Once upon a time, there was a man checking his face in the mirror to see if he was presentable for his first class in college. He noticed some small bumps on his cheeks but they were not noticeable, so he went on and had a great day, making friends. However, as time passed, the small and unnoticeable bumps grew into painful cystic acne, sometimes filled with white pus, and took weeks to subside.
The worst part was that even though his current acne hadn't diminished, new ones were sprouting and threatening to destroy his self-confidence. His acne breakout continued for months, and he bought products that he thought could help him cure his problems, but they only worsened his skin condition.
Feeling hopeless, he finally decided to consult a dermatologist, accompanied by his friend.
Hello, Hivers! For today’s blog, I will share my derma consultation yesterday — how’s the experience, how much it cost, and my valentine's date with 
Have you also tried going to a skincare professional?
Days before my consultation, I already made up my mind that I will seek dermatological help. The only problem is I don’t have enough money to buy the meds and the products the doctor will prescribe me. So, although I am not comfortable with asking something to my parents, I courageously asked them to give me some money. It's embarrassing for me, but I have no choice because my skin condition is already getting worse. Luckily, my parents didn’t hesitate to help me.
Thursday morning, I woke up early and prepared myself. At first, I was kinda hesitant to continue my appointment because I still feel embarrassed for my parents but thinking that a friend will accompany me later encouraged me to go on.
I messaged
I asked several people at the terminal if there was a cab going to Imus. I even told them the exact name of the clinic but they’re not familiar with it. Luckily, I remembered that it is near the PLDT office and Lumina Mall. So, when I mentioned those two landmarks, they already knew it. I am safe from getting lost!
After about 20-30 minutes of travel, I arrived at Cavite Skin Clinic at around 11 am. The line queue is already long. I regret not coming a little bit early. During that time, they’re serving the 30th customer while I am on the 91st slot.
This clinic is well known to offer free dermatological consultation and cheap prescribed medicine and skincare products. This is why it's no wonder why this place is being flocked by patients with skin problems.
I also came here two years ago because of the same problem — acne breakout. I think I was in my senior high school when my skin started to be bombarded with small and big bumps. Thanks to my friend who suggested this clinic, and to my scholarship fund, my skin was brought to normal.
Since my patient number is still far from the current number, I decided to go out and just stay at the nearby convenience store. For a while, I will just buy some snacks here.
At around 12:30 pm we finally met. Damn, he looks good not gonna lie! Medyo nahiya pa ako sa suot kong parang pinaglumaan ng panahon, chos! (I'm a bit embarrassed by what I'm wearing, it looks like it's been worn for a long time, just kidding!)
We discussed where we should eat later. We've been thinking if we will eat samgyupsal, pizza, or fast food. Our initial plan is samgyupsal but upon walking around the area, we can't find any restaurant that offers it. So the option left is pizza or fast food. But we just decided to go to SM Bacoor after my consultation because there are several food establishments there. Besides, dining in during that time would be hectic because I knew that I am waiting in line.
It was already 3 pm when my name got called. Unfortunately, there was no face-to-face consultation during that time and the staff will just take a picture of my face then send it to the Dra. Sarmiento. It's still valid consultation and widely used during the pandemic time so I didn't doubt the accuracy.
Dra, Sarmiento is a dermatological doctor and is a member of the Philippine Dermatological Society.
The staffs are very accommodating with the inquiries of the patients. Even though they are working continuously, they are still able to keep their composure and smile. Seeing them happy, somehow makes me happy too.
A moment after, they called my name again. This time they informed me that Dra. Sarmiento gave me an acne prescription. It includes an antibiotic that I will take for two weeks, and other skincare products that will help me to recover healthy skin.
The staff explained carefully the steps for using the products, they even wrote the instruction so I won't forget them, lol. They suggest I go back after 2 weeks to have my skin checked again. I will definitely come back.
My consultation is already done and I already bought the prescribed medicine and products. This means that I and
We went to SM Bacoor and had a fun time. We had our dinner, and he brought me to "Booksale", a bookstore that offers books for a cheap price! I even bought a book that cost around $17 at Amazon but only cost $2.44 here. Now I understand why dennnmarc always go here. Probably his favorite place hahaha.
If you want to know more about how our date went, check out his latest blog!
Seeking the help of a dermatologist is a significant step in addressing one's skin issues. For me, the cost of going to a dermatologist may seem like a burden, but it's important to prioritize taking care of one's health, including skin health. Asking for financial assistance from family may be uncomfortable, but it's a necessary step to receive the treatment that one needs. Ultimately, taking care of one's skin can improve self-confidence and overall well-being.
If you've made it here, thank you so much for reading my blog. I always spend several hours just to complete a blog like this, which might seem like an exaggeration to others but trust me, it's not 😅. So, the thought of someone reading my blog already warms my heart (∩˃o˂∩)♡. Until the next blog, bye!
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