Should You Rely on Dr. Google to Self-Diagnose A Skin Condition?

Health information is an increasingly accessible topic to the more than 3.2 billion people who have access to the internet worldwide. More than half of the population today uses the internet, anecdotally known as ‘Dr Google’, to gather health-related information or do a Google medicine symptom check. But should you really rely on Dr. Google to self diagnose a skin condition or any condition, for that matter?

The benefits of self diagnosis are enormous if you get the mix right, tread cautiously and listen to the right people. Get it wrong, and you’re putting your health at considerable risk.

But are you willing to take that risk when it comes to the health of your little ones?

The internet can easily snowball… one simple symptoms search topic quickly branches out into several different topics, some complimentary and some conflicting.

Add in layers of repetitive, vague, and inapplicable information (especially from inexperienced sources), and now you’re just buried under a pile of overwhelming and confusing open tabs.

When it comes to health, we cannot rely on Dr. Google to self diagnose. For example, all skin moles are not skin cancer, right?

I am an Integrative & Holistic Dermatologist by profession and can assure you out of my 10+ years of experience, that a particular skin presentation can have a minimum of 2-3 differential diagnoses. This means multiple conditions have the possibility of a similar presentation but each one must be taken care of in an entirely different manner.

Let’s for instance take the example of an itchy rash on your child’s arm. Based on the information provided above, multiple things come to mind. Is the lesion progressing or is it stable since you last noticed it? Does it involve other parts of the body? Does it get relieved by the application of a moisturizer and/or compresses? Does it aggravate during the summer or winter?

The fact is, this kind of itchy presentation can be due to eczema, a fungal infection or an autoimmune condition such as psoriasis! While one will get relieved by the application of topical steroids, the other might cause a rebound flare!

Following guidance from someone who has years of experience, rather trying to self diagnose, will not only give you the precise answers and results you’re looking for faster, but it will also give you years of tips and tricks that may not otherwise be found from ambiguous Google searches.

It is equally important for an experienced eye to assess and confirm the condition. But we are well aware, that it isn’t easy to get a specialist’s appointment quickly. Moreover, we aren’t really prepared to absorb and understand the intricacies of a condition when our health care provider discusses it with us during a short, five-minute appointment.

This is why I created Baby SkinWise™– the World’s 1st Audiovisual Skincare guide for parents and caretakers to help you learn the ‘Why’s’ and ‘What’s’ of a condition before delving into the ‘How to’ part of the treatment. It teaches you how to holistically manage common skin & hair conditions that affect all children confidently and safely.

It is simply a matter of time… kids get affected by a variety of things like rashes, allergies, infestations, alopecia, and hair loss to name a few. If you are aware and equipped with the knowledge about a particular condition your child might acquire and how you can manage them effectively, you have saved yourself and your child from hours of unnecessary suffering and anxiety related to it.

Trust me, nobody knows your child better than you do…not me and not any doctor in the world. Being armed with the right tools and resources will give you the advantage of understanding your child’s skin needs and eliminating the root cause.

Wishing you and your little ones happy and healthy days always.

Dr. Sanober Pezad Doctor, MD

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Dr. Sanober Pezad Doctor, also known as Mrs. Dr. Doctor, is a Double-board certified dermatologist, clinical homeopath, and a holistic skin & health coach. She is the founder & creator of AGEnesis™- The Holistic Aging Blueprint & Baby SkinWise™. Sanober holds multiple national and international awards, research studies, and recognition for novel therapies to her credit in dermatosurgery, pediatric dermatology, and trichology. She is a proactive, compassionate medical practitioner with a thorough understanding of overall mind-body-spiritual wellness. She is also a simple mommy to the core and strongly believes that prevention is better than cure. Her ultimate goal is to help everyone be the healthiest version of themselves.