What’s the Difference Between Aesthetic Dermatology and Medical Dermatology?

Aesthetic Dermatology and Medical Dermatology | RefinedMD, Los Gatos

What’s the Difference Between Aesthetic Dermatology and Medical Dermatology?

Our skin is an organ—the biggest one we have. And as an external organ, it faces a lot of stressors including environmental (and especially UV damage!). There are over 3,000 unique skin conditions, and at RefinedMD we treat a lot of them. However, there is a difference between aesthetic and medical dermatology, though there are some gray areas in between (such as acne!). Technically, acne is a medical dermatological issue, even though it’s so common that most people will struggle with it at some point in their lives.

In many cases, acne will need to be treated via a medical dermatologist. However, as anyone who has had severe acne knows, it’s not that simple. What about the lingering effects of acne, like hyperpigmentation, scarring, and pitting? That’s not a medical dermatological concern. Plus, it’s often best to combine medical and aesthetic treatments to treat and prevent acne! Seeing an aesthetic dermatology team for many skin concerns, from acne to lines and wrinkles, poor texture, poor tone, and laxity, can help you improve your largest organ.

The Insurance Conundrum

One big difference between medical and aesthetic skin care is insurance. Aesthetic services are considered cosmetic, and as such are not covered by insurance. Every treatment at RefinedMD is considered aesthetic—even when it toes the line (such as with acne). We are considered an out-of-network provider who can help you achieve healthy, youthful, beautiful skin through tools and treatments like lasers, chemical peels, light therapy, and more. Our goal is to help restore and keep your skin in its optimal health, not solve medical issues.

You might notice that a lot of “strictly” medical providers don’t have all of these tools—that’s because their goal is to make sure your skin is healthy, not necessarily beautiful and healthy-looking. But what is the point of achievement like getting acne under control if you still have all the signs that it was there? That’s where we come in. We’ll work with you to customize a plan just for you so that you can get skin that is beautiful and glowing.

Options for Aesthetic Skin Care

It’s no surprise that dermal fillers and Botox are two of our most popular treatments. They are the ultimate duo for turning back the clock, tackling the first and most obvious signs of aging. Botox can be used to stop wrinkles, or delay them from happening in the first place. The current “baby Botox” trend has 20-somethings planning ahead and training the muscles that cause wrinkles to be weaker. Those who are 30 (and much better!) count on Botox to freeze lines, wrinkles, and creases.

However, lines and wrinkles are just one overt sign of aging. Loss of good volume in the face and tops of the hands are another. We offer a large suite of dermal fillers to help you get back that volume you’ve lost over the years. Others prefer to inject volume where they never had it, especially in the lips. By combining fillers and Botox, you can not only look younger, but also customize your own aesthetic.

Lasers and Peels

Skin ages in a myriad of ways, with laxity, poor texture, and hyperpigmentation like sun damage giving away our age. Lasers and peels are the two best tools to kick-start collagen production and erase these signs of aging (they also help with lines and wrinkles, too, making them a great complement to Botox!). We have a variety of lasers ranging from very gentle options like BBL, which requires little to no downtime, to more aggressive options for a total skin overhaul.

Lasers and light therapy work by heating up different skin layers to rejuvenate from the inside out. Chemical peels actually peel away the top layer of skin to simultaneously re-start collagen production and reveal more youthful skin below the surface. Every chemical peel is selected just for you based on your goals. Routine laser and peel treatments can help you keep the results you’ll quickly fall in love with.

Most people find that when it comes down to it, aesthetic skin services is what they really want—and we have the tools, treatments, and providers to help! Contact RefinedMD today by calling the office, starting an online chat, or simply complete the online contact form for the quickest response.