When the exposures of life overwhelm you, and time takes its toll, your skin will need help. Who do you call if you have skin problems? You should see a true dermatologist. The difference is education. A dermatologist is a medical specialist who is trained to understand your skin from the inside out; in a way that other skin practitioners are not. A genuine dermatologist has focused three or more years of residency training specifically on human skin. No other medical doctor or other specialist dedicates this much focused educational time to caring for your skin in both health and disease.

What can you expect from a dermatologist? Dermatology is a visual medical specialty in which the doctor simply looks and makes a diagnosis. Because of this visual basis, dermatology office visits are sometimes quick. Just as a radiologist can look at an x-ray to diagnose a fracture, a dermatologist can look at your skin under a light or under a microscope and can make a visual analysis. If the diagnosis is not clear, the dermatologist can order special blood tests, hormone tests, allergy tests, cultures, and biopsies for clarification. Five minutes with a true dermatologist can save you many hours of uncertain guessing.