Cosmetic Dermatology

What is it?

Dermatology is a branch of medicine that deals with the structure, functions and diseases of the skin, nails, and hair. Skin, as you might know, is the largest organ in our body and covers nearly 1.73 square meters of our body. Our skin makes up 16% of our body weight.

Apart from protecting our body, our skin has an additional duty of regulating our body temperature. When our body becomes hot, the skin initiates sweating to reduce our body temperature. When we start feeling cold, the skin prevents the loss of heat by tightening the blood vessels in the skin, which can limit the amount of hot blood from reaching the skin. It acts like our very own thermostat.

The practitioners of dermatology are called Dermatologists who are doctors specialized in Dermatology. They help in managing and treating skin diseases and also dealing with cosmetic issues that are found in the skin, hair, and nails. 

SKIN CONDITIONS

Medical dermatology mainly comprises of the treatment of the following skin conditions, such as:

Skin Discolouration

The most common skin discolouration issue is birthmarks, which are spots or patches found on the skin right from the birth of patients, varying from brown to pink or purple. Certain birthmarks might even cause hemangiomas, a condition of the blood vessels that need to be treated. 

Freckles, moles or other skin lesions are some non-cancerous growths found on the skin. These are usually not harmful but are removed for cosmetic reasons.

Chronic Skin Conditions

Most chronic skin conditions might not be cured completely but don’t worry we will always be able to control and manage them to a minimum level with the help of medications and some lifestyle changes.

Some of the common chronic skin problems include,

• Eczema is the inflammation of the skin.
• Psoriasis produces red and bumpy patches covered with silvery scales.
• Acne is a common condition found in adolescence and older age. This condition of the skin is not harmful.
• Rosacea causes redness of the nose, cheeks, chin, and forehead.

Acute Skin Problems

Temporary skin problems that can be cured with the help of medications and lifestyle changes are termed as acute skin problems. Some of these include,

• Cold sores are painful blisters caused some viruses
• Warts usually occur in children on their hands or feet
• Blisters can cause due to a variety of reasons such as friction, burn, etc.
• Chafing occurs throughout the body but when it forms in the thigh, groin, underarms or nipples, they become vulnerable.
• Sunburn
• Gangrene is a serious condition that occurs when body tissue dies. Medical help is necessary for this condition.
• Rashes

Skin infections

These are of three types, namely

• Bacterial infection includes leprosy, cyst, abscess, etc. Antibiotics help treat these infections.
• Viral infections such as chickenpox, shingles, etc. These infections pass on after 2 weeks even though the symptoms may be painful, there is no available cure.  
• Fungal infection consists of ringworm, athlete’s foot, etc. Different types of antifungal medications are used as treatment.

TREATMENT OPTIONS

We, at Dr. Sculpt, are equipped to provide all the options required for the treatment of the above-mentioned skin issues. Some of them are:

• CryoSurgery, as the name suggests, uses extreme cold to destroy the damaged cells and are used to treat warts, skin cancers, etc.
• Laser Therapy can be used to manage birthmarks, skin disorders like vitiligo, etc.
• Phototherapy uses light to treat the skin by increasing the Vitamin D production in the skin, which in turn, soothes the skin and reduces itching and inflammation.
• Prescription of Skin Care products like gentle anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory cleansers, sunscreens, etc.is another treatment option.
• Medications like oral antibiotics with anti-inflammatory properties, topical prescriptions are some of the medications that are prescribed.
• Chemical Peels have proved effective in eliminating skin discolouration.