What is Dermatology: Details to Know About This Field

What’s your skincare routine? If you’re like most people, you have a special soap or cleanser that you use for your face. This is often followed by a toner and a moisturizer. You also use a different soap for your body. But no matter the kind, all these products promise to clean and moisturize your skin.

People are more conscious about their skin these days. They’re also investing more in skin care. Statistics show that millions of Americans spend $500 or more on skincare in one quarter. The CDC also revealed that 44 million visits are made to dermatologists every year. Most saw their doctors for acne, rashes, and lesions.

The demand for dermatological care is not unusual. After all, the skin is the body’s largest organ. It’s only right that people take good care of it. They can’t do it without a dermatologist. Dermatology is a specialized area of medicine. It's focused on the diagnosis and treatment of conditions that affect the skin. This includes the fragile lining of the mouth, nose, and eyelids. The field also studies conditions that impact a person’s nails and hair.

A doctor specializing in dermatology is a dermatologist. They treat conditions that affect an individual’s skin, hair, and nails. They can also treat problems in the mucous membranes. Dermatologists undergo extensive training. The best ones can identify and treat around 3,000 skin and hair conditions. They can work with people of all ages, from babies to adults. Some common conditions they treat are acne, eczema, and psoriasis.

What Areas Do They Specialize in?

A dermatologist can specialize in three distinct fields. They can focus on –

· Cosmetic: A cosmetic dermatologist focuses on issues affecting the skin’s appearance. This can include wrinkles and sagging of the skin. They can also deal with hair loss and dark spots. A skin doctor dermatologist can do various cosmetic treatments. They are the ones who will do chemical peels, fillers, Botox and laser hair removal.

Cosmetic dermatologists should not be confused with skin specialists. Most spas or skin care clinics have them on their staff. Most of them are only trained to do certain skin treatments. But they don’t have a medical degree.

· Medical: Many dermatologists focus on treating conditions like rosacea and plaque psoriasis. These skin doctors are also trained in identifying skin issues. These could be a prelude to other health problems. For instance, a patient’s dry skin could mean an underlying kidney problem.

· Surgery: There are also dermatologists who do minor surgery. A doctor dermatologist can remove moles or warts. They can also do skin biopsies. There are also dermatologists who focus on specialized surgical procedures. For example, they can remove skin cancer or benign cysts.