Is a plastic surgeon a skin specialist?
Although the primary interest of the skin specialist, called a dermatologist, is in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the skin, the plastic surgeon has an equally important role in the treatment of benign and malignant tumors of the skin. His/her skills are especially needed where large areas of skin must be removed and replaced, and where disfigurement may result from treatment of a tumor. Injuries to the skin, whether thermal (burns), or from radiation, or mechanical trauma, are usually managed by the plastic surgeon. A plastic surgeon does not treat active cases of acne but may use scraping, planing, sandpapering, or chemical peeling to minimize the pits and scarring in the late phases of acne. There are limits to the improvement that can be expected.
Dermatologists specialize in skin, but the plastic surgeon has an equally important role of the treatment of benign and malignant tumors of the skin. The skills of a plastic surgeon are especially needed when large areas of the skin must be removed and replaced especially where disfigurement may result or when these areas are in conspicuous areas such as the face. Plastic surgeons also perform skin resurfacing techniques, for cosmetic purposes, in order to achieve healthier looking skin by reducing facial wrinkling and pigmentary changes of the skin.
