Do you have to fast before a dermatology appointment, and what should you bring?

You do not need to fast for a dermatology consultation. Fasting is asked for only before some blood tests, and the doctor tells you separately.

Blood tests are not asked for at every consultation. They may be needed for hair loss, in some cases of acne, or when starting a medicine that needs regular follow-up. Which tests will be done, and whether you need to fast, is decided after the consultation.

A few things you can prepare make the consultation easier:

• A list of the medicines and creams you use. A photo of the boxes is enough. Add those you have stopped in recent months.
• Recent test results, if you have any. This helps most with hair loss.
• A photo of the complaint. If a rash or redness comes and goes, a photo taken when it is at its worst shows the doctor what cannot be seen on the day.
• A bare face and bare nails. For face and nail complaints, the doctor wants to see the skin and nail without make-up or polish. For a mole check, the whole body can be examined.
• Do not try new products in the days before the consultation. A reaction to a new product can get mixed up with the original complaint.

There are also things to tell the doctor: when the complaint began, what makes it worse, and whether anyone in the family has something similar. If you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, be sure to say so; some treatments are not used in these periods.

It also helps to write down what you want to ask on a piece of paper beforehand. The question you do not think of in the consulting room often comes to you on the way home.