James Contestable, MD, FAAD

Dermatologist | Procedural Dermatology

100 Brewster Blvd Camp Lejeune NC, 28547 Show map

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About

Dr. James Contestable is a dermatologist practicing in Eastern North Carolina. He is an active-duty Naval Medical Officer and mainly practices at Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune. He also practices part-time at Dermatology Associates of Coastal Carolina. Dr. Contestable specializes in all areas of skin care. These conditions include acne, psoriasis, warts, skin infections, atopic dermatitis or eczema, scars, birthmarks, laser treatments, chemical peels, cosmetics and more. Dr. Contestable diagnoses skin problems and develops unique treatments plans for each individual patient. Dr. Contestable enjoys teaching residents, medical students, physician assistents, and nurse practitioners daily. He has multiple publications in peer reviewed journals and textbooks. One of his passions is scar revision and complex medical dermatology.

Education and Training

University of Florida BS 2008

Uniformed Services University MD 2013

Walter Reed, NMMC Internship 2014

Naval Medical Center San Diego Residency, Dermatology 2020

Board Certification

American Board of Dermatology

Provider Details

Male English

James Contestable, MD, FAAD

James Contestable, MD, FAAD's Expert Contributions

My Answers

What is the best non-surgical hair loss treatment?
That depends on what you want to do. Also if you are a man or woman and what your age is and if you want children (woman). Oral tablets - dutasteride and finasteride are probably the best topical - finasteride minoxidil also works well, PRP/PRF/etc. can be effective but is understudied. Red light treatment, supplements, saw palmetto, etc, etc - are understudied and likely of minimal to no benefit. Hope that helps. READ MORE
Do I have a skin condition?
Hard to say. Tinea versicolor comes to mind though. You should see a dermatologist for an accurate diagnosis - this is best accomplished during an in-person consultation. READ MORE
Red greenish mark?
That’s a bruise. Should go away in a few weeks. Best, JJC READ MORE
I'm having hair loss?
It sounds like you may have telogen effluvium however other diagnoses are possible. Redness and burning on the scalp can be a sign of scarring type alopecia is so it is important to have someone evaluate you. I would recommend looking into who might be more of a hair expert in your area. Most board-certified dermatologists will be good at hair issues, but there will be some who are more expert level. I don’t recommend a PA or NP for something as nuanced as hair loss disorders. They are great and I am sure there are a few who are good at hair loss but the overwhelming majority don’t have the training they need to make accurate diagnoses and treatment plans for hair loss. Long story short. See a BCD - board-certified derm. READ MORE
How to get rid of pimples?
Sure it is worth a shot. But to be honest, those don't have good data behind them. You would be better off buying benzoyl peroxide wash - use once in the morning. Then apply differin gel at night. It might even be cheaper than this soap that sounds more like curry. READ MORE
I have swelling in my feet and legs?
Feet swelling can be caused by many issues, worsening of cardiac function (heart), kidney function, liver fibrosis or enlargement, etc. It can also be caused simply by incompetent leg veins (varicosities etc.). Long story short here, you should visit with your primary care doctor - maybe whoever prescribes you the water pills. READ MORE
What is on my leg?
More than likely that’s from scratching which caused some damage to small vessels. The inflammation from a bite could make the vessels more fragile as well. Concerning changes would be getting more without scratching. Or getting them elsewhere on the body where you didn’t have bites. Best of luck, JJC READ MORE
Why do I have dry, itchy skin?
You really just need a visit with a board certified dermatologist. The possibilities are many. Allergic contact dermatitis to hair care products is a possibility - many times it causes rash to the ears and neck and face rather than the scalp. Other things are forms of rosacea which can present this way. The more "acne like" look makes it more possible. But also the burning sensation, which can be common with rosacea. Lots of other possibilities - we don't get very good photos form this avenue so it makes it hard as well. See a derm - they will help. All the best, JJC READ MORE
Why do I have a petechial rash?
There are a lot of reasons to have petechiae - especially over a dependent area of the body. I would recommend seeing a board certified dermatologist for a workup - bring your labs that you have had so if there are any duplicates you don't need to repeat. Pigmented purpuric dermatosis is fairly common, but you really need someone to look at your skin in person and ask a number of questions before concluding it is a benign entity, such as PPD, especially with the geographic pattern, which is not really common for PPD. Hope this helps. JJC READ MORE
