{"id":43242,"date":"2026-11-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swissdermaclinic.ch\/skin-problems-dermatologist-or-pharmacy\/"},"modified":"2026-11-01T00:01:07","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T23:01:07","slug":"skin-problems-dermatologist-or-pharmacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swissdermaclinic.ch\/en\/skin-problems-dermatologist-or-pharmacy\/","title":{"rendered":"When should I see a dermatologist instead of going to the pharmacy with skin problems?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In short:<\/strong> For mild skin com\u00adplaints wit\u00adhout war\u00adning signs, a phar\u00adma\u00adcy can be a sen\u00adsi\u00adble first port of call. If sym\u00adptoms per\u00adsist, keep coming back, cau\u00adse real distress or a spot on the skin chan\u00adges noti\u00adce\u00adab\u00adly, a medi\u00adcal assess\u00adment makes sen\u00adse. A der\u00adma\u00adto\u00adlo\u00adgist is par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar\u00adly important for unclear skin con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons or ones that are dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to tre\u00adat. If a sud\u00adden skin reac\u00adtion comes with dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adty breathing, pro\u00adblems swal\u00adlo\u00adwing or cir\u00adcu\u00adla\u00adto\u00adry sym\u00adptoms, you need emer\u00adgen\u00adcy help immediately.<\/p>\n

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Which point of contact is right?<\/h2>\n

This over\u00adview helps you choo\u00adse the next step. We explain the most important war\u00adning signs in more detail in the sec\u00adtion below. It does not replace a dia\u00adgno\u00adsis and can\u00adnot be appli\u00aded on the basis of a pho\u00adto or the size of a spot alo\u00adne. The cour\u00adse of the sym\u00adptoms, any accom\u00adpany\u00ading com\u00adplaints and your per\u00adso\u00adnal situa\u00adti\u00adon mat\u00adter as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Your situa\u00adti\u00adon<\/th>\nSen\u00adsi\u00adble next step<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Mild\u00adly dry skin or a few uncom\u00adpli\u00adca\u00adted spots, no war\u00adning signs<\/td>\nGet advice at a phar\u00adma\u00adcy and agree on what to do next.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Recur\u00adring sym\u00adptoms, no impro\u00adve\u00adment or signi\u00adfi\u00adcant impact on dai\u00adly life<\/td>\nArran\u00adge a medi\u00adcal assess\u00adment, with a der\u00adma\u00adto\u00adlo\u00adgist for unclear or per\u00adsis\u00adtent skin problems.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A mole that chan\u00adges noti\u00adce\u00adab\u00adly or a spot that does not heal<\/td>\nCont\u00adact a der\u00adma\u00adto\u00adlo\u00adgist for an examination.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rash with fever, rapid spread, pain or blisters<\/td>\nSeek medi\u00adcal advice prompt\u00adly to assess the urgency.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sud\u00adden skin reac\u00adtion with dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adty breathing, pro\u00adblems swal\u00adlo\u00adwing or collapse<\/td>\nCall the emer\u00adgen\u00adcy ser\u00advices on 144 immediately.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Your GP can also exami\u00adne skin com\u00adplaints and arran\u00adge a spe\u00adcia\u00adlist assess\u00adment if nee\u00added. If you are unsu\u00adre, descri\u00adbe your main sym\u00adptoms when you first get in touch and ask direct\u00adly whe\u00adther you have come to the right place with your concern.<\/p>\n

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Warning signs: do not wait<\/h2>\n
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In an emer\u00adgen\u00adcy: call 144<\/strong><\/p>\n

A sud\u00adden skin reac\u00adtion with dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adty breathing, swel\u00adling of the ton\u00adgue or throat, pro\u00adblems swal\u00adlo\u00adwing, seve\u00adre diz\u00adziness or col\u00adlap\u00adse may indi\u00adca\u00adte a seve\u00adre all\u00ader\u00adgic reac\u00adtion. In Switz\u00ader\u00adland, call 144 imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly. Do not wait for advice at a phar\u00adma\u00adcy or for a regu\u00adlar der\u00adma\u00adto\u00adlo\u00adgy appointment.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Even wit\u00adhout breathing dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adties, a rash needs prompt medi\u00adcal atten\u00adti\u00adon if it comes with fever or a mark\u00aded fee\u00adling of being unwell, spreads quick\u00adly, is pain\u00adful or forms blis\u00adters and open are\u00adas. The same appli\u00ades if the eyes, mouth or geni\u00adtal skin are affec\u00adted. If you noti\u00adce such signs, cont\u00adact a medi\u00adcal prac\u00adti\u00adce or the on-call medi\u00adcal ser\u00advice straight away so that the urgen\u00adcy can be assessed.<\/p>\n

Pus, incre\u00adasing warmth, swel\u00adling and pain can be signs of an infec\u00adtion. Men\u00adti\u00adon the\u00adse chan\u00adges expli\u00adcit\u00adly when you get in touch. The first ques\u00adti\u00adon is then how quick\u00adly you need to be seen.<\/p>\n

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When the pharmacy can help<\/h2>\n

For mild com\u00adplaints, advice from a phar\u00adma\u00adcy is often a good place to start. This appli\u00ades, for exam\u00adp\u00adle, to dry skin<\/a> or mild acne. Ask the phar\u00admacist whe\u00adther self-tre\u00adat\u00adment suits your situa\u00adti\u00adon. You do not need to know the cau\u00adse beforehand.<\/p>\n

