What is a dermatologist?

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Dermatologists specialize in health problems that affect the skin, hair and nails. At Aurora, our dermatology specialists can perform medical, lab and surgical procedures to help you look and feel your very best – including cosmetic procedures, Mohs surgery and other specialized surgeries.

Maintaining healthy skin

Image shows the anatomy of human skin, which a dermatologist cares for.
Your skin is composed of four layers, which include hair, glands and muscles.

Your skin is your first line of protection against many diseases, so skin care is important. It’s the largest organ of the body and it protects and contains everything inside your body – including your other organs and your skeleton. Your skin warms you up and cools you down. It does all these things using nerve endings, sweat glands, hair follicles, pores, blood vessels and other parts.

Why should you see a dermatologist?

Dermatologists help you keep your skin healthy by treating everyday diseases and skin conditions like rashes, acne, psoriasis and rosacea in both adults and children.

A dermatologist will keep track of any moles or unusual sections of skin. They can tell if anything changes over time, which can give you early warning about anything that might become skin cancer. They’ll also give advice for skin care to help prevent premature aging or skin damage.

What conditions can be treated by a dermatologist?

Dermatologists treat many conditions and diseases of the skin, hair and nails including:

What does a dermatologist do?

There are thousands of conditions that can affect your skin, hair and nails. Dermatologists are trained to diagnose and treat them. Some dermatologists are specially trained to focus on an area of dermatology, such as:

  • Cosmetic dermatology: A cosmetic dermatologist is trained to perform cosmetic dermatology treatments like chemical peels to remove damaged skin and filler injections to make wrinkles less noticeable.
  • Dermatopathology: If a skin condition may indicate skin cancer, a dermatologist who specializes in dermatology and pathology can perform a skin biopsy to see if it’s cancerous.
  • Mohs surgery: If you have skin cancer, you may be referred to a dermatologist trained in Mohs surgery. This technique treats certain types of skin cancer while minimizing the removal of healthy skin.
  • Pediatric dermatology: Some skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis, are commonly found in children. Pediatric skin doctors specialize in treating these and other skin, nail, or hair conditions in newborns, infants and children. 

Dermatology treatments

For some conditions, treatment will come in the form of a lotion or cream. For others, your skin doctor may prescribe an oral medication. Your board-certified dermatologist may suggest a treatment plan that includes some of the following techniques:

  • Laser therapy can remove moles, warts, sun damage, acne scars, blemishes, wrinkles, unwanted tattoos or unwanted hair.
  • Cryotherapy uses extremely cold temperatures to remove skin tags, warts and some tumors.
  • Sclerotherapy is used to treat spider veins and varicose veins. Chemicals are injected into the damaged veins to reduce their appearance.
  • Dermabrasion may diminish the appearance of age spots, acne scars and fine lines.

Find a dermatology specialist near you.

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