Equipment Used in Cosmetic Dermatology- An Overview

What Is Cosmetic Dermatology?

Cosmetic dermatology deals with the diagnosis and treatment of skin, nail, and hair disorders. It is a combination of both medical and surgical aspects. The methods of cosmetic dermatology enhance the outer appearance of the skin by treating different conditions like acne, scars, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation. Liposuction is done by surgeons only.

What Are the Four Branches of Dermatology?

There are four branches of dermatology include-

• Pediatric Dermatology: Children suffering from skin, hair, or nail disease can be benefited by consulting a pediatric dermatologist, especially if the infection is more prevalently diagnosed in children, such as atopic dermatitis. A pediatric dermatologist master in diagnosing and treating children, newborns, and infants.

• Dermatopathology: It is a category that integrates dermatology and pathology, or the identification and study of diseases using hair, skin, or nail specimens. The samples taken are investigated under a microscope located in a laboratory. This field allows specialized dermatologists to study the causes and outcomes of skin, hair, and nail diseases and to precisely diagnose them in their premature and latest stages.

• Mohs Surgery: Mohs surgery is a specialization in skin cancer, a Mohs surgeon performs a specialized kind of surgery called Mohs surgery, which is used exclusively to treat skin cancer. Subsequently, these surgeons, after completing their residency, continue their studies and obtain advanced training in Mohs surgery.

• Cosmetic Dermatology: It is a branch of dermatology in which dermatologists utilize therapies to enhance skin appearance. Cosmetic dermatology is called cosmetic as it is not an essential element of strengthening good health. It includes processes such as dermal fillers and Botox to smooth fine lines and wrinkles or improve facial volume. It also enhances the face through various other techniques, such as chemical peels, laser hair removal, and laser therapy, to diminish the appearance of scars and wrinkles.

What Are the Aims of Cosmetic Dermatology?

Cosmetic dermatology aims at fulfilling the patient's desires associated with their skin, such as:

• Tightening skin.

• Correcting skin tone.

• Removing tattoos.

• Treating cellulite.

• Treating acne and its scars.

• Smoothing wrinkles.

• Removing hair on the face or body.

• Reducing fat surface.

What Are Common Procedures Involved in Cosmetic Dermatology?

1. Body Contouring and Smoothing: To eliminate stubborn pockets of fat, a cool sculpting method of fat reduction that uses controlled cooling is used.

2. Laser Treatments:

There are numerous laser therapy options to attain optimal outcomes in dealing with a wide spectrum of problems and situations. Laser therapy options include:

• Laser hair removal.

• Fractionated laser resurfacing and rejuvenation.

• Photofacial.

• Laser tattoo removal.

• Sun and age spot removal.

• Treatment of unwanted blood vessels.

3. Injectables and Other Cosmetic Treatments:

There are a number of safe and effective cosmetic treatments that include injectables such as botox and fillers:

• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections.

• Injectable fillers.

• Sclerotherapy.

• Botox.

4. Facial Treatments:

Facial treatments are a terrific choice for patients who wish to enhance their skin and desire to have no significant downtime:

• Chemical peels.

• Microdermabrasion.

What Are the Equipment Used in Cosmetic Dermatology?

Dermatology equipment includes devices and medical kits built for distinct dermatological procedures or surgical purposes. Several equipments are also used for assisting in diagnostic goals as well. Some of the commonly used dermatology equipment, along with their uses include:

• Dermatoscope - A dermatoscope is a specialized instrument that checks skin irregularities by using polarization and magnification. This tool is used to remove any diffraction, light reflection, and refraction from the skin surface, thereby providing dermatologists with skin structures that can’t be examined with the naked eye. Its latest models have a bright LED light that encircles the magnifying glass and the digital camera as well.

• Cautery - It is an instrument that helps in eradicating abnormal tissue during a dermatological surgery. It acts by cutting, burning, scarring, or searing, including lasers, electric currents, caustic substances, and very hot or cold instruments.

• Diathermy - The diathermy wand transmits ultrasound or microwaves through body tissue, creating deep heat below the surface. A gel helps to make the energy travel easier and provides therapeutic warmth.

• Dermojet - A dermojet is a device that works as a specially designed injection system to deliver needle-less infiltration. This method is used in situ injections in the treatment of psoriasis, alopecia, keloids, acne, and scars.

• Injection Guns - The injection guns are disposable syringes to hold fat injection and anesthetic requirements in cosmetic dermatology.

• Micro Cannula - These are used for intradermal injections of esthetic fillers. They are available in various sizes as per requirement.

• Dermablade - A dermablade is a device that enables shave biopsies safely and efficiently. The adjustable design with side grips permits the control needed while executing a shave biopsy, and therefore, it is much safer than a razor blade.

• Skin Coolers - Skin coolers consist of a little or big roller filled with water and sealed. They are put in the freezer and then used on the skin for cooling the epidermis while cosmetic injections are administered. They also help in decreasing tissue swelling after certain dermatological procedures.

• Cryoprobe - A cryoprobe is used in cryosurgery for the objective of applying extreme cold to diseased tissues, like in the case of moles, skin tags, warts, solar keratoses, and small malignant and benign skin cancers, to destroy or remove them completely.

• Scissors - In cosmetic dermatology, various types of scissors are used to conduct different actions, like the Iris scissors that help with dissection on the face and Gradle scissors for the periorbital region. Westcott scissors are used for making cuts around the eye. Metzenbaum scissors are used for blunt dissection. Spencer scissors are used for cutting sutures.

Conclusion:

A cosmetic dermatology procedure differs from traditional dermatology in terms of using a wide range of tools to perform aesthetic procedures. Various equipment used in cosmetic dermatology include electrocautery, Woods lamps, radiofrequency, cryotherapy and phototherapy units. It also includes various basic and specialized equipment to carry out various dermatological treatments and cosmetology procedures. Photo documentation devices are also essential in addition to the treatment equipment. These devices record the results and changes for analysis and prognosis of the treatments.