What does a dermatologist treat, and when should you see one?

A dermatologist looks after diseases of the skin, hair and nails. Mucous areas such as the inside of the mouth and the genital area also fall under this specialty.

Cildiye and dermatology are the same department. The official name of the specialty is Skin and Venereal Diseases. Cildiye is the everyday Turkish name, and dermatology is the scientific name. A doctor who specialises in this field is called a dermatologist, a cildiye specialist or, for short, a cildiyeci. The doctor people look for as a skin doctor is also a dermatologist.

For the following complaints, the first department to go to is dermatology:

• Spots and acne marks. Spots on the face, back or chest that do not go away.
• Dark patches. Sun spots, the mask of pregnancy and dark marks left by spots.
• Hair loss. Itching, dandruff and flaking of the scalp also come under this heading.
• Moles. Checking moles that are new or that change in shape or colour.
• Itching and rashes. Eczema, psoriasis and hives.
• Warts and fungal infections. Infections seen on the hands, feet or nails.
• Redness on the face. Fine blood vessels visible beside the nose and on the cheeks.
• Nails. Colour change, thickening and breaking.

General medicine or dermatology? For a complaint you can see on the skin, hair or nails, you go to dermatology first. For hair loss too, dermatology is the first department to go to. Some skin findings can be linked to a problem elsewhere in the body. Iron deficiency or a thyroid problem can cause hair loss. When there is a suspicion like that, the dermatologist asks for blood tests and, if needed, refers you to an internal medicine specialist.

At a dermatology consultation, the doctor asks when the complaint started and which medicines and creams you use, and looks closely at the skin. A lit magnifying glass called a dermatoscope may be used to examine moles and hair. The examination is usually painless.

Which approach the complaint needs is decided at the consultation.