--- title: "Skin Care Consultations" --- Most people arrive having read a lot and decided very little. They know the names of four treatments, they have seen contradictory things about all of them, and what they actually want is someone qualified to look at their face and say which one is the answer. That is the whole appointment. Thirty minutes, a real look at your skin, and a straight ranking: this first, then this, and this one you have been reading about is not going to do what you want. You get told what it costs before anything is booked, including how many sessions it realistically takes, so the number does not move later. Nothing gets sold in this room. Sometimes the answer is a treatment. Sometimes it is [skin care products](/treatments/skin-care-products/) and nothing else. Sometimes it is that the thing bothering you is medical rather than cosmetic and belongs in a different kind of appointment. All three of those are a good outcome for thirty minutes. **What you get out of it** - A dermatology provider's read on what is actually happening with your skin - A ranked plan rather than a menu, so you know what to do first - Honest limits: what a treatment will not do, before you have paid for it - A realistic session count and a cost estimate up front - The fee credited back toward whatever you go ahead with - A clear answer on whether what you have is cosmetic or medical This trips people up constantly, and booking the wrong one costs you a visit. Here is the difference in plain terms. What is going onThe appointmentReferralCostYou want to look less tired, softer lines, better skin quality, fewer brown spotsCosmetic consultationNot neededConsultation fee, credited toward treatmentA mole that has changed, a rash, acne that needs prescriptions, a growth you want checkedMedical dermatology visitThe practice is currently accepting new medical patients by referralBilled to your insurance, subject to your planHair loss or melasma, which can be eitherStart with a cosmetic consultationNot neededSame as aboveYou are not sure which one you haveCall us and describe itWe will tell you before you bookNothing to find out The short version: if the goal is how your skin looks, book the cosmetic consultation. If the goal is a diagnosis or a prescription, that is a medical visit and it runs through your insurance. If you genuinely do not know, call the office and describe it. Sorting that out on the phone takes two minutes and saves you a wasted appointment. A free consultation has to be paid for somehow, and it is usually paid for by what you get talked into during it. Ours is not free, and that is deliberate. It buys you thirty minutes of a board-certified dermatology practice's opinion with nothing riding on the answer. Which means you get the parts that lose us money. That a treatment you have read about will not do what you want. That your budget is better spent on products than on a device. That what is actually bothering you is medical, and belongs in a different appointment on your insurance rather than on our price list. Those are normal outcomes here, not failed appointments, and they are the reason people send their friends. **Book a consultation if:** - Something bothers you when you look in the mirror and you cannot name the treatment for it - You have shortlisted two or three treatments and want to know which one is right - You have been quoted elsewhere and want a dermatology practice's read before committing - You want to know the real cost and session count before you start, not after - You are not sure whether what you have is cosmetic or medical **Book something else if:** - You have a mole or growth that has changed, which is a medical visit and should be soon - You need a prescription refilled or a diagnosis, which insurance covers and this does not - You already know exactly what you want and have had it here before, in which case just book it Not sure which of those you are? Call the office and describe it. We will tell you which appointment you need before you pay for one. Nothing invasive happens at a consultation, so there is nothing to recover from. A little preparation makes the thirty minutes go a lot further. **Do** - Come with no makeup, or expect to take it off, because we need to see your skin - Bring the products you currently use, or photograph the labels - Bring your medication and supplement list, including anything over the counter - Bring photos of yourself from a few years ago if the change has been gradual - Write down what actually bothers you before you arrive **Don't** - Come straight from a beach day, because a fresh tan changes what we can recommend - Arrive expecting a treatment on the same day, though sometimes it is possible - Leave out a medication or supplement because it seemed irrelevant - Feel obliged to book anything the same day A consultation is an assessment. It does not commit you to a treatment and it does not guarantee that a particular treatment will be recommended. The cosmetic consultation is $125, paid when you book. It is credited toward your treatment, so if you go ahead with anything, you have effectively paid nothing for the assessment. What you get for it is a cost estimate on everything discussed, including how many sessions it realistically takes, before anything is scheduled. We do not quote a per-session price for a treatment that needs six of them. Medical dermatology visits are different and are billed through your insurance rather than at this fee. The comparison above explains which one you need. **Q: Do I need a referral?** Not for a cosmetic consultation. Book it yourself. Medical dermatology visits run differently and the practice is currently accepting new medical patients by referral, so if what you have is a rash, a growth or something that needs a prescription, ask about that when you call. **Q: Is the consultation fee on top of the treatment?** No. It is credited toward whatever you go ahead with. Pay it at booking, and it comes off your treatment cost. **Q: Will you try to sell me something?** No. Plenty of consultations here end with products and no procedure, or with us telling you the thing you came in for is not the right call. That is a normal outcome, not a failed appointment. **Q: What if I do not know what I want?