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Dermatology
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 07.07.2025
In the common human understanding, the word dermatology is a science that studies the various structures and functions of the skin, mucous membrane, hair and nails. In addition, the field of study of dermatology includes diagnostics and treatment of all of the above.
Dermatology pays special attention to the restoration of the normal and healthy condition of the human skin, various oncological diseases, and also studies all kinds of change processes that occur during the aging of the skin, fatty tissue, hair and nails.
Dermatology helps to develop new drugs, decides whether surgical intervention is advisable in some cases or can be done without it. This science is connected with another, no less important area of study, called venereology. As everyone probably knows, the skin is the largest organ of the human body. It is this organ that shows the condition of the whole organism. In addition, the skin acts as a barrier, preventing bacteria from getting inside and any damage from occurring. That is why dermatology has focused its close attention on it.
Today, you can meet every other person who has various skin diseases. About 15% of all hospital visits are taken by dermatology, where the patient is carefully examined and then consulted on health problems that for some reason are associated with the skin, hair or mucous membrane, and only after that is he prescribed treatment.
The most common diseases in dermatology are: cancer, skin warts, fungi, acne, eczema, dermatitis. Despite the fact that the skin is on the surface of the human body, its diagnosis and treatment is actually quite a labor-intensive process. This is due to the fact that there are a huge number of diseases that affect the skin. First, the patient undergoes a general examination of the skin, thanks to which the initial diagnosis is established. Then, during the examination itself, such signs as pathological processes of the skin, character and general condition are taken into account.
In order to make an accurate diagnosis, dermatology uses various additional methods (for example, layer-by-layer scraping or the diascopy method). These include several laboratory studies, which include various skin tests, radiological, microscopic and histological studies.
Today, modern dermatology can easily achieve excellent results even in such severe cases that would have been considered completely incurable not so long ago. The entire treatment process is classified approximately like this: among all those countless basic methods, there is a regimen (the so-called skin care), then comes a diet, then drug therapy (local and general), then physiotherapy, psychotherapy (this is necessary because most known skin diseases are caused by all sorts of mental disorders).
In cases where old methods are no longer effective, surgical treatment is used. In chronic skin diseases, resort therapy is used. Usually, such treatment is complex, including a set of various therapeutic measures. This depends on the nature of the disease.
Dermatology is a necessary and important science, both for medicine and for humans in general. Without it, the treatment process would be much more painful and lengthy.
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