What Does A Dermatologist Help Me With?
When you visit a dermatologist, they specialize in treating conditions associated with the skin, nails, and hair. Whether its acne, eczema, psoriasis, skin cancer, moles, melanomas or even skin tumors, they are the ones to go see. True dermatologists are certified by the American Board of Dermatology.
There is nothing different about a dermatologist than any other doctor that is out there. They go through rigorous training, and are required just like any other doctor to go through an accredited medical school or osteopathic school in order to be qualified. Not only is the training very hard, but dermatologist will also have to spend countless hours doing their residency. In the U.S it is required that they complete at least one year of residency to be able to move to dermatology. If the doctor is not a US citizen or graduates medical school outside of the United States then that doctor will be required to obtain a foreign graduate certificate before they are able to practice in the U.S. Dermatologists are considered to be medical specialists, because they are considered to be full trained medical doctor that specialize in skin care.
Most doctors when faced with a patient, who has a skin disorder, will refer them to a dermatologist. This is simply because a dermatologist is an expert and skin disorders and will have many different methods that are more technologically advanced to treat the condition. With that said skin disorders do not always have to do with a skin disease. You see, dermatologists are also experts in skin disorders that accompany aging, hair loss, skin discolorations. However they do frequently deal in such things as Botox injections, and cosmetic treatments as well. There are many different treatments that dermatologists tend to use, such as dermabrasion, chemical peels, laser resurfacing, and tissue augmentation. A dermatologist will be trained extensively in these different methods of treatments with the most effective surgical techniques that are used today.
Though already deemed a specialist in the care of skin conditions, some dermatologists further specialize in other treatments. For instance, a dermatopathologist specializes in infectious skin diseases or those that are immune system related or degenerative. Such doctors specialize in microscopic examinations useful in identifying these diseases. Often these specialists even work in hospital settings where contagious skin infections sometimes occur.
Then of course there are pediatric dermatologists. These specialists are specifically geared towards helping children who suffer from skin conditions. Two of the most common are eczema and normal skin allergies. Keep in mind, this group is usually part of a larger team, so all children with various complications can be treated properly.
Skin diseases or disorders are not uncommon for children; as a matter of fact there is high chance that your children will suffer from some type of condition that requires the service of a dermatologist. Skin disorders such as eczema, is a skin condition that affects a large portion of kids these days that typically stems from a type of allergic reaction, and a dermatologist the training to help you get rid of them. There are different severities of the condition, that will require different medication from the doctor, but they will be able to identify it and prescribe a topical or oral solution to get rid of it. Eczema is not something that is just found in children, most people develop it while they are children and some carry it over to there adulthood, so some dermatologist still continue to treat eczema in adults.
Now by reading everything so far, you will think a dermatologist only handles diseases and disorders that are major in the skin. However, one of the things that most children suffer from today is acne. This is something that can hurt a childs self esteem going through school, and can cause depression. Now mild acne is something that can be handled by just cleaning your face with astringent pads or liquid. However, there many cases that are out there, that are severe and require the attention of a dermatologist who can prescribe more powerful medication, or other treatments to help you. If you are unaware what acne is, its blotchy skin, whiteheads, blackheads that cover your skin from bacteria and oil that blocks the skin. So as you can see, a severe case of this may require the attention for a dermatologist.
Psoriasis is another skin condition that a dermatologist may be called upon to treat. Most commonly affecting adults, psoriasis can also be found in children. Characterized by inflamed, thick, discolored patches of skin, psoriasis is actually caused by an overreaction of the immune system. While most cases are mild to moderate, some patients with psoriasis actually experience arthritic symptoms, and loss of fingernails and toenails as a result of this condition. While most cases of psoriasis can be treated with over the counter or home styled remedies, in these more severe cases a dermatologist may be called upon for specialized treatment and to help a person with psoriatic arthritis manage daily life.
Something that is probably the most untreated or unlooked at skin disease is that of cancer. This is because most people do not know that you can develop skin cancer from moles on your skin. If you have moles on your skin you really should go to a dermatologist and have them look at them to make sure that they aren’t cancerous. Now there are other things that are related to skin cancers, such as melanomas, and skin tumors and in the case of all three of these the dermatologist will likely do some type of skin biopsy, surgical incisions, or a special procedure to remove the tumors.
While many may think of a dermatologist as merely being an acne doctor for teenagers, a closer look at this specialized field of medicine reveals a lot more. As the skin is the largest organ on the body, a dermatologist plays a very important role in the medical profession as this specialist is called upon to treat a wide variety of common, rare and serious skin conditions and diseases. Trained in performing everything from diagnoses to extensive and very delicate surgical procedures, a dermatologist is a specialist deserving of the same respect as a heart surgeon or another uniquely qualified medical doctor.
Located in Charleston, SC, East Coast Dermatology is a modern medical practice aimed to provide you with the highest quality of expert skin care in a comfortable and professional environment. Visit our Mount Pleasant Dermatology office for skin conditions from Acne to Psoriasis