Dermatologists in Santa Ana, CA

Honestly...90% of the time a derm is going to try meds first. In the intervening month: If the skin is unbroken, but red, cracking, rashlike, etc try some cortizone cream...highest strength over the counter. Apply after drying in the morning and cover with a bandage. Remove bandage and clean area nightly before bed. Repeat for week. If the skin is broken, scraped, swollen, looking yellow or has a white ring around it but is NOT getting bigger, apply an antibiotic ointment to the area (Polysporin, Neosporin) and apply bandage as above. Change bandage/reapply ointment before bed, though. That should get you through for a month unless it starts spreading, oozing pus or is very, very painful.

Not a doc. [I go here,](http://www.ocderms.com/) and have for years, to see Dr. Applebaum. Good guy, great service. The problem is that it may be tough to get a quick appointment with any of the doctors in the group. If you really do have a skin infection you ought to be seen quickly, as [some skin infections](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulitis) can spread quickly and cause even more problems. If you can't get in to see a derm quickly, I'd recommend going to an urgent care facility.