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You have probably seen a dermatologist a few times before. Perhaps you had a mole that looked a little different to you, or you fell asleep in the sun and sought relief from the pain of your sunburn. But it is a good idea to have a dermatologist who you go to regularly and who knows you. Here's some reasons:

1) Changes to your skin. The fact is, you can't see every inch of skin. You may be unaware of a mole on your back, and you won't be able to see it on a regular basis to make sure it isn't changing.

2) You can get quick appointments. Established, regular patients have an easier time getting an appointment with their dermatologists, which you will find invaluable when you have a nasty sunburn and need relief. It's also a really good thing if you have a special event coming up, and a pimple suddenly pops up - the kind that no amount of concealer will cover. A dermatologist can inject a pimple (or several pimples) with cortisone and it will go right down. You see in a lot of magazines - especially bridal magazines - that this is what you should do if a blemish pops up on an important photo-op day. But regardless of if it's your prom, your big business pitch, senior year picture day, or even your wedding day, you won't be able to get an appointment if you aren't an established patient. But if you are, you may even be able to get an emergency Saturday appointment with your dermatologist.

3) You can stay on top of skin conditions. Despite the fact that skin cells constantly renew themselves, conditions such as rosacea will cause long-term damage if you go too long between appointments. Your dermatologist may start noticing patterns that you don't - perhaps your dermatitis always flares up in hot weather. Your doctor may realize that it is the sunscreen that you wear to the beach, whereas you do not see the correlation.

4) Free stuff! Drug reps leave massive amounts of samples with doctors, and dermatologists are no exception. My dermatologist has a huge closet full of samples - when she prescribes a drug or cream for me, she'll give me a bag full of samples (always at least a couple of weeks worth of samples) to make sure the drug works before I spend the money on a co-pay. Many insurance companies do not cover some skin prescriptions (for instance, some insurances do not cover Retin-A or medicines considered solely cosmetic such as Vanqua, a hair reduction cream), so getting samples to try before you fill a prescription can be a real savings, especially if you find that the medicine either doesn't work for you or you have a reaction to it. There will likely also be a ton of other samples to try too - I've gotten lots of generous sized Neutrogena face soap and even Neutrogena foundation samples! It's a great way to try new cleaning products and even stash some away for travel.

Whether your dermatological concerns tend more towards treating poison ivy or keeping your skin flawless, seeing a dermatologist in a regular basis and forming a relationship with them will greatly pay off in the long run. Talk to family and friends for a recommendation - this has to be a doctor you are comfortable with. You skin will thank you!