Pediatric Dermatologist Putting Parents at Ease

There are few happenstances that unnerve parents more than discovering a growth or oddity with their child's appearance or overall health. Frankly, the parents have learned to recognize issues with the skin, scalp, hair and nails as signs of external or internal exposure to illness of some kind.

It can be as simple as an allergy or as advanced as a skin disease. No matter what, they both require treatment as quickly as possible. Therefore, parents who have encountered these surface warning signs on their baby, young child or teen, understand the significance of the training and skill set of their area pediatric dermatologist. The practitioner performs the physical examination and conducts the preliminary tests for affirmation of the visible outbreak or deterioration of the skin and nails, or scalp and hair. The internal confirmation comes from laboratory tests ran on any skin, hair, nail, or fluids, if necessary. These methods of discovery of the presence of a disorder or disease are important to the process of diagnosis.

One of the largest benefits to parents that a pediatric dermatologist possesses is their ability to determine or rule out the presence of common childhood ailments by sight and symptoms. They understand all too well how important determining the cause is to early diagnosis and therefore the progress of effective treatment and minimizing any potential scaring.

A few of the childhood ailments that can affect the external body include: cradle cap for scaly scalps, baby or teen acne, eczema, warts, and serious bug bites. However, the most common condition involves itchy rashes, which include symptoms of small bumps, inflammation, or dry patches that generally cause concern for some parents who wonder if dirt, sweat, germs, or something far more serious is going on with their child. Itching spells, extreme redness, blisters, or several large bumps are especially alarming for parents of young children because it could mean the beginning of a serious skin disease. This could mean discomfort and medication for the young patient who is already uncomfortable or in pain.

Parents have a hard time watching their child suffer in any amount for any amount of time. However, these situations are why the pediatric dermatologist is there to quickly determine the cause of the rash or ailment; that is, to observe and test in order to offer early diagnosis and treatment and have a healthy child well on his or her way. Whether a parent is dealing with persistent diaper rash on their infant, heat rash on their toddler, scarlet fever warning signs with their older child, or acne treatments for their preteen; they want to take the discomfort and symptoms away so their son or daughter can get back to being a kid.