roaccutane is the best option; for the rest, we generally achieve fantastic results for mild to severe acne through our treatments ranging from topical creams to laser resurfacing.

Honesty and transparency

I will never act as a shopkeeper, selling products for profit.  I will always give you the right opinion and tell you what is best for your symptoms, in my expert opinion.  The final decision always lies with the patient, so you are free to get a second opinion.  But for patients who choose to take my advice, I offer a holistic service, looking to tackle all the symptoms of the acne with a range of treatments, starting with the least aggressive first.

My approach is patient centred – I act at all times in the patient’s best interests, with honesty and transparency underpinning this.

Book a no-obligation consultation to discuss acne treatment and other dermatology procedures with Dr Fatima Ahmed

Call 01892 22 22 22

Meet the expert

Dr Fatima Ahmed is a speciality doctor in dermatology and aesthetics, with special interests in acne, mole and skin lesion diagnosis.  With medical qualifications from Pakistan, Canada, the UK and USA, she achieved academic distinction at Cardiff University and received the Chancellor International Scholarship award at the University of Hertfordshire.  She has worked in South Asia, the Middle East and the UK

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