Dermatology

With skin disorders impacting 30–70% of people globally, they rank as the fourth most common cause of all human diseases. From newborns to the elderly, the majority of people experience some form of skin illness at some point in their lives, and this is one of the main causes of seeking medical attention in all countries. This means that the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the skin, hair, and nails in both adults and children falls under the purview of dermatology. Dermatologists are experts in the field of dermatology.

There are many fields and subspecialties within dermatology, including:

• ·         Medical dermatology – includes dealing with medical conditions such as dermatitis, psoriasis, urticaria, connective tissue diseases, skin infections, disorders of pigmentation, skin conditions associated with internal diseases, and acne and rosacea in both adults and children.
• ·         Surgical dermatology – deals mostly with treating and removing skin lesions such as melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), and other non-cancerous lesions by a variety of modalities including curettage and cautery, cryotherapy, excisional surgery, and photodynamic therapy.
• ·         Cosmetic dermatology – focusing on the cosmetic treatment of skin, hair, and nail conditions. This includes laser treatments, removal of scars, hair implants, injectable fillers, and botulinum toxin (Botox).

The type of skin cancer or noncancerous or precancerous growth, location, size, number, and aggressiveness of the tumor, the patient's overall health, side effects, potential complications, benefits, and procedure cure rate are some of the factors that affect the choice of derma treatments. Basically, it starts with your medical history, then looks at and diagnoses the skin growth, explains the potential consequences of not treating it, and then goes over available treatments and aftercare. Your dermatologist will typically decide on the best course of action and carry it out during this session. However, your dermatologist may take a biopsy and arrange for you to have surgery at a later time if the examination suggests that you may have skin cancer.

Some common skin problems are:

• Cryosurgery- Liquid nitrogen is typically utilized in cryosurgery to freeze and eliminate a single or several growths. The liquid nitrogen is usually sprayed directly into the growth using a specialized canister, however, occasionally a cotton tip applicator is used to apply the liquid nitrogen directly to the growth. The operation takes place in the office in a matter of minutes, requires no skin numbing, and causes very little discomfort.
• Photodynamic therapy- A substance (methyl aminolevulinate or aminolevulinic acid) is administered to the precancerous or cancerous development during photodynamic therapy. A light source is applied to the treated area after a few hours, which photo activates the chemical and kills any malignant or precancerous cells. For each type of photosensitizing agent, a separate light source is employed.
• Shave Removal- The goal of a shave removal is the same as that of a shave biopsy, with the exception that the noncancerous growth is to be cosmetically removed to the proper depth to allow the wound to heal flat. A superficial slice of the entire growth is cut with a surgical blade during shave removal. Depending on where the treated region is, the wound may take one to three weeks to heal without the need for stitches

Besides these, there are some other surgeries as well that eradicate skin problems and accelerate a quick recovery.