Many people associate dermatology physicians with teenage acne. While dermatology physicians, also called dermatologists, treat acne, for teenagers and adults of all ages, they also provide many other services. Dermatology physicians can detect skin cancer before it even begins, and help to prevent it. They also offer a range of different cosmetic services to reduce wrinkles and help their patients to appear younger than they really are.

Because they are certified physicians, dermatology physicians are able to prescribe their patients with strong medications to cure and prevent acne cysts. These medications may be topical, such as a cream containing sulfides, or they may be oral. A popular acne medication is Accutane, which requires dermatology physicians to carefully monitor their patients to ensure that they do not contract skin cancer as a result of their skins' increased sensitivity to sunlight. Dermatology physicians also have to ensure that their female patients do not become pregnant while taking this medication, as it is known to cause birth defects.

Wrinkle reduction is also a popular service provided by dermatology physicians to their patients. Dermatology physicians often offer Botox injections in their offices to men and women who want to stop time in its tracks. Botox, a derivative of botulism, paralyzes the veins in the face, which gives the appearance of removing the wrinkles. This is especially popular when used on the forehead and at the outer corners of the eyes to remove crow's feet. Dermatology physicians may offer additional wrinkle prevention creams and ointments containing prescription only ingredients, such as retinoids that will improve the elasticity of the patient's skin.

Often the dermatology physician sees patients only after they have suffered severe sunburns over the course of their life. In addition to aging the patient, the sunburn may also have altered the skin's cells and caused skin cancer. Dermatology physicians examine patients carefully for precancerous growths that should be removed before they become skin cancer. The longer a patient waits to have this examination done, the more skin that may have to be removed. Dermatology physicians also examine moles carefully to ensure that they are benign. A mole that is not uniformly smooth around its edge or has various colors in it may be cancerous.