** That is the most common reason people book. Describe what bothers you when you look in the mirror and we will work backward from there. Naming the treatment is our job. **Q: Can I have treatment on the same day?** Sometimes, depending on what it is and how the schedule looks. Ask when you book if that is what you are hoping for, and we will tell you whether it is realistic. **Q: Which office should I go to?** San Luis Obispo offers the full range. Santa Maria offers neuromodulators, fillers and dermatology consultations. If what you want is only available in San Luis Obispo we will tell you before you drive. Content on this page is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The $125 consultation fee, the thirty-minute length and the credit toward treatment are current practice policy and are subject to change. Referral requirements differ between cosmetic and medical dermatology visits, and coverage for a medical visit depends on your insurance. A consultation is an assessment and does not guarantee that any particular treatment will be recommended or that any particular result can be achieved. 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You leave knowing what to do first, wha…", "provider": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Coastal Dermatology + Aesthetics" }, "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "contentUrl": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/skin-care-consultations-2x-1024x512.jpg", "width": 1024, "height": 512, "caption": "Happy woman after Skin Care Consultations" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "MedicalWebPage", "@id": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/treatments/skin-care-consultations/#webpage", "name": "Skin Care Consultations", "url": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/treatments/skin-care-consultations/", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/treatments/skin-care-consultations/#service" }, "lastReviewed": "2026-08-01", "reviewedBy": { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/providers/dr-christine-kilcline/#provider", "name": "Dr. Christine Kilcline", "url": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/providers/dr-christine-kilcline/" }, "about": [ { "@type": "MedicalSpecialty", "name": "Dermatology", "sameAs": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q171171" } ], "speakable": { "@type": "SpeakableSpecification", "cssSelector": [ ".geo-summary" ] } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": { "@id": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/", "@type": "WebSite", "name": "Home" } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Treatments", "item": { "@id": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/treatments/", "@type": "CollectionPage", "name": "Treatments" } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Skin Care Consultations", "item": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/treatments/skin-care-consultations/" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Question", "name": "Skin Care Consultations", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A skin care consultation at Coastal Dermatology + Aesthetics is a thirty-minute cosmetic appointment in which a provider examines the skin, identifies what is causing the concern, ranks the treatment options and gives a cost estimate before anything is booked. It is offered at the San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria offices." }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/treatments/skin-care-consultations/#webpage" }, "url": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/treatments/skin-care-consultations/" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Review", "reviewBody": "They are so knowledgeable and Tressa is incredible.", "itemReviewed": { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/#organization", "name": "Coastal Dermatology + Aesthetics" }, "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Verified patient" }, "reviewRating": { "@type": "Rating", "ratingValue": 5, "bestRating": 5 } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do I need a referral?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

Not for a cosmetic consultation. Book it yourself. Medical dermatology visits run differently and the practice is currently accepting new medical patients by referral, so if what you have is a rash, a growth or something that needs a prescription, ask about that when you call.

" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is the consultation fee on top of the treatment?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

No. It is credited toward whatever you go ahead with. Pay it at booking, and it comes off your treatment cost.

" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Will you try to sell me something?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

No. Plenty of consultations here end with products and no procedure, or with us telling you the thing you came in for is not the right call. That is a normal outcome, not a failed appointment.

" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What if I do not know what I want?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

That is the most common reason people book. Describe what bothers you when you look in the mirror and we will work backward from there. Naming the treatment is our job.

" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I have treatment on the same day?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

Sometimes, depending on what it is and how the schedule looks. Ask when you book if that is what you are hoping for, and we will tell you whether it is realistic.

" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which office should I go to?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

San Luis Obispo offers the full range. Santa Maria offers neuromodulators, fillers and dermatology consultations. If what you want is only available in San Luis Obispo we will tell you before you drive.

" } } ] } ] } ```