10/11/2026
YOUR SKIN DESERVES MORE THAN AN ALGORITHM.
Utah recently announced a pilot program allowing artificial intelligence to evaluate acne and prescribe certain medications without direct physician approval.
While we believe AI has incredible potential in healthcare, we also believe there is something it cannot replace: the clinical judgment, experience, and personal attention of a trained medical provider.
Here’s why that matters.
Not everything that looks like acne is acne.
Rosacea, perioral dermatitis, folliculitis, and other skin conditions can closely resemble acne. Treating the wrong condition can lead to worsening symptoms, unnecessary irritation, and delays in receiving appropriate care.
Your skin is more than a photograph.
A photo cannot always tell the full story. Your medical history, medications, allergies, hormonal changes, skin sensitivity, and previous treatments all play an important role in determining what is appropriate for you.
Even topical prescriptions carry risks.
Just because a medication is applied to the skin doesn’t mean it’s automatically harmless. Certain treatments can cause significant irritation, worsen other conditions, or be inappropriate for particular patients.
And perhaps most importantly, medicine isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Two patients with similar-looking skin may need entirely different treatments.
We aren’t against innovation. We welcome technology that helps physicians provide better, safer, and more accessible care.
But there is a difference between using AI to support medical decisions and allowing AI to make those decisions without direct physician oversight.
At Legacy Dermatology, we believe patients deserve more than a diagnosis generated from a photograph.
They deserve a provider who listens, asks questions, examines their skin, recognizes when something doesn’t look right, and takes responsibility for their care.
Technology should enhance the practice of medicine, not replace the human judgment behind it.
Your skin is unique. Your healthcare should be, too.
— Legacy Dermatology
