If you needed heart surgery to lengthen the quality of your life, you would not go to a general practitioner or family medicine doctor. It is doubtful that you would even consider consulting a specialist outside the cardiology field. For instance, if you needed a stent put into your heart, you would seek a surgeon that specializes in interventional cardiology. To ensure the highest level of care you would want someone that has the proper credentials and specializes in this service.

The point is that many forms of medical practice are highly specialized. Many believe that finding a specialist to help with your dermatological or “skin” needs may be a simple task. However, an esthetician, general practice doctor or internist do not necessarily have the expertise and additional years of training for taking care of the biggest organ of the body — the skin. It is these qualifications that make the specialty of dermatology even more unique.

The skin is a manifestation of what is on the inside. Oftentimes dermatologists are thoroughly trained in internal medicine or family practice prior to being allowed to undergo the necessary years of advanced training in dermatology. The practice of cosmetic dermatology is even more specialized than general dermatology. It requires that the specialist be an artist, has the client’s best interest in mind, and is able to integrate art and medicine to optimize the most aesthetic yet natural looking results for their clients. Too often clients ignore this important factor in choosing a doctor to provide medical services on their skin. Often they do not stop to ask whether their physician is a licensed and board-certified dermatologist. Some practitioners claim to be board-certified. “Board-certified” is similar to saying, “I passed my test”, but it is important to ask what specialty they are board-certified in. Clients should make sure that their skin doctor is Board Certified in Dermatology. Unfortunately, clients often entrust those who advertise dermatology services even though these practitioners do not hold a specialized advanced training certification.

Worse yet, clients choose non-physicians (e.g. nurses, physician’s assistants) to provide services when these individuals may, in actuality, have very little experience in treating skin and can possibly cause unnecessary harm, all the while charging fees similar to that of a dermatologist.

Many clients unknowingly choose non-board certified physicians. These physicians will provide services within the spectrum of dermatology without informing the client that they are not specifically trained in the field. They may also neglect to give the client an option for referral to a board-certified dermatologist.

Some examples of procedures that should be performed by a board-certified specialist are: skin screening, skin biopsies, mole removals and cosmetic dermatology services. “In a study of 7 institutions representative of the U.S. medical schools in general, nearly 25% of all medical students surveyed had never even observed a skin cancer examination, and 43% had never examined a patient for skin cancer”

Don’t get caught on flawed advice. You want to get the quality of service you expect and deserve from your selected physician. Just sometimes this requires you to do a little homework.

She's assisted by her sons Charley and Mitchell.

Watch for Dr. Ly at the Maui Senior Fair coming SOON!

A Number of Treatments Available for Age Spots

Age spots are also known as sun spots, liver spots, lentigos, or lentigines. These lesions are flat, tan, brown, or dark brown spots on sun- exposed skin. As people age, sun spots most commonly appear on the backs of the hands, the forearms, neck, chest, and face. Sun spots are associated with cumulative sun exposure. The pigment producing cells in the skin (called melanocytes) are activated to produce more pigment (melanin) by ultraviolet rays. While these spots are not themselves cancerous, you may be at risk for skin cancer.

Age spots increase with age and with in creased sun exposure. They are more common in people who freckle and who burn easily. The best treatment for age spots is prevention.

The key to preventing age spots is sun avoidance and daily sun screen use. For example, you won’t find age spots on your inner thigh because of minimal or no sun exposure. However, for most of us, it is too late for prevention, and there are a number of treatment options available. You can try over the counter lightening cream that has hydroquinone component to lighten these spots. Sometimes, Retin A (prescription strength) will also help. Certainly, in office medical treatments such as laser, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, or prescription strength skin care regimens will yield quicker and more satisfying results.