Exploring the Essence of Dermatology — Let’s Dive Into Derma-Tales!

By Keisha Jade D. Luib

What is Dermatology and Why is it Pivotal in Our Healthcare Field?

 Welcome to our adventure “Derma-Tales”, which we will be discussing about the fundamental concepts of dermatology and its contribution towards healthcare development. To kickstart with our pathway, I could definitely assure you that dermatology procedures are on the rise, treating a wide variety of skin diseases such as eczema, acne, hidradenitis suppurativa, dermatitis and so much more that you could ever imagine. Dermatology serves as a pivotal aspect for the medical society as they could easily detect, and diagnose skin conditions that may link with dilemmas that are often associated with our inner systems in our body, examining our overall health and wellbeing. 

History and Background of Dermatology 

 Shall we delve into a pinch of historical facts about dermatology? The study of dermatology is seemingly short amongst other medical fields. According to a study mentioned from the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburg, it has been mentioned that the first medical text specifically written on the skin dates from the 1500s, it was only in the late 1700s, that one has officially announced or it has been viewed to be a specialised branch of studying. Furthermore, the microscope was a significant tool to analyse the complex and layered structure of the skin. 

Its Improvements throughout The Years 

 Dermatology has played such a vital part of the healthcare field, with rising levels of individuals being diagnosed with skin diseases like eczema or dermatitis due to the environment they live, habits they abide with and so on and so forth. According to the Frontiers, it has stated that the area of dermatology has undergone a paradigm shift from symptom management to achieving durable remission and broader systemic health benefits. This enhances the overall quality for people’s health as the field of dermatology. By how you may ask? Well, with the innovations set up, this makes detection and control of skin cancers or infections much more efficient. 

 Apart from the innovations that have been developed recently in dermatology, there have been well-educated and qualified dermatologists that offer medical and cosmetic guidance to do with skin, scalp, etc. This could be shown at the worldwide statistics based on the dermatology market size. Based on a research conducted by Precedence Research, it showcases the market sizes and takeaways, displaying that North America has held the largest share of the market in 2023, and is expected to grow at a higher rate as their nation is more prone to severe skin diseases like cancer, or mild ones such as rosacea or dermatitis. On the other hand, we could also see from their pie-chart that Asia-Pacific has possibilities to register the fastest growth rate due to the excessive humidity, unstable weather changes or even the extravagant expenses needed for medical services. Hence, in order for strengthen the position of Asia-Pacific markets, Indian pharmaceutical firms started to pay funds to get a hold of dermatology products and implemented an agreement to emphasise on the issues of dermatology across their nation. 

Exciting Phenomena about Our Skin! 

 Have you ever wondered what is special about our skin? Does it actually shed once a month like the reels that we see on Instagram or videos we see on TikTok? Well, let me introduce you to several fascinating facts about our skin! 

First and foremost, have you ever thought about how many skin cells do we acquire around our outer body structure? Well, did you ever think one little square inch of skin is made up of approximately 19 million skin cells! These skin cells are not just wandering around with no jobs on their hands, chilling by the air that hits them, but they are special in their own ways. Take melanocytes as an example, which are not present with people who possess albinism, producing melanin pigment which can give people skin colour. 

 Apart from the aspect of doing a wide range of jobs in our body structure, don’t be quickly discouraged if you have gained weight, perhaps it is just your skin weight. According to research conducted  by the Skin Cancer Organization, our skin astonishingly accounts for 10% to 15% of our body weight as it consists of tons of fundamental elements that make up our body such as water, oils, lipids, hair follicles, collagen, lymph vessels.. Could you believe that in an average adult, skin weight takes up 20 pounds of skin alone? 

Overview of Dermatology-Tales + Conclusion 

 Dermatology is such a complex yet intriguing field to explore into. From their short history but accelerating developments in the medical field, it definitely serves as a significant component to our lives, reacting when something bugs it, which brings more insights on what is actually happening inside our body.

Citations/Bibliography :

1. Gokhale, S. (2024, October 17). Dermatology market size to hit USD 3.59 billion by 2034. https://www.precedenceresearch.com/dermatology-market

2. Developer, D. (2024, April 12). Innovations in Dermatology: Emerging Technologies & Trends. Theme Dermatology. https://themedermatology.com/innovations-in-dermatology-emerging-technologies-trends/

3. Ferreira, I. G., Weber, M. B., & Bonamigo, R. R. (2021). History of dermatology: the study of skin diseases over the centuries. Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia, 96(3), 332–345. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8178570/

4. Under the Skin: A Short History of Dermatology. College of 5. 

5. Gniadecki, R. (2025). A decade of progress and innovation in dermatology. Frontiers in Medicine, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2024.1546471

Under the Skin: A Short History of Dermatology. Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/heritage-blog/under-skin-short-history-dermatology~:text=Dermatology%20has%20a%20relatively%20short,a%20specialised%20branch%20of%20study.