I have red bumps on my skin?
Hi there, Sorry you are dealing with this. The photos we get are fairly blurry so no READ MORE
Nail pitting after taking Accutane?
Isotretinoin (accutane) can cause nail changes. However, as with most of the side effects of accutane, they are temporary. Fingernails take about 6 months to grow all the way from back to front (proximal to distal). So the changes will take some time to “grow out.” I recommend you discuss your nail changes with your prescriber whom I hope is a board certified dermatologist and should be able to diagnose if the nail changes you are having are likely to have been caused by accutane, how long they will be around for, and ways to reduce the likelihood of the changes. Happy holidays and warm regards, JJC READ MORE
Is my mole cancerous?
Unfortunately, no one can tell you that accurately with the photos we are provided on this site. Typically, at least a dermoscopic image or detailed standard image would be needed. Even then, it might be hard to tell without seeing a patient in person. I recommend you try to see your PCM or a board certified dermatologist. Warm Regards, JJC READ MORE
My face is dry and peeling?
Sorry, the pictures that they give us are always so blurry. It looks like the dry/flaky areas are mostly in your mustache area. If that’s the case and it’s also happens around the sides of the nose or eyebrows and you may or may not have dandruff, then it is most likely seborrheic dermatitis or dandruff on the face. This typically comes without much itch or pain, but has yellow or white scales flakes and is red. If this seems to fit with what you are experiencing, then below are some tips: Use anti-dandruff shampoo as a face wash and let it sit for a minute, then rinse. This should help a bit. Sometimes a little hydrocortisone cream for reduce treatment. There are lots and lots of treatments for this. As always, for best guidance you want to see a board certified dermatologist. I should get a copy paste feature for that last bit… :) Warm regards, JJC READ MORE
Skin cancer?
Any non-healing bump should always be evaluated by a physician. You are young, but I have seen many skin cancers in patients as young as 18 years old. Hope this helps. READ MORE
What would heal this?
You need to see a doctor. The photo isn’t super clear, but it’s possible you have either - herpetic (herpes) infection, or ecthyma or impetigo. Agreed you probably should not mess with it, but you should see a doctor so it doesn’t get worse and hopefully reduces risk of scarring. READ MORE
Ice burn?
If it blisters don’t open it up. If it peels put on vaseline. Use good sun protection. Depending on depth of injury and your skin tone it should only take a few weeks to return to normal color. Unless you kept the ice there for over 10 mins or so or used dry ice. READ MORE
Will an amoxicillin allergic reaction go away on its own?
This may or may not be an allergic reaction. Hand swelling is more common in more severe drug eruptions rather than the standard morbilliform drug eruption. Joint pain is also not common with standard drug eruptions - that typically comes with serum sickness like reactions. At any rate, #1 take that ring off if you can - you don't want to swell more and then cause constriction. See a doctor so they can evaluate you and determine what the cause of the swelling and joints pain might be. Typically, standard drug eruptions only last 2-4 weeks as far as rash and swelling (if that occurs). Warm Regards, JJC READ MORE
What is this lump?
Lots of possibilities there - unfortunately, the quality of the images we get from the website are very sub-par. Best guess is a "boil" or blocked hair follicle that is creating an inflammatory reaction. Most of the time, this is not a true infection, but an inflammatory response to a hair follicle that is exposed to the immune system and the immune system has to go and break it down and take it away. I would advise that you see a board certified dermatologist as this presentation could be the initial onset of Hidradenitis Suppurativa. That is certainly a disease process that you want to try to get a handle on quickly before it becomes worse. Part of that is quitting smoking if you do, and losing weight if you are overweight. But there are many other treatments that a dermatologist can provide, from topicals to tablets to surgery. Hope this helps. Warm regards, JJC READ MORE
Pilonidal Cyst?
Sure you can work. Just try to find ways to keep pressure off of it. See a doctor - if there is something that can be drained that can help with pain along with a shot of steroid into the area. READ MORE
Do I have a skin condition?
I am sorry, it is hard to say based on the photo. I think a visit to your PCM and if they can’t figure it out, then a dermatologist would be a reasonable way to approach your issue. Warm regards, JJC READ MORE