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Who is a dermatologist?

Dermatologists are doctors of medicine (MDs) or doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs) who specialize in treating skin, hair, and nail conditions. They train to perform minor and complex surgical procedures such as plastic surgeries, chemical peels, tumor removal, laser therapy, biopsies, Mohs surgery, mole removal, hair restoration, and more.

Further, they can identify visible skin issues that may indicate other, more severe health conditions such as organ failure, diabetes, kidney problems, and heart disease. Some common conditions dermatologists treat include acne, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, rosacea, hair loss, melanoma, syphilis, Lyme disease, and chickenpox. 

What kind of education and training do dermatologists receive?

Dermatologists typically complete nearly ten years of education and training, including four years of undergraduate studies in science, followed by four years of medical school, an internship, and three years of residency. During the residency, they work with experienced doctors and gain 12,000 to 13,000 hours of clinical experience. After completing a residency, many dermatologists choose a specialized field of practice. 

To become board-certified specialists, dermatologists must clear an exam conducted by the American Board of Dermatology or the American Osteopathic Board of Dermatology, which deems them highly skilled in dermatology. 

What are the different types of dermatology specialists?

Dermatologists can choose to specialize in specific fields, such as: 

• Dermatopathologists are experts in dermatology and pathology. They look at tissue samples under a microscope to diagnose diseases like skin cancer and prepare biopsy reports to aid in treatment decisions. 
• Pediatric dermatologists focus on skin conditions affecting children, such as birthmarks and acne, which may be more common in newborns to adolescents. 
• Medical dermatologists treat serious skin diseases that can have systemic effects, impacting other areas of the body beyond the skin. 
• Dermatologic surgeons perform various skin surgeries in-office, from cancerous tissue removal to hair restoration and scar removal, often using local anesthesia. 
• Cosmetic dermatologists enhance skin appearance by reducing age spots, wrinkles, unwanted hair, cellulite, scars, tattoos, and stretch marks.

What is the difference between dermatologists and estheticians?

Dermatologists are medical doctors with extensive medical training. On the other hand, estheticians are licensed skin care professionals who focus on cosmetic skin treatments that improve the skin's appearance. While they are not medical doctors and cannot diagnose skin disorders or prescribe medications, they provide a range of services that target the skin's overall appearance. 

Common esthetician procedures include exfoliating or scrubbing the skin, applying acne treatments, teaching clients how to use makeup to conceal scars, suggesting skin care products, waxing, and airbrush tanning. Estheticians play an essential role in helping people maintain healthy-looking skin and often work in spas, salons, or dermatology offices under the supervision of a dermatologist. While they are well-versed in various skin care techniques and product recommendations, their scope of practice remains cosmetic and non-medical.

What are the types of procedures performed by dermatologists?

Dermatologists perform several procedures to treat skin issues. These include Mohs surgery, laser surgery, excision surgery, and electrosurgery. Here are some more details about these procedures.

• Mohs surgery: The dermatologist will remove cancer cells from the skin layer by layer during this procedure.
• Laser surgery: Dermatologists use special light beams to treat affected skin areas during laser surgery. 
• Excision surgery: During excision surgery, the dermatologist uses a sharp knife (a scalpel) to remove (excise) tissue and make appropriate closures.
• Electrosurgery: During electrosurgery, dermatologists use high-frequency electric currents to destroy or cut unwanted or affected skin tissue.
• Cryosurgery: This procedure freezes and destroys affected skin tissue using extreme cold. 
• Vein treatment: Dermatologists use sclerotherapy or laser treatment to treat damaged veins.
• Mole removal: Dermatologists remove moles from the body either partially or entirely during this procedure. They then study the mole for skin diseases such as cancer. 

When should one visit a dermatologist?

