To know the meaning of the term dermatology, it is necessary, first of all, to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we can state that it is a word that derives from Greek, since it is the result of the sum of two components of said language:
-The noun "derma, dermatos", which can be translated as "skin".
-The compositional element "logy", which is used to indicate "treaty" or "study".
Dermatology is the specialty of medicine focused on diseases and functions of the skin (the largest organ in the human body). A dermatology specialist is known as a dermatologist .
An expert in dermatology is able to study the structure of the skin, analyze its functioning and prevent, diagnose and treat disorders that may occur in it. It should be noted that skin problems can be generated directly in this integument or be a consequence of some type of internal condition.
To all of the above we must add that dermatology, as we understand it today, originated about 110 years ago. And it began to establish itself as a medical specialty in Europe at the end of the 19th century.
Hence, at that time three important schools began to emerge focused on this science and the study of the skin. We are referring to the Vienna General Hospital, the Saint Louis Hospital in Paris and London.
However, we cannot ignore that there are different documents that prove that the first dermatological diseases were already collected and studied in Classical Greece. What's more, there are documents from Ancient Rome where it is clear that it was already becoming aware of pathologies related to the skin such as scabies , shingles, ringworm or leprosy, among many others.
Although training varies in each country, generally a dermatologist is a medical graduate who later specialized in dermatology. This allows the professional to have knowledge of endocrinology, neurology and other issues that are necessary to know the skin in depth.
Cosmetic dermatology , on the other hand, is the specialty of dermatology focused on aesthetics . In this case, the purpose is to treat imperfections that affect the skin (scars, color changes, etc.).
The different types of dermatitis , leprosy , acne , hives , melanoma and vitiligo are some of the diseases and disorders that cause skin problems and that can be diagnosed, prevented and/or treated by dermatology.
It is important to mention that the elementary lesions that occur on the skin can be divided into primary lesions and secondary lesions. Primary lesions include cysts , abscesses , blisters , wheals , pustules and vesicles . As for secondary lesions , we can name ulcers , bedsores and scabs .
Likewise, we cannot forget about dermatological surgery, which is the part of Dermatology that is responsible for using different surgical techniques to solve skin problems.