Hyperpigmentation treatment through teledermatology

This is just a quick post-treatment update for anyone else with a similar issue. Dr.Chacon mentioned during my follow up virtual appointment that it was possible or even probable that I had acanthosis nigricans rather than simply post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. After allowing my skin to rest for two weeks after finishing with my medication, I believe she may be correct. I didn’t end up seeing much lightening in the darker areas after all, and the information she sent me about acanthosis leads me to believe it could be the correct diagnosis. If so, I am certainly grateful to her for raising the possibility, and I will definitely discuss it with my GP at my next appointment.

After my very positive initial consultation with Dr. Chacon, I took some time to consider what I wanted to do next. The skin concern that I hoped to address was an area of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation on my inner thighs/groin which I believe had mainly developed during the years when I removed the hair in that area by waxing. Removing the hair in that area has long been an important part of controlling several skin problems, and last year I decided to try laser hair removal in the hope that it would be a gentler and longer lasting solution. Overall, laser has been successful, but I have definitely noticed that it is less effective in the areas where my skin is either naturally darker or where I have post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. So, I decided I wanted to try an experiment to see if it might be possible to clear up the post inflammatory hyperpigmentation a bit before I had another laser treatment, and then to see if that might render the laser treatment more effective.

I booked another virtual appointment with Dr. Chacon so that I could ask some follow up questions, and then I used the medications she prescribed for about a month. The medications definitely appeared to be effective, and although I experienced a bit of irritation I do feel like the hyperpigmentation has been diminished. I will be curious to see if there is an improvement in the effectiveness of my next laser treatment. At my final follow up visit, Dr. Chacon suggested that it’s also possible my skin condition might be acanthosis nigricans, which may have other health implications, so that is something I will give some thought to going forward; I will try to discuss it with my GP the next time I see her.

Overall, I was very happy with my experience with Dr. Chacon. Her pricing was very reasonable for a treatment process that I am pretty sure insurance wouldn’t cover - the $250 I noted above included three virtual visits and the medications I used. She has lots of appointments available at convenient times - I really liked not having to book an appointment months in advance! Her office seems well organized and the virtual appointment process was easy to navigate with their help. And I found Dr. Chacon to be friendly, thoughtful and helpful during each appointment.

If anyone reading this review would find it helpful, I am happy to answer questions, post more details or even add photos upon request - just say so in the comments.

I had a teledermatology consultation with Dr. Chacon in order to learn more about the post inflammatory hyperpigmentation that I have in my inner thigh/groin area, and what treatments might be possible to lighten it. She was very patient with my questions - I always get a bit tongue-tied in medical appointments! I found her to be kind, thoughtful and helpful, and she took plenty of time to address my concerns. I would certainly recommend her to anyone needing good advice from a dermatologist.