You should visit a dermatologist for any noticeable skin conditions or discomfort. For instance, seeing a dermatologist near you is necessary if a mole or skin patch has altered in size, color, or form. The most common conditions treated by these specialists include:

• Rosacea: A chronic skin ailment causing facial redness and pimples, making skin thicker, and sometimes inducing eye problems.
• Acne: A common skin condition, acne involves clogged pores, inflammation, and pimples, often affecting teenagers and adults.
• Scars: Scars are generally permanent marks on the skin resulting from healed wounds, injuries, or surgical incisions.
• Autoimmune diseases: Autoimmune diseases often arise when your immune system wrongly targets and attacks the body's tissues, causing diverse health issues.
• Skin cancer: Skin cancer refers to a malignant growth on the skin, often caused by UV radiation exposure, requiring medical attention.
• Dermatitis: Dermatitis is skin inflammation with symptoms like redness, itching, and swelling caused by various irritants or allergies.
• Hemangioma: Hemangioma is a rubbery bump or flat red patch of extra blood vessels in the skin, often appearing as a red birthmark.
• Persistent skin irritation: Persistent skin irritation refers to prolonged discomfort, redness, or inflammation that usually requires medical attention.
• Hives: These are nothing but red, itchy welts on the skin due to allergic reactions or other triggers.
• Hyperpigmentation or dark spots on the face: Hyperpigmentation, or dark spots on the face, results from excess melanin production caused by sun exposure.
• Rashes: Rashes are skin eruptions characterized by redness, itching, or irritation, usually caused by allergies, infections, or inflammation.
• Infections: Infections involve microbial invasion, causing redness, swelling, pain, and sometimes discharge, requiring medical attention for treatment.
• Eczema: It is a chronic skin condition with symptoms like redness, itching, and inflammation, generally characterized by flaky white or yellow scaly patches.
• Warts: These are non-cancerous skin growths that appear on various body parts. They are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).
• Psoriasis: A chronic skin disorder marked by red, itchy, and scaly patches resulting from immune system dysfunction.
• Hair loss: Hair loss is the slow or sudden absence of hair, commonly caused by genetics, hormones, or medical conditions.
• Signs of aging: Wrinkles, fine lines, sagging skin, gray hair, and reduced collagen production over time are all signs of aging.
• Nail disorders: Nail disorders encompass various conditions affecting the nails, including discoloration, deformities, or infections. These require medical attention.
• Spider or varicose veins: Spider or varicose veins are enlarged, twisted blood vessels that usually appear on the legs or face and often cause discomfort.

Four vital nutrients for healthy skin

A poor diet, including highly processed and sugary foods, can lead to inflammation and faster skin aging. Other lousy lifestyle habits like smoking and drinking excessive alcohol can also cause skin problems. A diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fatty fish, and legumes can help nourish the skin and prevent diseases.

Here are some essential nutrients that provide skin and hair benefits:

• Vitamin C: It is an antioxidant that shields the skin from oxidative damage produced by the sun, which can contribute to premature aging. Vitamin C also creates collagen, the main structural protein promoting healthy skin. A lack of vitamin C can generate scaly, rough, and dry skin. Some foods containing vitamin C are citrus fruits, bell peppers, broccoli, avocados, strawberries, and kiwis. 
• Vitamin A: It is also an antioxidant that prevents sun damage to the skin's upper and inner layers. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to itchy, scratchy, or bumpy skin. Vitamin A or retinoids are also available topically. Topical retinoids can help to reduce wrinkles and slow down the process of aging. Retinol (a type of retinoid) can improve skin elasticity, assist in forming new blood vessels, and prevent sagging by removing damaged elastin fiber. Animal products such as beef, dairy, eggs, cod liver oil, and shrimp contain vitamin A. It is a provitamin A or carotenoid found in carrots, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes. 
• Zinc: It protects the immune system and helps the skin heal after an injury. It also works as an antioxidant to shield the skin from UV damage. The outer layers of the skin have five times more zinc than the inner layers. While topical zinc is effective against bacteria formation and can treat mild acne, dietary zinc can help treat severe or cystic acne. Beans, dairy products, oysters, red meat, and whole grains are some food sources of zinc. 
• Omega-3 fatty acids: These can help lower inflammation and improve cholesterol levels. Foods that have high omega-6 fatty acids content can lead to inflammation and make conditions such as psoriasis worse. Fish oil, herring, salmon, mackerel, walnuts, chia seeds, almonds, edamame, and canola or soybean oil are some omega-3 fatty acid sources.

