What Is a Pediatric Dermatologist?

Pediatric dermatologists are doctors who specialize in treating children’s skin, hair, and nails. They treat children of all ages, from infants to teenagers. They diagnose and treat a wide variety of ailments, from acne to skin cancer. Usually, if your child needs to see a pediatric dermatologist, their pediatrician will refer them.

Children can get skin issues or conditions that are different than adults. Your pediatrician will be able to spot them and know if your child needs to see a pediatric dermatologist.

Kids also emotionally experience health issues in a much different way than adults. Pediatric dermatologists train in putting children at ease in medical settings.

What Does a Pediatric Dermatologist Do?

Pediatric dermatologists work in either clinics or hospitals. They diagnose and treat children who are experiencing issues with their skin, hair, and nails. They may do things like:

• Treat skin conditions like birthmarks, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, allergic reactions, vitiligo (loss of skin pigment), and others
• Remove skin growths like warts, cysts, or moles
• Laser treatments
• Skin biopsies
• Treat skin cancer

They may also prescribe medication and craft long-term treatment plans for chronic issues.

Reasons to See a Pediatric Dermatologist

If you think your child might have an issue with their skin, take them to see their pediatrician. If your child needs to see a pediatric dermatologist, the pediatrician will refer them.

Pediatric dermatologists treat the skin in its entirety. Any rash, irritation, burn, or other surface-level skin problem is within their practice, as well as issues related to hair and nails.

Specifically, some of the conditions pediatric dermatologists generally treat are:

• Acne
• Skin infections
• Skin cancer
• Vitiligo
• Dermatitis
• Eczema
• Rashes
• Scars
• Alopecia
• Warts
• Allergic reactions
• Keratosis
• Mastocytosis
• Hives
• Birthmarks
• Psoriasis
• Molluscum
• Pilomatricoma