Virtual dermatologist
in New York
Dr. Dennis Porto is a double board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon licensed to practise in New York. Describe your concern, send photographs, and get a diagnosis and treatment plan from a specialist — without the drive, the waiting room, or the months-long wait for a first appointment.
Dr. Porto holds a faculty appointment at Mount Sinai in New York, where he teaches skin cancer surgery. New York is also where the practice is based. He graduated at the top of his class from the University of Iowa College of Medicine, earned a Master of Public Health at Harvard, and is board-certified in both dermatology and Mohs micrographic surgery.
Skin care in New York
New York concentrates an unusual amount of dermatologic expertise into a handful of Manhattan blocks, and then makes it very difficult to get an appointment with any of it. The pattern most New Yorkers know well is a months-long wait for a first visit at an academic centre, or a short-notice slot at a practice where the visit lasts seven minutes.
The state's environment contributes its own problems. Winter in the Northeast combines cold outdoor air with heated indoor air at very low humidity, and the result is a reliable seasonal wave of dry skin, eczema flares, and worsening psoriasis from roughly November through March. Summer brings the opposite: heat and humidity that drive folliculitis, fungal infections, and sweat-related flares. City living adds particulate air pollution, which has been associated with both accelerated skin aging and atopic dermatitis flares, and prolonged subway and gym exposure that keeps the humid-weather conditions circulating.
Upstate and western New York face a different problem: fewer dermatologists spread across a much larger area. Patients in the Southern Tier, the North Country, and the rural counties between the major metros often drive well over an hour each way for a fifteen-minute follow-up appointment, which is exactly the kind of visit that does not require driving anywhere.
Serving patients across New York
Care is available to anyone located in New York at the time of their consultation, including:
- New York City
- Brooklyn
- Queens
- the Bronx
- Long Island
- Westchester
- the Hudson Valley
- Albany
- Syracuse
- Rochester
- Buffalo
What can be addressed
Dr. Porto is a general dermatologist as well as a Mohs surgeon, so the full range of medical dermatology is covered — acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, hair loss, melasma, pigmentation, rashes, and concerning spots among them. The full list of conditions sets out what is treated and how each is approached.
When a prescription is appropriate it is sent electronically to your pharmacy of choice in New York. Follow-up happens by message, which matters more than most people expect: dermatologic treatment succeeds or fails on adjustment over weeks, and that adjustment is far likelier to happen when it does not require another appointment.
Start with a message, not a waiting room
Send photos and a short history. Get a diagnosis and a treatment plan from a double board-certified dermatologist licensed in New York.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dr. Porto licensed in New York?
Yes. Dr. Porto holds an active medical license in New York and in nine other states. He is double board-certified in dermatology and in Mohs micrographic surgery, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Do I need to live in New York to be seen?
What matters is where you are physically located during the consultation, not where you permanently reside. Physicians are licensed state by state, so being in New York at the time of your consult is what allows Dr. Porto to treat you there.
How long does it take to be seen?
Far less time than the national norm for dermatology. Survey data has put the average wait for a dermatology appointment in the United States at around five weeks, with wide variation between states. Sending a message does not require waiting for a scheduled appointment slot at all.
What happens if my condition needs a procedure?
You will be told directly, and pointed toward what the next step should be. Dr. Porto is a Mohs surgeon as well as a general dermatologist, so the assessment of whether something needs surgical or procedural treatment comes from someone who performs it.
Is Dr. Porto affiliated with a New York hospital?
Yes. Dr. Porto holds a faculty appointment at Mount Sinai in New York, where he teaches skin cancer surgery. He is double board-certified in dermatology and in Mohs micrographic surgery.
This page is general health information, not medical advice, and reading it does not create a physician–patient relationship. Treatment decisions depend on your individual history and examination. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.