Adults ask dermatology practices about hidradenitis suppurativa (HS): new visit requests, consult requests, follow-up visits and referrals from primary care. This guide covers the concern and the front desk path; acne treatment, laser hair removal, scar revision and epidermoid cyst have their own guides. The dermatologist or treating clinician (the clinician below) decides the plan, including whether any treatment is needed and which one.
In short
- Speak to adults about HS in plain, private words, without fear or shame.
- Keep landing pages plain: the visit, the clinician, the price, one way to book, no body photos.
- Book the visit with a short script that never names a cause, a condition or a treatment.
- Make referrals from primary care easy and pass every question about the lumps to the clinical team.
- Follow up with consent, without pressure, and track each request.
- SearchAn adult looks for care near them.
- Your pageWhat you treat, who sees them, one way to book.
- Call or formThey call or send a request.
- Front deskBooks the visit and never guesses a cause.
- Clinical teamThe clinician decides the plan.
1. Who the patients are and what they search for
Callers are adults 18 or over, some referred by primary care. They search for an HS dermatologist, a hidradenitis suppurativa dermatologist or a dermatologist near them.
On its Hidradenitis Suppurativa page, MedlinePlus says: “It causes painful, boil-like lumps that form under the skin.” Quote nothing else from that page in ads.
Only the clinician can say what the lumps are or why they appear. Staff never say why lumps appear or guess a cause, such as hygiene, hair follicles, bacteria, genes, hormones, weight, smoking or a disease. Staff never say lumps are just acne, just boils, normal, harmless or nothing to worry about, never name any condition and never tell a caller it sounds like HS.
Aim ads at adults only. Never target by sex, race, skin color, age, weight or body size, smoking, family history, body area or any health condition, and never build ads, audiences or keywords from those traits or other health information about a person.
2. Landing page basics
HS is a private topic for many people. The page sells the visit, not a result.
- Name the concern in plain, respectful words, and use no photos of bodies or skin.
- Give the clinician’s name and real credentials.
- Give a starting price and what it includes. Self-pay patients may be entitled to a good faith estimate.
- Show one way to book and one way to send a referral.
Never use fear or shame, list causes or risk groups, name a treatment, give home tips or promise an outcome.
Avoid “clear your skin for good”, “they will never come back”, “nothing to worry about”, “risk-free” and “insurance will cover it”. Better: “the clinician will look at your skin, answer your questions and talk through the options with you”.
3. The phone script
Staff never judge urgency, never ask about weight, smoking or hygiene and never name a treatment; they collect answers and book.
- “Thanks for calling. May I take your name, your age and the reason for your visit?”
- “Is this a new visit, a consult or a follow-up, and did a doctor refer you? Please bring a list of your medicines and any notes from earlier care.”
- “The visit starts at [price]. Further care may be extra. We will check your plan, but cannot promise coverage.”
- Is this HS, is it acne or boils, why do I keep getting them, is it from my weight or hygiene, is it contagious, can you get rid of them, will they come back, which treatment do you use, will it work, and can I get laser hair removal for it? “We cannot tell that on the phone. The clinician will look at your skin in person, ask about it and decide with you what the options are.”
- “I can book your visit now. May we text or email you about it?”
Book adults only. Pass any caller under 18, and any question on medicines or home steps, to the clinical team. See the new patient phone script.
4. Routing and safety lines
MedlinePlus gives one routing sentence for HS, quoted here whole.
It says: “Your provider may refer you to a dermatologist (a doctor who specializes in skin disorders) to get a diagnosis or treatment.”
So make referral intake easy: give primary care offices one simple way to send a referral, log each one and book the patient without delay.
A caller who mentions fever, spreading redness, severe pain or other new symptoms is routed to the clinical team at once; staff never say why and never judge urgency. Staff add no words of their own, never give home advice of any kind and never tell a caller to stop, keep or change a medicine.
Staff never comment on how a caller feels. If a caller says they are thinking about killing or hurting themselves, stay with them and tell them to dial 911 if it is an emergency or to call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, as MedlinePlus advises, then tell the clinical team.
5. Follow up with consent
Text or email only with the patient’s own contact details and consent; see texting patients and the TCPA. Keep messages short and private, with no health details. Follow up without pressure (see consultation to treatment), never pay or take payment for referrals (see patient referrals for medical practices), and track each request from first contact to visit.
Where MediLeadGen fits
MediLeadGen sends practices requests from people interested in cash-pay elective treatments. Each request goes to one practice only, with the person’s consent naming that practice, at a fixed price per delivered request.
See how it works for practices
Questions practices ask
How do we get more HS patients?
Answer quickly, give clear prices and real credentials, make referrals easy, keep claims inside the sources, and book a visit where the clinician decides the plan.
Can we tell callers whether they have HS, or how it will be treated?
No. The dermatologist or treating clinician sees the patient and decides the plan, including whether any treatment is needed and which one.
What if a caller reports new symptoms or may hurt themselves?
Pass new symptoms to the clinical team at once (see section 4); staff never judge urgency. If a caller says they are thinking about killing or hurting themselves, stay with them and tell them to dial 911 if it is an emergency or to call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, as MedlinePlus advises, then tell the clinical team.
Does insurance pay for HS care?
Coverage varies by plan. Check each patient’s plan, give self-pay patients a clear price, and do not promise coverage in ads or on the phone.
General information for practice teams, not legal or clinical advice. Check device labeling, FDA requirements, state rules and your advertising with counsel and your clinicians. Last reviewed November 2026.