Medical Dermatology in Danville, CA
Medical Skin Care in Danville, CA
Medical dermatology focuses on diagnosing and treating conditions of the skin, hair and nails. A dermatologist can evaluate rashes, acne, eczema, psoriasis, hair loss, excessive sweating, growths, warts, pigment disorders and suspicious or changing lesions, then recommend treatment or referral based on the diagnosis and severity.
This is the part of dermatology that diagnoses and treats problems with your skin, hair and nails. A skin doctor can look at rashes, acne, eczema, psoriasis, hair loss, heavy sweating, lumps and warts, uneven colour, and anything suspicious or changing, and then recommend treatment or send you to the right specialist.
Medical Dermatology: the essentials
The short version
Diseases and concerns affecting skin, hair and nails, from common rashes to chronic inflammatory disease and suspicious growths.
Diseases and problems of the skin, hair and nails, from an everyday rash to a long term condition or a suspicious growth.
Many different conditions look alike; treatment should follow an accurate history and skin examination, with testing when needed.
Many different conditions look identical. Treatment should follow a proper history and examination, with tests when they are needed.
Depending on the problem: dermoscopy, skin scraping/culture, biopsy, blood tests or other targeted evaluation.
Depending on the problem: a magnified look, a scraping or swab, a small sample of skin, or blood tests.
Eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, acne and some hair-loss disorders often require ongoing control rather than a one-time cure.
Eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, acne and some kinds of hair loss usually need keeping under control, rather than curing once.
Rapidly spreading painful rash, severe blistering, facial swelling/breathing difficulty, fever with widespread skin changes, or a rapidly changing/bleeding lesion may require prompt or emergency evaluation.
A painful rash spreading fast, severe blistering, a swollen face or trouble breathing, a fever with widespread skin changes, or a spot that is changing fast or bleeding.
A dermatologist is a medical doctor trained to diagnose and treat diseases of the skin, hair and nails.
A dermatologist is a medical doctor trained to diagnose and treat diseases of the skin, hair and nails.
What medical dermatology conditions can be evaluated?
What can be looked at here?
Medical dermatology focuses on diagnosing and treating disorders of the skin, hair and nails. Use the condition links below for detailed information, or schedule an evaluation if you are unsure which category fits your concern.
Anything to do with the skin, hair or nails. Use the links below if you know what you are looking for, or just book an appointment if you are not sure which category you fall into.
| Inflammatory skin disease | Eczema, psoriasis, rosacea | Eczema / Psoriasis / Rosacea pages |
|---|---|---|
| Acne and acne-related disease | Acne, acne inflammation, scarring concerns | Acne and Acne Scars pages |
| Hair loss | Alopecia areata, pattern loss, shedding, scarring alopecia concerns | Alopecia and Hair Loss / Hair Thinning pages |
| Pigment disorders | Melasma and hyperpigmentation | Hyperpigmentation & Melasma page |
| Sweating disorders | Hyperhidrosis | Hyperhidrosis page |
| Growths and warts | Warts, benign-appearing growths, lesions needing diagnosis | Skin Growths & Warts page |
| Sun damage / cancer screening concerns | Changing, bleeding, nonhealing or suspicious lesions | Skin Cancer / Melanoma pages; medical examination before cosmetic removal |
| Dry or irritated skin | Persistent dry, itchy or inflamed skin with unclear cause | Dry Skin or Eczema page depending on diagnosis |
Inflamed skin conditions Eczema, psoriasis, rosacea.
Acne and what it leaves behind Acne itself, and acne scars.
Hair loss Patchy loss, inherited thinning, shedding, and the kinds that scar.
Uneven colour Melasma and other brown patches.
Heavy sweating Hyperhidrosis.
Lumps and warts Warts, harmless looking growths, and anything that needs identifying.
Sun damage and cancer worries Anything changing, bleeding, not healing, or suspicious. This gets examined medically before anything cosmetic.
Dry or irritated skin Skin that stays dry, itchy or inflamed for no clear reason.
What happens at a medical dermatology visit?
What happens at the appointment?
The visit starts with the history and skin examination. Tests are ordered only when they can help distinguish diagnoses or guide treatment.
It starts with your history and an examination of your skin. Tests are only ordered when they will actually help tell conditions apart, or guide the treatment.
