The skin is the largest organ in the body, covering an area of around 2 square metres and weighing about 5 kilograms. It protects the body organs, provides warmth, and helps us feel and explore our environment.
A doctor who specialises in conditions of the skin, hair, and nails is called a dermatologist. A dermatologist can help you care for your skin correctly, diagnose and treat skin issues, and offer medical treatments to keep your skin healthy and looking its best. Dermatologists are the only accredited specialists in skin, hair and nails in Australia and worldwide.
The Role of a Dermatologist
Dermatologists care for people of all ages, including newborns, adults and seniors. They have a variety of roles but primarily do the following:
Diagnosing skin disorders
Dermatologists have extensive education and training of between 16 to 18 years and use the latest diagnostic procedures and tools to appropriately diagnose, treat, and manage over 3,000 skin conditions. To determine the correct diagnosis, dermatologists may conduct multiple consultations to learn more about a patient’s skin condition. They also perform physical exams, skin checks for skin cancer and melanoma, or biopsies to analyse the patient’s skin.
Treatment of skin conditions
After thoroughly diagnosing patients, they provide effective treatments to treat and manage their condition. Part of the treatment is thorough patient education to ensure they understand their treatment plan and what’s involved. Dermatologists can prescribe medications in the form of creams, gels, pills, capsules, and liquids.
Performing procedures
A dermatologist performs medical or cosmetic procedures, including laser resurfacing and uses other energy-based devices to improve and refresh the skin from a cosmetic point of view. They perform surgical procedures to remove skin cancers and melanomas and often provide phototherapy, chemical peels, and various other treatment modalities.
They ensure they have training on the latest practices to provide their patients with the most effective treatment.
Providing advice
Patients consult dermatologists for advice on caring for their skin, hair, and nails. Dermatologists provide patients with clear explanations regarding their care, considering they will continue these treatments at home. They explain why they recommend the therapy, how it works, potential side effects, risks, and the cost.
A dermatologist may work in a private setting such as a clinic, a day procedure centre or a hospital. Some are involved in training aspiring doctors or may work in academic research, trials, or outreach programs.
Education and Qualification Requirements
In Australia, dermatologists require extensive years of education and training. They need a medical degree from a university and spend 2-3 years on medical training in a hospital environment as an intern.
Afterwards, they spend another four years of specialist dermatology training under the Australasian College of Dermatologists (ACD). During this extensive training, they work alongside specialists in treating patients while continuing lessons and passing exams.
All Australian dermatologists are registered with the Medical Board of Australia. If a dermatologist has completed their training overseas and wants to practice in Australia, they need further training before they can practice locally. Additional advanced training is necessary for dermatologists who wish to perform Mohs surgery.
Common Treatments and Procedures
Skin cancer
Abnormal skin growth from UV exposure can lead to cancer. This is common to the elderly and also those with fair or freckled skin and who have a family history of cancer. Dermatologists will conduct cancer screening and a thorough medical history to diagnose cancer. Skin cancer treatment varies depending on the lesion’s type, size, and location and takes months to years of treatment.
Acne
One of the most common reasons people consult dermatologists is the presence of acne. It is a common skin condition and can be mild, moderate, or severe. Left untreated, acne can leave spots or marks and may lead to permanent skin damage and self-esteem issues. Dermatologists can prescribe medications or provide in-clinic treatments to help people with acne.
Eczema
People with eczema have dry, very itchy, and inflamed skin. Temperature changes, exposure to irritants, and stress may trigger eczema. A dermatologist can help identify triggers and prescribe medications and products to deal with symptoms and avoid flare-ups.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a long-term skin disease that causes redness, scaling, and sores. There are no cures for this skin issue, but a dermatologist can prescribe treatments such as medications, skin care products, and lifestyle changes to keep symptoms under control.
Cosmetic procedures
Patients wishing to improve their physical appearance and self-confidence contact dermatologists for help. Specialist-trained dermatologists perform various cosmetic procedures such as muscle relaxing injections, fillers, and laser treatments to reduce signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin. They also use advanced technologies to remove scars and marks and help contour body areas such as the face, neck, abdomen and limbs.
When to See a Dermatologist
You should visit a dermatologist with concerns about skin conditions such as a changing mole, a non- healing spot , acne, hair loss and skin rashes. Have a mole assessed right away if it has changed size, shape, and colour. This could be a melanoma and must be treated in a timely fashion.
If you’re considering a cosmetic procedure to improve your appearance or remove scars, acne marks, and birthmarks, a dermatologist can help you remove these marks safely and effectively.
Also, everyone should get regular skin checks for cancer, most especially if you have a family history of cancer. Skin checks should be done at least once a year or more if you risk developing this disease.
Specialist Areas Within Dermatology
Dermatologists may specialise in specific skin care areas. Here are the most common:
Cosmetic Dermatology
Dermatologists specialising in cosmetic dermatology treat skin conditions, especially those caused by sun damage and aging. They can improve skin health and appearance by minimising acne scars, age spots, smile lines, sun damage, and wrinkles.
Medical Dermatology
Patients who need help treating skin conditions such as acne, alopecia, eczema, contact allergies, melanoma, psoriasis, rosacea, warts, and nail disease can visit a dermatologist specialising in medical dermatology.
Paediatric Dermatology
Dermatologists may specialise in children’s skin. Paediatric dermatologists diagnose and treat childhood skin conditions, including birthmarks, malformations, hair and nail conditions in children, eczema, autoimmune skin diseases, melanomas, and more.
Surgical Dermatology
Patients who require surgical treatment for various skin conditions may visit a surgical dermatologist. These experts can provide surgical treatments for patients with skin growths, cysts, melanomas, carcinomas, lipomas, and more.
Photomedicine
Some dermatologists may provide light therapy or photomedicine to treat various skin issues such as eczema, psoriasis, and vitiligo (an autoimmune skin disorder where patches of skin lose colour). They work with physicians to care for patients and improve their conditions using phototherapy.
How Dr Refresh Can Help
Dr Refresh is Australia’s premier cosmetic clinic, specialising in cosmetic, medical and surgical dermatology, facial treatments, body toning, and overall health and wellness.
Do you need help with a skin condition? Schedule a consultation with Dr Ritu or her specialist clinical staff to discover how we can help. Call the Dr Refresh team at (02) 8014 6505 to book a consultation. Alternatively, you can also enquire and book online.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do dermatologists only treat severe skin conditions?
Dermatologists treat all kinds of skin conditions, from non-life-threatening issues such as acne and eczema to more serious conditions such as skin cancer.
2. How often should I see a dermatologist for a skin check?
You should visit a dermatologist for a skin check at least once a year or more frequently if you notice unusual skin issues, such as a mole that changes in size, appearance, and location, or if you have a family history of skin cancer.
3. What’s the difference between a dermatologist, a skin specialist, a skin cancer doctor, or a cosmetic doctor?
A dermatologist is a certified medical doctor specialising in diagnosing and treating skin, hair, and nail conditions. Skin specialists, skin cancer doctors and cosmetic doctors are not specialists accredited by the Australian Medical Council. To know that you are seeing a specialist Dermatologist for your medical and cosmetic concerns, look for the letters FACD after their name. This means they are a member (as Dr Ritu is) of the Australasian College of Dermatologists.
