Dermatology can be defined as the treatment and study of skin, in a really broad sense. Most think that dermatologists will specialize in absolutely all skin conditions but that is not the case. We actually have 3 major dermatology types that exist: medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology. A highly experienced dermatology clinic London will be able to offer all of these services but that is not always the case. Because of this, you need to know the differences between the dermatology branches. That will help you to choose.
Cosmetic Dermatology
We have to talk about this first since we are faced with the most procedures performed on a yearly basis. This is the branch that mostly focuses on the skin’s aesthetic side. It will not focus on skin because of medical conditions like rashes or skin cancer. The cosmetic dermatologist will focus on the appearance of the skin. The patient will want to hire a cosmetic dermatologist in order to get rid of aging signs, uneven skin tone and unsightly blemishes. Most of the cosmetic dermatology procedures are not going to be covered by your health insurance policy because they cannot be considered as being medically necessary.
Medical Dermatology
This is a dermatology branch that can be seen as being the exact opposite of the one above. Appearance is not that important in this study and the main reason you would go to a medical dermatologist is a medical problem that manifests itself on skin, like lupus or cancer. The medical dermatologist can deal with patients that are suffering from painful rashes, sun damage, rosacea and a whole lot more. Because of the fact that there are valid medical conditions that are treated, health insurance normally covers medical dermatology procedures that are done without many questions asked.
Surgical Dermatology
Exactly as the name implies, we are talking about a dermatology branch that sees the use of surgical treatments in order to take care of various skin conditions. In many cases we see surgery as being done for a cosmetic reason. In this case we do have to also include the procedure in cosmetic dermatology. However, surgical procedures are much more common when referring to skin cancer or other medical dermatology reasons. No matter what surgery is done, the surgeon needs adequate training.
What Do You Need?
Even if surgical, medical and cosmetic dermatology can be distinct and practices are different, there are many cases in which they would overlap in treatment. As an example, in the event that you visit the office of a dermatologist because of the fact that you want treatment for painful rashes, you may need both cosmetic and medical procedures done in order to eliminate the skin condition’s unsightly nature and the pain.
It is important that you talk with an experienced dermatologist in order to see exactly what type of dermatology you are going to need. Only the doctor can actually tell you what the best approach is and based on that information you can see exactly what can be covered by the health insurance and what cannot.