- Bring a medication/supplement list and note when the problem began, what worsens it and what has already been tried.
- Photos of intermittent rashes can be useful if the skin is clearer on appointment day.
- Depending on the problem, evaluation may include dermoscopy, scraping/culture, biopsy or blood tests.
- Bring a list of your medicines and supplements, and note when the problem started, what makes it worse, and what you have already tried.
- Photos are genuinely useful for a rash that comes and goes, especially if your skin happens to be clear on the day.
- Depending on the problem, we may use a magnifier, take a scraping or swab, take a small sample of skin, or do blood tests.
Medical dermatology diagram showing skin, hair and nail concerns
A diagram of medical dermatology, covering skin, hair and nail problems.
When should I see a dermatologist instead of self-treating?
When should I stop treating it myself?
Seek dermatologic evaluation when a condition is persistent, recurrent, painful, scarring, affecting sleep or daily life, not responding to appropriate over-the-counter care, or when the diagnosis is uncertain.
Come in when something will not go away, keeps coming back, hurts, is scarring, is affecting your sleep or your day, is not responding to what you can buy, or when nobody is sure what it is.
- A new or changing mole/spot, recurrent bleeding or a nonhealing lesion needs medical assessment rather than cosmetic treatment.
- Sudden patchy hair loss, painful/scaly scalp or signs of scarring hair loss should be evaluated early because some causes can lead to permanent loss.
- Severe eczema or psoriasis that disrupts sleep, becomes infected or involves large areas may need prescription/systemic treatment.
- A new or changing mole or spot, one that keeps bleeding, or one that will not heal, needs a medical assessment, not a cosmetic treatment.
- Sudden patchy hair loss, a painful or scaly scalp, or signs of scarring, should be looked at early, because some causes destroy hair roots permanently.
- Severe eczema or psoriasis that wrecks your sleep, gets infected, or covers a lot of you, may need prescription or whole body treatment.
What kinds of treatment can a dermatologist prescribe?
What can a skin doctor prescribe?
Treatment depends on diagnosis and may include skin-care changes, topical medication, oral medication, injections/biologics, procedures, phototherapy or referral/co-management.
It depends on the diagnosis. It might be changes to your skincare, a cream, tablets, injections, a procedure, light treatment, or a referral to someone else.
| Skin-care / trigger control | Barrier repair, irritant avoidance, sun protection | Helpful for many conditions but not a substitute for disease-specific treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Topical prescriptions | Steroids, calcineurin/PDE4/JAK agents, retinoids, antimicrobials when indicated | The wrong product can worsen another diagnosis or cause avoidable side effects |
| Oral/systemic treatment | Antibiotics when indicated, antifungals, immunomodulators, biologics, JAK inhibitors | Requires diagnosis, contraindication review and monitoring |
| Office procedures | Biopsy, cryotherapy, injections, removal of selected lesions | Procedure choice depends on what the lesion actually is |
| Phototherapy / specialized care | Selected eczema, psoriasis or other inflammatory disease | Availability and suitability must be confirmed; some cases require referral |
Skincare and avoiding triggers Repairing the barrier, avoiding irritants, protecting from the sun. Helps with many conditions, but does not replace treatment for the disease itself.
Prescription creams Steroids, several kinds of non-steroid cream, vitamin A creams, and treatments for infection. The wrong one can make a different diagnosis worse, or cause avoidable side effects.
Tablets and injections Antibiotics where appropriate, antifungals, and medicines that act on the immune system. These need a firm diagnosis, a check that they are safe for you, and monitoring.
Procedures here Taking a sample, freezing something off, injections, and removing selected growths. Which procedure depends on what the thing actually is.
Light treatment and specialist care For certain cases of eczema, psoriasis or other inflammatory disease. Some cases need referring elsewhere.
Illustrated overview of common medical dermatology conditions including eczema, psoriasis and hair loss
An illustrated overview of the common conditions treated here, including eczema, psoriasis and hair loss.
Is medical dermatology covered by insurance?
Is this covered by insurance?
Coverage depends on the insurance plan, diagnosis, medical necessity, referral rules and whether the practice participates with the plan. Cosmetic services are generally handled differently from medically necessary care.
