Your Dermatologist

Specialist Medical Care for the Life of Your Skin

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Your skin is your body's largest organ and it works non-stop taking care of you. It protects your other organs, warms you up and cools you down, and reflects how healthy you are inside.

For all it does for you, your skin deserves the expert care of a medical specialist. That specialist is a dermatologist, a physician with extensive training, experience and passion for keeping skin, hair and nails healthy, and healthy looking, throughout your lifetime.

There Are Thousands of Reasons to See a Dermatologist

Even if you've been to a dermatologist before, you may not know about the thousands of ways this medical specialist can improve and maintain your skin's health.

Your dermatologist's eyes are uniquely trained to analyze your skin. They can spot potential problems and diagnose a multitude of conditions ranging from minor to life-threatening. Once a diagnosis is made, effective treatment is provided safely and conveniently in your dermatologist's office.

Advances in research and technology allow today's dermatologist to protect and care for your skin with the latest medical, surgical and cosmetic treatments. Dermatologists can improve the lives of patients of all ages - the infant with a red birthmark, the child with eczema, the baby boomer with sun-damaged skin, the senior citizen with shingles - effectively treating their skin conditions and making them look and feel their best.

Your Dermatologist's Training

After earning their medical degree and completing an internship, dermatologists receive three more years of specialty training, becoming experts dedicated to skin, hair and nails. Many dermatologists have general practices and see patients with all types of skin concerns. Some dermatologists gain additional training and expertise in specific areas of dermatology, such as pediatrics, surgery or cosmetics, and may go on to have practices specializing in these areas.

Whether you need medical, surgical or cosmetic treatment for your skin, you can find a dermatologist who meets your needs.

Diagnosing and Treating Disease

Dermatologists devote their skills and energy to treating medical conditions of the skin, such as acne, rashes, rosacea, warts and various forms of skin cancer. They use the latest research to conquer acute or chronic diseases that can be life-altering. For example, severe acne and psoriasis were once difficult to treat; they can now be controlled with a variety of topical or oral medications prescribed by your dermatologist.

Providing Surgical Solutions

All dermatologists are trained in surgical procedures, but some choose to specialize in surgery, often using leading-edge techniques invented and perfected by their fellow dermatologists. Examples include:

• Developing Mohs surgery, a special procedure to remove some of the most common types of skin cancer;
• Pioneering the use of lasers for the treatment of birthmarks, blood vessels, scars, skin cancer, sun damage, tattoos, and wrinkles; and
  
• Creating tumescent liposuction, a technique to remove fat deposits which is performed in the dermatologist's office requiring only local anesthetic.

Enhancing Your Skin's Beauty

Some dermatologists improve the health and appearance of your skin with a whole host of surgical and non-surgical treatments including filling in or smoothing out wrinkles and scars, eliminating spider veins or skin discolorations, resurfacing skin with microdermabrasion or chemical peels, and removing or replacing hair. Your dermatologist also can help you evaluate the many skin care products, procedures and claims being offered by spas and non-dermatologist practitioners.

Preventing Future Problems

Dermatologists are a great resource for learning how to prevent skin, hair and nail concerns. They can teach you how to protect yourself from the sun to avoid skin cancer, caution you about hairstyles that can contribute to hair loss and advise you on how to care for your nails to prevent common conditions such as nail fungus.

Whether your dermatologist provides general medical care for the skin or focuses on a specialized area of medical, surgical or cosmetic dermatology, he or she can be your trusted partner in maintaining the health of your skin, hair and nails.

Log on to the Academy's Web site at www.aad.org, and you can:

• Locate a dermatologist in your area;
• Read information on skin conditions, including more than 65 brochures on individual dermatology topics;
• Get advice about skin cancer prevention and detection, and other ways to care for your skin; and
• Learn about the latest dermatologic procedures and how to make informed decisions about having those procedures.

© 2007 American Academy of Dermatology
American Academy of Dermatology
930 E. Woodfield Road
Schaumburg, IL 60168-4014
Toll-free: (888) 462-DERM (3376)
Web: www.aad.org

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