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

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Etymology

Origin of dermatologist

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

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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

Montalbo’s acne cleared up within a year after seeing a dermatologist, but she was still dealing with acne scars.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

See a GP or dermatologist If you have persistent painful cystic or scarring acne, seek medical advice, as often prescription-grade treatment is needed.

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

For milder forms of face acne, dermatologists may recommend face washes or creams containing benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid or retinoids such as adapalene.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

For more serious scarring, dermatologists can recommend more aggressive treatments such as lasers that probe deeper into the skin.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

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

However, dermatologists have told the BBC there have not been clinical trials with large enough sample sizes for long enough periods of time to know the benefits of at-home LED masks.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

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

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

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