Your skin is your largest, heaviest organ, and it has many important functions. It protects you from heat, cold, germs and dangerous substances. It’s also a great indicator of your overall health — changes in the color or feel of your skin can be a sign of a medical problem. It’s important to take proper care of your skin and be aware of its overall health.
A dermatologist is a doctor who has expertise in the care of:
- Skin.
- Hair.
- Nails.
They’re experts in diagnosing and treating skin, hair and nail diseases, and they can manage cosmetic disorders, including hair loss and scars.
What do dermatologists do?
Dermatologists diagnose and treat skin conditions. They also recognize symptoms that appear on your skin which may indicate problems inside your body, like organ disease or failure.
Dermatologists often perform specialized diagnostic procedures related to skin conditions. They use treatments including:
- Externally applied or injected medicines.
- Ultraviolet (UV) light therapy.
- A range of dermatologic surgical procedures, such as mole removal and skin biopsies.
- Cosmetic procedures, such as chemical peels, sclerotherapy and laser treatments.
What training and qualifications do dermatologists have?
To become a dermatologist, doctors must complete:
- Four years of college.
- Four years of medical school.
- One year of an internship (training in dermatology and other fields).
- Three years of residency (continued training concentrating on the field of dermatology).
- One to two years of a fellowship. A fellowship isn’t mandatory, but it offers additional training in a dermatology subspecialty.
- Licensing/certification. In the United States, dermatologists must obtain a license to practice medicine and pass a board certification exam offered by the American Board of Dermatology, the American Osteopathic Board of Dermatology or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
What are common conditions that dermatologists treat?
Some of the most common conditions a dermatologist may treat include:
- Acne.
- Eczema.
- Hair loss.
- Nail fungus.
- Psoriasis.
- Skin cancer.
- Rosacea.
What types of procedures do dermatologists perform?
Common procedures include:
- Electrosurgery: Electrosurgery involves the surgical use of a high-frequency electric current to cut or destroy tissue.
- Cryosurgery: Cryosurgery involves the surgical use of extreme cold to freeze and destroy tissue.
- Laser surgery: Laser surgery involves the surgical use of special light beams.
- Excision surgery: Excision surgery involves using a sharp knife (scalpel) to excise (remove by cutting) tissue with appropriate closures.
- Mohs surgery: Mohs surgery is a surgical technique that involves a layer-by-layer removal of cancer cells from your skin.
- Mole removal: A mole removal involves the partial or total removal of a mole from your body. They study the mole for cancer or other skin diseases.
- Vein treatment: After evaluating your damaged veins, dermatologists may treat them with sclerotherapy or laser treatments.