Tele-medicine startup PocketDerm has branched out beyond acne treatment to begin selling custom prescriptions for anti-aging medication.
PocketDerm’s new anti-aging option uses the same tretinoin (Retin-A) ingredient found in its acne service, as well as Niacinamide and Vitamin C. For $49.95, the company offers consultations, free shipping and a 90-day supply of medication. You’ll be signed up for a new consultation and batch of medicine every three months, but you can move the date around or cancel as needed.
After launching this spring, PocketDerm gained popularity with the help word of mouth on the Skincare Addiction subreddit. Once you sign up for PocketDerm’s acne treatment, you upload photos and answer a survey. A licensed dermatologist then comes up with a personalized mix of topical prescription medicine that is shipped to you directly. The $20 per month service includes unlimited shipments of topical medication (pills are extra) and unlimited follow-up consultations.
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I put in a test order for PocketDerm Acne and was impressed with the company’s efficiency. While I did run into an issue with uploading photos from my mobile device, the user flow was easy. The dermatologist I was assigned to has been very responsive, and the medication arrived the day after I ordered it.
I haven’t had enough time with the product to vouch for its efficacy, but the overall experience has been pleasant so far. If you’re curious about results, you can run a search on Skincare Addiction to see before and after pictures from actual customers.
To be completely honest, I’m still a little nervous about having a mysterious bottle of medicine show up at my door after sending a couple photos over. PocketDerm’s on-boarding process did manage to address most of my concerns, and the packaging, branding and attentive customer service help it feel reliable. Still, trustworthiness is an issue that all telemedicine startups will need to address as the field becomes increasingly popular.
See also: The Klara app lets you send photos of your skin problems to certified dermatologists
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