Dermatology

Dermatology is a branch of medicine that covers the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases of the skin, hair, nails, oral cavity and genitals. It also covers cosmetic skin care and enhancement as well as diagnosis, treatment and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. Treatment includes both medical and surgical treatments.

Individuals with skin, hair, nail, oral cavity, or genital issues, as well as those seeking cosmetic skin care and enhancement, can benefit from dermatology services. This includes patients with sexually transmitted diseases. Patients should consider seeking dermatology consultation and treatment if first-line treatments have failed (such as treatment by a general practitioner or recommended by a pharmacist). Dermatology consultation should also be considered for patients with multiple co-morbidities, severe diseases, or persistent or recurrent conditions. Anyone with dermatology issues can also choose to seek dermatology treatment as their first-line treatment.

The treatments provided by dermatology include acne treatment, eczema treatment, psoriasis treatment, treatment of skin infections (bacterial, fungal, and viral), treatment of pigmentary disorders (melasma, vitiligo, freckles, etc.), hair disorder treatment, nail disorder treatment, and treatment of other skin diseases. Dermatology procedures include cryotherapy, chemical cautery, paring of calluses, intralesional steroid treatment for keloids, as well as other aesthetic procedures. Aesthetic procedures include chemical peeling, laser treatments for skin rejuvenation, treatment of pigmentary disorders, fine veins, vascular lesions, hair reduction, and laser removal of small lumps, bumps, and moles.

Dermatology surgery includes skin biopsy, skin lumps and bumps removal, excision of skin lesion, nail surgery and electrocautery procedure.