dermatologist

American  

[dur-muh-tol-uh-jist] / ˌdɜr məˈtɒl ə dʒɪst /

noun

• dermatologists
  plural

1. a specialist in dermatology, especially a doctor who specializes in the treatment of diseases of the skin.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dermatologists
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dermatologist

First recorded in 1860–65; dermatolog(y) + -ist

Explanation

The person who examines your moles, acne, and other skin problems is called a dermatologist. Once visited mainly for acne problems, dermatologists have become more important, as skin problems have grown more common with our increased exposure to the sun. You know that an "-logy" at the end of a word means "study" and that "-logist" means "one who studies. In the noun dermatologist, the object being studied is the derma, the Greek word for "skin." (The Greeks also used it to refer to "leather" or "hide," which still works for diehard sun worshipers. And think of elephants being called "pachyderms," with their "thick skin.") Dermatology and dermatologist both appeared in English in the 19th century.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dermatologist dermatologists

My dermatologist in Washington, D.C., didn’t even know a blood test could measure alpha-gal antibodies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

For consultant dermatologist Dr Jonathan Kentley, the most concerning influence social media is having is the "relentless images of unrealistic beauty standards".

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

As she crossed the border, Anna Klymenko, a dermatologist in Kyiv, saw the locomotive that Russia had destroyed the day before.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

“This is an individual-level based vaccination for somebody’s individual tumor,” said Michael Christopher, a dermatologist in Tucson, Ariz., who specializes in early detection of skin cancer.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

She was a dermatologist, midfifties, trim except for a potbelly.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

Chemical sunscreens are considered safe by dermatologists, but studies establishing that some chemical UV filters harm coral reefs—and others pointing to possible associations with hormonal health issues in humans—have put some consumers on edge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

As of right now, dermatologists don’t know the root cause of FAPD, though they believe it might show up in midlife due to a decline in estrogen, which protects against hair follicle inflammation.

From Slate ● May 23, 2026

Scrubbing the scalp aids circulation, strengthens hair follicles and helps to prevent dandruff, itchiness and inflammation, among other benefits, practitioners and dermatologists say.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026

At the same time, dermatologists have said patients are increasingly seeking medical care for hair loss, driven perhaps by widespread interest in weight-loss medication.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 27, 2026

They visit plastic surgeons and dermatologists for costly and frequent cosmetic procedures.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times