Docent founders Nathan Gunn and Sierra Manker want to make obtaining skincare prescriptions less cumbersome by bridging the gap between dermatologists and patients.
Around 40% of millennial women grapple with skin issues, co-founder and physician Gunn tells Beauty Independent. “They’re at the age where they’re not only dealing with acne, but also aging post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, melasma or maybe they have rosacea,” he says. “There tends to be a lot going on.” Flareups are often brought on by changing birth control, giving birth, moving or any of life’s other many transitions. Of course, it’s not as if consumers don’t have skincare solutions to turn to for their issues. In fact, they’re spoiled for choice when it comes to skincare products these days, but Gunn notes that endless number of options can be overwhelming and that, “often, over-the-counter products tend to be ineffective because they’re not prescriptive.”
On the flip side, seeing a dermatologist can be frustrating. “It typically takes most people around three to four months to actually get an appointment. Then, your dermatologist is typically not covered by your insurance because it’s a ‘cosmetic’ need, so you’re probably gonna have to pay a $100 co-pay and, then, you’re going to pay another few hundred dollars in the pharmacy to pick up whatever it is they prescribed,” says Gunn. “Then, you repeat the process every three months or so. It’s very expensive, it’s inconvenient and, for both of those reasons, we think that being able to provide this Docent service online makes a ton of sense.”
Docent co-founder Nathan Gunn is a physician and entrepreneur focused on creating healthcare companies that increase quality care and decrease cost for patients.
Docent is an interactive adaptive treatment intended for the long term. Customers take a five-minute assessment on the its portal to paint a picture of their skin history and current condition. They’re asked to upload a series of photos of their skin at multiple angles and zero in on areas of concern they might want to be addressed. Finally, they’re prompted to share a “shelfie” of the products they’re using. Based on the information, Docent’s dermatologists craft a custom plan that includes a medicated cleanser and a “bespoke prescription treatment” comprised of multiple active ingredients. The products are sent out bimonthly.
Customers pay $20 for the evaluation and, following a 30-day free trial, are charged $49 a month via a subscription model. The price is the same regardless of the prescription needed. “We just want to make it easy, so no matter what you need there’s one price and that could include oral medications in some cases, that certainly includes a lot of different topical medications,” says Gunn. “What we didn’t want to do is say, ‘Hey, we’re going to write this prescription for you and surprise you with the bill later on.’”
“We’re really interested in bridging this gap between true clinical backed science to deliver results that people can tangibly see, and this more desirable beauty industry that feels good on your skin.”
Prior to Docent delivering a recurring prescription, customers receive an email with a series of questions to make sure the treatment still works. “We continually reassess and check in with [customers] in between each shipment so that we can make micro or even macro adjustments to their formula based on issues that might come up,” explains co-founder Manker. “We want to make sure we’re getting them exactly what they need for that place in time.”
Among the dermatologists on Docent’s team are John Yost, Allison Truong, Toyin Falola, Farhaad Riyaz and Dennis Porto. Three out of the five are doctors of color. Gunn emphasizes it was important for the brand to compile a diverse team to have it be representative of the country at large. He says, “Depending on what your skin tone is, there’s a dermatologist who understands it and you feel like you can relate to from a skin health perspective.”
Docent Skincare co-founder Sierra Manker spent most of her career working in health technology prior to launching the brand with Nathan Gunn.
Docent has secured funding from Flare Capital Partners, InHealth Ventures and Rivas Capital, but declines to detail exactly how much it’s raised. Gunn says, “We’re well-funded and anticipate working with these investors through series A and series B as we get further into markets and prove out the business model.” There’s been a ton of activity in the customized skincare prescription space. Curology has reeled in $19.2 million, according to a Crunchbase estimate, and Hims & Hers recently acquired Apostrophe. Meanwhile, Dermatica has traveled from the United Kingdom, where the digital concept and its competitor Skin + Me is growing.
Docent soft-launched in November 2020 and officially launches this month. The service is only available to California residents now. All of its dermatologists are licensed in the state, and Gunn and Manker are familiar with the regulatory process in it. In the future, the pair hopes to expand Docent nationally. “Because healthcare provided by physicians and pharmacies is regulated on a state-by-state basis, every new state that you go into necessitates going through a unique legal process,” says Gunn. Docent has already started the process to be compliant with regulations in New York and Texas, “where there’s a large beauty community,” Manker points out.
Manker continues, “We’re really interested in bridging this gap between true clinical backed science to deliver results that people can tangibly see, and this more desirable beauty industry that feels good on your skin. We want to create a meld between those two worlds that doesn’t really exist in either the beauty or the clinical industry today.”
Source link : https://www.beautyindependent.com/docent-skincare-customized-prescriptions