It depends on your plan, on the diagnosis, on whether it is medically necessary, on referral rules, and on whether we are in your plan. Cosmetic treatments are handled differently from medical care.
- Prior authorization may be required for some prescription drugs, biologics, procedures or tests.
- Some prescriptions, injections, procedures and tests need approval from your plan in advance.
Which skin symptoms need urgent medical attention?
Which symptoms need urgent attention?
Some skin symptoms can signal infection, severe drug reaction or another urgent condition and should not wait for a routine cosmetic appointment.
Some skin symptoms mean an infection, a serious reaction to a medicine, or another emergency. Those must not wait for a routine appointment.
- Trouble breathing, throat/facial swelling or signs of anaphylaxis: seek emergency care.
- Widespread blistering/peeling skin, severe pain, fever or rapidly spreading redness: seek prompt medical evaluation.
- A rapidly changing or bleeding lesion should be evaluated promptly, especially if melanoma or skin cancer is a concern.
- Trouble breathing, a swollen throat or face, or any sign of a severe allergic reaction: get emergency care.
- Widespread blistering or peeling skin, severe pain, a fever, or redness spreading fast: get seen promptly.
- A spot that is changing fast or bleeding should be looked at quickly, especially if skin cancer is a worry.
Everything under Medical Dermatology
Everything in this section
Questions patients ask
What is medical dermatology?
What is medical dermatology?
Medical dermatology is the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting skin, hair and nails, including inflammatory conditions, infections, growths, pigment disorders, hair loss and other medical concerns.
Diagnosing and treating diseases of the skin, hair and nails: inflamed conditions, infections, growths, problems with colour, hair loss, and more.
What is the difference between medical and cosmetic dermatology?
How is it different from cosmetic dermatology?
Medical dermatology treats disease or symptoms such as eczema, psoriasis or suspicious lesions. Cosmetic dermatology focuses primarily on appearance concerns such as wrinkles or benign pigmentation. Some conditions overlap and require medical diagnosis before cosmetic treatment.
Medical dermatology treats a disease or a symptom, such as eczema, psoriasis, or a suspicious spot. Cosmetic dermatology is about appearance: wrinkles, harmless brown patches. Some things sit in both, and those need a medical diagnosis before anything cosmetic is done.
Do I need a dermatologist for a rash?
Do I need a skin doctor for a rash?
If a rash is persistent, recurrent, severe, painful, infected, interfering with sleep, or not improving with appropriate basic care, a dermatologist can help establish the diagnosis and treatment.
If it will not go, keeps coming back, is severe, hurts, looks infected, is stopping you sleeping, or is not improving with sensible basic care, then yes.
Can a dermatologist test a skin growth for cancer?
Can you test a growth for cancer?
Yes. A dermatologist can examine suspicious lesions and perform a skin biopsy when needed so a pathologist can determine the diagnosis.
Yes. A skin doctor examines anything suspicious and takes a small sample when needed, so a laboratory can say what it is.
Can skin problems be signs of other health conditions?
Can skin problems be a sign of something else?
Sometimes. Skin, hair or nail findings can reflect infection, immune disease, hormonal or nutritional problems, medication reactions and other conditions. Evaluation is targeted to the clinical findings rather than ordering broad tests for everyone.
Sometimes. Your skin, hair and nails can reflect an infection, an immune condition, a hormone or nutritional problem, or a reaction to a medicine. Any testing is aimed at what we actually find, rather than running broad tests on everyone.
Can medical dermatology visits include cosmetic advice?
Can I get cosmetic advice at a medical appointment?
Sometimes, but medical and cosmetic concerns may need different appointment types, and they are handled differently for insurance. Ask the office when you book.
Sometimes, but the two are booked differently and handled differently for insurance. Ask the office when you book.
If this is a medical emergency, call 911. For an urgent skin problem during office hours, call the practice on (925) 820-3376 rather than using a form, messages are not monitored continuously.
Talk it through with a physician first.
Every plan starts with an assessment of your skin, your anatomy and what you actually want to change.
This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether a treatment is right for you. Approved uses, risks and results differ from person to person, and product labelling changes. Ask us at Dermatology and Laser Centre about your own situation, or make an appointment, and seek urgent care for any serious symptom.