Swiss phar\u00admaci\u00ades advi\u00adse on skin pro\u00adblems, sui\u00adta\u00adble skin care and medi\u00adci\u00adnes. Accor\u00adding to phar\u00adma\u00adSu\u00adis\u00adse, refer\u00adring pati\u00adents to a doc\u00adtor is also part of their role. Depen\u00adding on their assess\u00adment, phar\u00admacists may dis\u00adpen\u00adse cer\u00adtain pre\u00adscrip\u00adti\u00adon-only medi\u00adci\u00adnes. Which tre\u00adat\u00adment is sui\u00adta\u00adble depends on the indi\u00advi\u00addu\u00adal case.<\/p>\n

Prepa\u00adre for the con\u00adsul\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon: Whe\u00adre is the chan\u00adge? How long has it been the\u00adre? What have you alre\u00ada\u00addy used? Men\u00adti\u00adon any other sym\u00adptoms and, if pos\u00adsi\u00adble, bring the pro\u00adducts you have used or their names. This makes it easier to explain what you have alre\u00ada\u00addy tried.<\/p>\n

Befo\u00adre the con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon ends, ask for a clear plan: How should the recom\u00admen\u00added pro\u00adduct be used? How will you know whe\u00adther the tre\u00adat\u00adment is working? When should you get back in touch or see a doc\u00adtor? An agree\u00adment like this is more hel\u00adpful than a gene\u00adral rule about how long any skin pro\u00adblem may be trea\u00adted at home.<\/p>\n

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When to see a dermatologist<\/h2>\n

Persistent itching and recurring eczema<\/h3>\n

If itching<\/a> is seve\u00adre, dis\u00adrupts your dai\u00adly life, affects the who\u00adle body or does not impro\u00adve despi\u00adte self-care, you should have it che\u00adcked by a doc\u00adtor. Recur\u00adring com\u00adplaints belong in this cate\u00adgo\u00adry too. If ecze\u00adma can\u00adnot be con\u00adtrol\u00adled ade\u00adqua\u00adte\u00adly with the cur\u00adrent tre\u00adat\u00adment, a der\u00adma\u00adto\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adcal exami\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon can be useful.<\/p>\n

With cont\u00adact der\u00adma\u00adti\u00adtis, iden\u00adti\u00adfy\u00ading the trig\u00adger plays an important role. Note down whe\u00adther the sym\u00adptoms are lin\u00adked to skin care pro\u00adducts, clea\u00adning pro\u00adducts or your work. Our ser\u00advice page explains how we assess and tre\u00adat ecze\u00adma<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Acne with pain, scarring or distress<\/h3>\n

Indi\u00advi\u00addu\u00adal spots can first be dis\u00adcus\u00adsed at a phar\u00adma\u00adcy. Deep, pain\u00adful nodu\u00adles, deve\u00adlo\u00adping scars or a lar\u00adge num\u00adber of ble\u00admis\u00adhes call for a medi\u00adcal assess\u00adment. The same appli\u00ades if pre\u00advious tre\u00adat\u00adments have not hel\u00adped. For pro\u00adno\u00adun\u00adced or hard-to-tre\u00adat acne, a der\u00adma\u00adto\u00adlo\u00adgist can take over the treatment.<\/p>\n

Emo\u00adtio\u00adnal distress counts too. If you with\u00addraw from others or feel very uncom\u00adfor\u00adta\u00adble becau\u00adse of your skin, that is a legi\u00adti\u00adma\u00adte reason to seek help. You do not have to wait until the acne beco\u00admes more seve\u00adre. You can find infor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon about our ser\u00advices under acne assess\u00adment and tre\u00adat\u00adment<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Conspicuous moles and spots that do not heal<\/h3>\n

Have a mole exami\u00adned if it chan\u00adges noti\u00adce\u00adab\u00adly, grows quick\u00adly, bleeds or weeps. A spot that looks like a wound and does not heal should also be asses\u00adsed by a doc\u00adtor. A can\u00adcer dia\u00adgno\u00adsis can\u00adnot be made at home. The exami\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon is the\u00adre to cla\u00adri\u00adfy what is real\u00adly behind the chan\u00adge. A skin care pro\u00adduct can\u00adnot replace this assessment.<\/p>\n

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What helps until your appointment<\/h2>\n

For dry, itchy skin, fra\u00adgrance-free care, luke\u00adwarm rather than hot show\u00aders and a cool, damp cloth can bring reli\u00adef. Try to avo\u00adid scrat\u00adching. If your skin reacts to a new\u00adly used care pro\u00adduct, get advice befo\u00adre you con\u00adti\u00adnue using it.<\/p>\n

Do not choo\u00adse medi\u00adca\u00adted creams sole\u00adly becau\u00adse a rash looks simi\u00adlar to one you have seen befo\u00adre. The right tre\u00adat\u00adment depends on the cau\u00adse. With cor\u00adti\u00adso\u00adne creams, for exam\u00adp\u00adle, the area of the body and the strength of the pro\u00adduct play a role. Ask for the appli\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon to be explai\u00adned and fol\u00adlow the ins\u00adtruc\u00adtions you receive.<\/p>\n

It is worth having this infor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon rea\u00addy for the consultation:<\/p>\n