What should one expect during the first visit to a dermatologist?

Ensure you don't wear makeup or nail polish before visiting a dermatologist, as you may have to remove these before the examination. Carry a list of products you use, including vitamins, supplements, prescriptions, and over-the-counter (OTC) medication. Make notes of your and your family's skin issues, as the doctor will want to know your medical history.

Wear loose-fitting clothes so that the dermatologist can easily check your skin. They may ask you to get your clothes off and wear a paper robe so that they can examine your skin thoroughly. If the doctor finds anything unusual, they will perform a diagnosis and suggest an appropriate treatment. They may prescribe medication or ask for further tests. You may have to revisit the dermatologist if required.

Finding a dermatologist near you in Santa Monica, California

Visible skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis can often affect a person's confidence and self-esteem. While over-the-counter products may treat these skin conditions, a dermatologist can assist in diagnosing your skin ailment better and provide an effective treatment. 

Finding an experienced dermatologist can be a challenging task. However, Zocdoc provides users with a straightforward way of finding dermatologists in their area from the comfort of their homes. To book an online consultation or in-person appointment, visit the Zocdoc website and enter your condition or symptoms, location, and insurance details. Click on "find" and browse through a list of top-rated dermatologists. You can also filter and sort your search results based on the time of the day, gender, language, hospital affiliation, distance, and whether a provider treats children.

You can also check whether a dermatologist accepts your insurance by entering your insurance carrier and plan in the drop-down menu at the top of the page. This automatically filters the displayed results with in-network providers.

Our online patient support center can help you find dermatologists who accept your insurance. You can link your medical, dental, and vision insurance plans to your Zocdoc account, though you can use only one plan per appointment. You can add your secondary insurance details in the appointment notes if you have multiple insurance plans. Additionally, if your healthcare provider uses Zocdoc's Intake forms, you can enter your secondary insurance information directly within the form.

To help you make a better decision, Zocdoc also provides each healthcare professional's educational background, clinical experience, certifications, licensures, awards, and accreditations on their dedicated profiles. Further, you can also read honest and verified patient reviews to solidify your choice.

You can book online or offline appointments through Zocdoc. Just look for a purple button on the profiles of dermatologists who allow video appointments. Depending on their availability, with Zocdoc, you can book an appointment during office hours, after 5 pm, before 10 am, during weekends, or on holidays.

Thanks to Zocdoc, finding the desired dermatologist near you is now easier! Booking appointments on Zocdoc is fast, free, and secure!

Prevalence of skin diseases in California

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), California had about 10,260 new skin melanoma cases in 2022. Nearly 710 deaths occurred due to melanoma this year. These numbers are significantly lower than the cases reported in 2019. There were approximately 88,059 new skin melanoma cases in California in 2019; i.e. for every 100,000 people, 23 melanoma cases were reported.

Data collated by the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) between 2014 and 2018 showed that the incidence of melanoma (per 100,000 people) was much higher in men (30.4) than in women (17.4). In 2019, melanoma ranked 6th in California in the list of top ten cancers by rates of new cancer cases.

Dermatologists also treat rashes, sores, or scabs caused by the monkeypox virus. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) data on the 2022 monkeypox outbreak shows 2,660 probable and confirmed cases in California. Out of these, over 900 cases belong to people residing in Los Angeles County. The majority of those cases, i.e., 37.1%, belong to adults aged 25-34, and roughly 34.9% belong to the age group of 35-44.

A dermatologist may also treat rashes that occur due to secondary syphilis. In 2019, CDPH data showed nearly 28,846 cases of syphilis (all stages) in California, 349% more than ten years ago. California had approximately 904 new Lyme disease cases from 2013 to 2019. The annual rate of new Lyme disease cases reported between 2013 and 2019 was less than 1 case per 100,000 people in California.

Sources

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California Department of Public Health[1]

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National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases[1]

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Mayo Clinic[1]

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American Osteopathic College of Dermatology

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Medical News Today

Better Health Channel

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 immediately.