Medical vs. Cosmetic Dermatologists: Who Do You Make Your Appointments With?

Issues/Skin

December 5, 2011

51 COMMENTS

Why do people go to the dermatologist? What sends you to a search engine near you to find an office and make an appointment? There are so many factors at play. Maybe a weird mole or discoloration or rash is causing you concern. Maybe you want to have a tattoo removed. Maybe you’re interested in fillers or injectables. Who do you make an appointment with? As it turns out, that entirely depends on your needs.

Photo source hellobeautiful.com via Google Images

There are two basic kinds of dermatology. Medical dermatology (also sometimes known as dermasurgery), and cosmetic dermatology.

Dr. Carolyn Jacob of Chicago Cosmetic Surgery and Dermatology broke it down for me like this: “Board certified dermatologists complete a residency in dermatology after their med school and internship. They then pass their board certification test. Any Derm can call themselves a cosmetic Derm as some cosmetic procedures are taught at some residency programs. However, some of us have completed fellowship training in cosmetic, laser, and/ or skin cancer surgery and are further sub-specialized,” she said in a recent interview.

You’ll want to make an appointment with a cosmetic dermatologist if you’re investigating tattoo removal, lasers, Botox, fillers or even procedures like liposuction or face lifts. If you’ve got a more serious skin disorder, you’ll want to see a medical derm.

“A medical dermatologist focuses on issues such as skin cancer, rashes, acne and warts. You would want to visit a medical dermatologist once a year to have a full body check to make sure that you don’t have skin cancer or pre-skin cancer. A cosmetic dermatologist focuses more on esthetic issues such as wrinkles, tone and texture of the skin, sagging and undereye circles. If you have any cosmetic concerns, it is best to see a cosmetic dermatologist. However, there are many dermatologists who take pride in doing both. All dermatologists can do both but some prefer to specialize in only one or the other,” explained Amy Forman Taub, MD of Advanced Dermatology.

If you’re really serious about your skincare, it’s recommended that you become intimately familiar with both kinds of dermatologists and make those annual appointments. “Patients should visit a board certified dermatologist yearly for a mole check to look for abnormal moles and skin cancer. Seeing your dermatologist for cosmetic issues regularly helps keep your skin looking great!,” added Dr. Carolyn Jacob.

Good to know!

Have you visited a dermatologist recently? What kind of derm was it, and what made you decide to choose them?

For more posts on The Future of Beauty, visit Glam.com.

Filed Under:

Issues
Skin

Tagged With: dermatologist, Featured, lasers, Skin, skincare

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December 6, 2011, 10:31 am

I am currently searching for a medical dermatologist. I moved to Florida (from dimly lit and mostly covered-up Chicago) this year, and although I am religious about using sunscreen everyday I feel certain for the reasons mentioned by Dr. Jacob that everyone should have a derm that they see at least once a year. One of the largest cancer killers is melanoma, and black folks usually get that type of cancers in places we normally don't pay a lot of attention to, in between our toes, our hands and around the neck and ear areas. Melanin helps, sunscreen protects, but preventative care and should be added as a defense. In Florida, this is much more prevalent due to indirect and direct sun exposure.

K says:

December 6, 2011, 12:58 pm

Thank you. This was very useful

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December 11, 2011, 9:43 am

I had really bad acne at one point. I have never thought about going to a dermatologist. I wouldn't even know where to start. I went to my doctor who gave me antibiotics and it cleared up immediately.

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March 4, 2015, 3:57 pm

Thanks for sharing this! I want to get a big generic check up at a dermatologist, so I think that I should see a medical one. That way, they can take a look at my skin and let me know if there is anything I can do to make it more healthy. Hopefully my skin is healthy and cancer free!

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April 28, 2015, 3:17 pm

Thanks for sharing this advice on choosing the right type of dermatologist! It's really important to know the difference between the two, especially if you need a lot of skin care. If you are just going to the cosmetic dermatologist, you're not getting checked for things like moles and other signs of skin diseases. I'll definitely keep this in mind as I search for a new dermatologist in my area- I want to find a medical dermatologist right now, not a cosmetic one!

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Ridley Fitzgerald says:

September 21, 2016, 4:28 pm

I have always wondered the difference between these dermatologists. So, if it's a serious skin disorder, like a disease or something, a medical dermatologist is the best choice, right? So if my wife was thinking of getting some fillers, a cosmetic dermatologist is where to go.

Arya Smith says:

August 30, 2018, 7:01 pm

I like that you mentioned that some people go to dermatologists to get a mole or a discoloration fixed. Actually, I needed to see one to get a mole removed. It has been growing ever since I was a teen, and it is bothering now especially that it is on my face. So I guess I will be booking an appointment one of these days.

Emily says:

November 19, 2018, 5:21 pm

I have always wondered the difference between these dermatologists.

Daphne Gilpin says:

March 25, 2019, 10:53 am

Thanks for explaining that a medical dermatologist focuses on things like skin cancer, rashes, and warts. Lately I've been having rashes. I'm glad to know I should visit a medical dermatologist.

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