Dr. Figen Akin

My 82-year-old mother developed a persistent, weeping rash on her lower legs that three other dermatologists dismissed as 'just old age.' Dr. Akin spent nearly an hour examining her, asking about her medication history (which included a new blood pressure pill), and ultimately diagnosed a rare drug-induced pseudoporphyria. She coordinated with Mum's cardiologist to switch medications and prescribed a specific wet-wrap therapy with precise instructions for our caregiver. The rash cleared completely in three weeks. Her compassionate patience with an elderly patient who moves slowly and forgets details was extraordinary. This wasn't just skin-deep treatment; it was holistic care.

Our 5-year-old son had a massive congenital melanocytic nevus covering most of his back—a dark, hairy patch that made him self-conscious even at kindergarten. We consulted surgeons who suggested aggressive excision with skin grafts, leaving significant scarring. Dr. Akin proposed a staged, tissue-expansion procedure, a slower but far more elegant solution. She explained the entire process using a stuffed animal with a 'special balloon' to our son, completely alleviating his fear. Over eight months, she gradually expanded healthy skin and removed the nevus in two surgeries. The result is a thin, barely noticeable line. She turned a potentially traumatic experience into an adventure for a child.

I'm a chef, and I rushed to the emergency dermatology clinic after developing sudden, painful blisters and raw erosions across my mouth, chest, and hands after using a new industrial-strength degreaser at work. Dr. Akin was on call and immediately recognized it as a severe chemical-induced phototoxic reaction, not just a simple burn. She halted the standard steroid treatment another doctor had started, explaining it could worsen the outcome. Instead, she initiated a precise regimen of cool compresses with Burow's solution, a specific antibiotic ointment to prevent superinfection, and strict photoprotection. She personally called the hospital's occupational health team to document the case. Her swift, authoritative action in an emergency prevented permanent scarring and got me back to work safely.

For years, I managed my hidradenitis suppurativa (Stage III) with repeated, painful lancing and antibiotics that did nothing. I felt hopeless and surgically 'complex.' Dr. Akin mapped my entire network of sinus tracts with ultrasound, something no previous doctor had done. She then designed a combined approach: a course of a targeted biologic (adalimumab) to calm the systemic inflammation, followed by two precise deroofing surgeries under local anesthesia in her clinic procedure room. She didn't just cut out the lumps; she meticulously unroofed the tunnels. For the first time in a decade, I am in remission. Her follow-up is meticulous—she reviews my healing photos I send via the patient portal and adjusts care in real time. She treats the disease, not just the flares.