Patient Education
Practical, physician-written guidance on skin health, skin cancer, and the treatments we offer. Every article here is written and reviewed by Dr. Farmer – not licensed stock content – so you get the same reasoning you would hear in the exam room.
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Does insurance cover Mohs surgery? How the cost actually works
Covered is a percentage, not a promise. Where medical prices come from, what the insurance words actually mean, why a Mohs bill has several lines, and exactly how to call your insurer and get a real number.
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What happens after a skin biopsy, and how to read the report
A biopsy is the test that comes before any treatment. What happens to the tissue while you wait, what a delay means, how to read the report, what the margin line does and does not tell you, and why some…
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When Mohs surgery is the right choice, even when the cancer is not on your face
Mohs is a way of reading the margin, not a place on the body. Why its advantage widens as tumors get harder, what actually drives the decision, and the places besides the face where tissue is not spare.
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Squamous cell carcinoma: the skin cancer that plays by different rules
As common as basal cell carcinoma in older skin, and the one that can spread. Why size matters in both directions, what actinic keratoses really mean, every treatment option compared, and the three signals that mean come in now.
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Basal cell carcinoma: the most common cancer nobody talks about
The most common cancer in humans, and the least explained. What it looks like, why it almost never spreads but still needs proper treatment, and an honest comparison of every treatment option including recurrence rates and scars.
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The ugly duckling sign: how to find the spot that does not belong
The ABCDEs ask you to judge each spot on its own. The ugly duckling sign asks an easier question: which one does not match the others? What the evidence shows, how to do it, and the blind spots that matter.
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What you can do about the scary truth behind the ABCDEs of melanoma
What you can do about the scary truth behind the ABCDEs of melanoma July 18, 2026 · William S. Farmer, MD If you’ve read anything about checking your skin, you’ve seen the ABCDEs: Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Color variation, Diameter over…
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iPLEDGE, explained: what isotretinoin actually requires, and why
iPLEDGE, explained: what isotretinoin actually requires, and why July 18, 2026 · William S. Farmer, MD Current as of July 2026. The iPLEDGE program is scheduled to change on November 15, 2026; this article will be updated. Always confirm current…
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What actually happens during Mohs surgery, hour by hour
What actually happens during Mohs surgery, hour by hour July 16, 2026 · William S. Farmer, MD If you’ve been told you need Mohs surgery, the most common question isn’t about the tumor – it’s “what is this actually going…
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The environmental and cost case for a greener Mohs clinic
The environmental and cost case for a greener Mohs clinic July 15, 2026 · William S. Farmer, MD Dermatologic surgery may not seem like an environmental issue. It’s outpatient, done under local anesthesia, and most patients are home within a…
