Skin problems are some of the best suited to a video visit: your clinician can see what you see. From poison ivy to hives to a patch of red, sore skin, here's what can be handled from home, what it costs, and the signs that mean you need hands-on care.
If you have swelling of your lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing, or a rash with a high fever that doesn't fade when pressed, don't wait for a video visit. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Common rashes and skin problems
Rashes and skin infections have many causes. Some that a clinician often sees by video:
- Contact dermatitis: an itchy, red rash where your skin touched something, like poison ivy, a new soap or jewelry
- Hives: raised, itchy welts that can come and go
- Eczema flares: dry, itchy, inflamed patches
- Insect bites and stings without signs of a serious allergic reaction
- Fungal infections: like ringworm or athlete's foot, often a red, scaly ring or itchy, peeling skin
- Impetigo: sores that ooze and form honey-colored crusts
- Mild cellulitis: a skin infection that makes an area red, warm, swollen and tender
- Shingles: a painful, blistering rash, usually in a band on one side of the body
Can a rash be treated by video?
Often, yes. Diagnosing skin problems depends a lot on seeing them, and a video call with good light usually shows enough.
During your visit, your clinician will:
- Look at the rash or affected area on camera
- Ask when it started, whether it itches or hurts, and whether it's spreading
- Ask about new products, medicines, plants, bites or travel
- Ask about fever and other symptoms
- Review your medications, allergies and health conditions
Treatment depends on the cause. Many rashes are treated with skin creams or allergy medicine. Antibiotics are only useful for bacterial skin infections, not for viral, fungal or allergic rashes. If your clinician decides a prescription is appropriate, they send it to the Florida pharmacy you choose.
For shingles, treatment works best when started soon after the rash appears, so don't wait to be seen.
When to be seen in person
Get in-person care if you have:
- A painful, swollen lump that may be filled with pus (an abscess or boil that might need draining)
- Redness that's spreading quickly, or red streaks spreading from a wound
- A skin infection with fever or chills
- A rash with fever, or a rash that's spreading over much of your body
- A rash or blisters on or near your eye
- An animal or human bite that broke the skin
- Diabetes with a wound, sore or infection on your foot
- A weakened immune system and a new skin infection
- A rash that isn't improving with treatment, or is getting worse
You can also find walk-in clinics and ERs across Florida.
Emergency warning signs: call 911
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you have:
- Swelling of the lips, tongue, face or throat, trouble breathing or trouble swallowing. If you have a prescribed epinephrine auto-injector, use it as directed and call 911.
- A rash with fever that looks like small bruises or pinpoint spots and doesn't fade when you press a glass against it
- Blistering or peeling skin over a large area, especially with sores in the mouth or eyes, or after starting a new medicine
- Red, swollen skin with severe pain that seems far worse than how it looks, or that spreads very fast
- A skin infection with confusion, dizziness or a racing heart
What rash care costs at MD Care
A video visit is $50 without insurance. There's no membership and no monthly fee. If you have Medicare, we confirm your coverage before your visit, and you pay your plan's share.
For some straightforward rashes, a $20 message visit with photos may be enough, when your clinician agrees it's appropriate.
Most patients are seen within three hours. You must be physically located in Florida at the time of your visit.
Tips to feel better at home
- Use cool compresses or a cool bath to calm itching
- Try not to scratch. Keep your nails short.
- Wear loose, soft cotton clothing
- Use gentle, fragrance-free soap and moisturizer
- After contact with poison ivy, wash your skin with soap and water as soon as you can, and wash clothing and tools that touched the plant
- Keep a skin infection clean and covered, and don't squeeze or pop boils or blisters
- For a red patch of skin, draw around its edge with a pen, so you and your clinician can tell if it's spreading
How to show your skin on camera
- Find bright, natural light, or stand near a lamp
- Have the area clean and uncovered
- Hold the camera steady and close enough to see detail, then pull back to show the size
- Take a few clear photos before the visit, in case the video is blurry
Can a clinician diagnose a rash over video?
Many rashes, yes. Your clinician can see your skin on camera and ask the right questions. If a rash needs a closer look, a test or a procedure, they'll tell you where to go.
Can I get a prescription cream online?
If your clinician decides one is appropriate, yes. They send the prescription to your pharmacy.
Do I need antibiotics for my rash?
Only if it's a bacterial infection. Most rashes, like allergic rashes, eczema and fungal infections, don't improve with antibiotics. Your clinician will explain what's causing yours.
I think I have shingles. Should I be seen?
Yes, and soon. Treatment for shingles works best when started early. If the rash is on your face near your eye, get seen in person right away.
Can I just send photos?
For some simple skin problems, a $20 message visit with photos may be enough, when your clinician agrees it's appropriate. Otherwise, a video visit lets them see the area and ask questions.
Does Medicare cover a video visit for a rash?
We accept Medicare for urgent care visits. We confirm your coverage before your visit, and you pay your plan's share.
Got a rash that won't quit?
See a Florida-licensed clinician by video, from home.
Sources
- American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Rashes, hives, shingles and skin infections: patient information. aad.org.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cellulitis; Shingles (herpes zoster). cdc.gov.
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Rashes; Cellulitis. medlineplus.gov.
This page is for general information and isn't medical advice. It doesn't replace an evaluation by a clinician. MD Care is not for emergencies: if you have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.