Dermatologists, Skin Specialists or Estheticians?

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Are you confused with the terms above? Who do you see for your skin problems? Should you see your regular doctor? Should you go to a beauty centre and consult your esthetician?

The main difference between a dermatologist and an esthetician is the training background for each profession. If you go see a dermatologist or a skin specialist, you're seeing a doctor. This means that he or she completed medical school and a few years of residency at a medical facility. Dermatologists have received additional specialized training and education in treating skin related problems.

A dermatologist or a skin specialist is trained to:
  • Diagnose and treat all skin disorders, abnormalities and diseases
  • Write prescriptions based on knowledge of skin care pharmaceuticals
  • Perform minor surgery on skin abnormalities

An esthetician or beautician is a person who has been trained in beauty care. This includes facial massage, manicure, pedicure and some basic medical science like anatomy and physiology related to the face and body. An esthetician or beautician is not allowed to use needles or to give injections (e.g. botox etc.) and certainly not allowed to do surgery on you. However, the legality may differ from country to country. As a summary, training and study in esthetics school prepares a student for work with:
  • Facials
  • Body wraps
  • Microdermabrasion
  • Makeup application
  • Aromatherapy
  • Skin analysis
The focus for both professions is slightly different. One focuses on ā€˜normalā€™ and enhancement of beauty, and the other focuses on the treatment of ā€˜problemā€™ skin. Do you know which is which?
Itā€™s important to know when to see an esthetician and when to see a qualified medical doctor. My opinion is that if you have a skin related ā€˜problemā€™, then you should see your regular skin specialist.

A word of advice to ladies or guys who are really keen of solving their skin problems is to see your skin specialist first. If you are not sure who is a good skin specialist, you could seek advice from your regular medical doctor or family physician.

The human skin is part of your body and sometimes the problem may be related to certain food or drugs that you are taking or external chemicals (e.g. make-up, cosmetics).  Definitely, no amount of facial massage would solve that problem.

Related post:
Acne Treatment Series

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