Frequently Asked Questions

These are some of the most commonly asked questions in our office. Click on the question to see the answer. If your question is not here, you may Contact Us. For more in-depth or specific questions, please call (435) 787-0560 to schedule an appointment.

Medical/Cosmetic Questions

• Can I get rid of these brown spots?
Obviously many different things can present as brown spots on the skin. Most will be harmless, but some can be deadly, so evaluation by a dermatologist is an important place to start.
The most common "brown spot" on the skin is a solar lentigo. Since the treatment is cosmetic in nature it is not covered by insurance. Liquid nitrogen, intense pulsed light, and various lasers can be used to lighten or remove most lentigenes and/or a topical medication can be prescribed. Over the counter products have unfortunately proven to be of little value. No matter which treatment is decided upon, a high dose (SPF 30 or higher) broad spectrum sunscreen will be an important part of the program.

• What types of skin cancers are there?
There are 3 major types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. There are also some less common varieties such as cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and Merkel cell carcinoma.
Basal cell carcinomas are by far the most common, accounting for around 85% of all cases. Squamous cell is next with about 10%. Melanomas only make up around 5% of all cases, but they are the most dangerous and rapid-spreading skin cancers.

• Is skin cancer deadly?
It can be. Skin cancer is considered low risk when the affected cells remain clustered in a single group. It is considered high risk when the cells have invaded surrounding tissues. High risk forms of cancer require more aggressive treatments.
If skin cancer is detected before it has spread to surrounding tissues, chances of a complete cure are excellent.

• Does this cancer spread?
Almost all skin cancers start as a small, low-risk lesions, but can grow and become high-risk lesions if left untreated. Melanoma is the most alarming type because it has a higher risk of invading surrounding tissues or spreading to other parts of the body (metastasis) before being detected. Squamous cell and basal cell skin cancer are more likely to be detected and treated effectively before they become malignant.

• How long will it take to get my biopsy results?

One of the most common questions we get in the Pathology Department is, "How long will it take to get the results back on my biopsy?" This is an excellent question, and to answer it we want to tell you a little about the process.

First we want to remind you that "no news is good news" meaning that you won't get a call unless further treatment or a follow up is needed. You are, however, ALWAYS welcome to call the office and we will be happy to go over the results of your biopsy with you.

While you are leaving the office the piece of your skin that was biopsied, or removed and placed in a specimen jar, is carried to our pathology department where it is recorded and packaged. At the end of the day it is carried over to our Lab here at RMD. Here they process your biopsy and prepare it into a slide.

Once this process is finished, the slide of your tissue is sent to Dr. Young's desk, whom is our doctor and pathologist. Dr. Young takes a really close look at your biopsy slide through a microscope. Different skin conditions have different cellular structures. Dr. Young identifies and records his diagnosis, and the recommended treatment if any treatment is necessary. That record comes back to our pathology department who will track, and call those patients whom either need further treatment and/or some sort of follow up. On average we deal with anywhere from 75 to 130 new biopsies per week.

In general, it takes about 2 weeks for this whole process.

• Does it hurt to get Botox and fillers?
The pain level is equal to a mosquito bite without the after effects (itching, lingering redness and swelling). The pain lasts just a few seconds, but the results are so worth it! On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the worst, Botox treatments are usually about a 2.
• What is a P.A.?
Physician assistants (PAs) are health professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. PAs perform a comprehensive range of medical duties, from basic primary care to high-technology specialty procedures. PAs often act as first or second assistants in major surgery and provide pre- and postoperative care.

• How long will it be before I can get an appointment?
Full answer coming soon. Thank you for your patience. In the meantime please feel free to call our front desk with your questions.
• What's a good sunscreen?
While much of what makes a particular sunscreen "good" is left up to personal preference, there are some guidelines to look for to insure your sunscreen will be medically effective.

• Use a "broad-spectrum" sunscreen that protects from both UVA and UVB.
• If in direct sunlight for more than a few minutes, select a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or greater.
• Use plenty. Most use less than 1/2 as much as required.
• Reapply often (at least every 2 hours), and after swimming or sweating.
• What does the SPF number actually mean?
SPF stands for "Sun Protection Factor" and is a measure of UVB protection. The number can be thought of as a multiple of the amount of time usually required for a particular person to get a sunburn. In other words, if your skin would regularly burn in 10 minutes of direct sunlight, an SPF of 15 would allow you to be in the direct sunlight for 15 times longer, or 150 minutes, before your skin would burn.

• What are SK's?
SK's, or Seborrheic Keratoses, are dark skin growths that appear in adulthood. Although they may be large and grow quickly, they are benign.
Because of their appearance, seborrheic keratoses can be confused with other skin growths, such as warts, moles, and the more worrisome actinic keratoses (AK's) and even melanoma. If you have concerns about such growths on your skin, please set up an appointment to have them examined.

• When should I start coming for skin checks?
Full answer coming soon. Thank you for your patience. In the meantime please feel free to call our front desk with your questions.
• What are things to look for that may be worrisome on my skin?
Full answer coming soon. Thank you for your patience. In the meantime please feel free to call our front desk with your questions.
• After I have laser can I go back to work or will I be too red?
Full answer coming soon. Thank you for your patience. In the meantime please feel free to call our front desk with your questions.

Billing Questions

• How much does it cost for an office visit?
It depends. That is sort of like asking how much dinner will cost at Olive Garden... the cost can vary greatly depending on a number of variables.
An office visit's cost also depends on several factors, including whether or not you have insurance, and to what extent your provider covers the services or procedures received.
If you do not have insurance we do offer a cash-pay discount. In order to receive this discount, payment must be made in full on the same day as your visit.
For more information please call our office at 435-787-0560.
• Does my insurance cover Rocky Mountain Dermatology?
Most major insurance companies are contracted with Rocky Mountain Dermatology, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, SelectHealth, SelectMed, United Health Care, and more. The only way to know for certain is to check with your insurance company. We do acccept Medicare as well.
Our Physician Assistants work under the direction of Dr. Young, therefore if your insurance covers Dr. Young, you are also free to visit any of our Physician Assistants.
If you do not have insurance we do offer a cash-pay discount. In order to receive this discount, payment must be made in full on the same day as your visit.
• Do you do payment plans?
Yes! We have several options for payment plans. If you do not have insurance and can pay on the date of service, the office visit is discounted. Other special cases can be discussed with our office manager.
• Can I pay my bill online?
Yes! We now accept payments online through InstaMed. The link is at the bottom of every page on our site, or you can go to https://pay.instamed.com/rockyderm to submit a payment online.
• Why isn't my question listed above?
We strive to accommodate as many questions and concerns as possible, but there are simply too many skin conditions and medical situations to include all of them here.
You are welcome to call our friendly front desk with your question. We also have a medical assistant on staff to accept medical questions over the phone, available during business hours. They can be reached at 435-787-0560 Ext. 2. If our staff are unable to answer your specific question, they would be happy to help you set up an appointment with Dr. Young or one of our Physician Assistants.
You may also send us an email by clicking on this link.