Choosing a Dermatology Clinic: What to Check?

Dermatology Clinic: Where Should You Go for Safe Treatment?

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Q. Isn't a dermatology clinic with many reviews and low prices a good choice?

A. Reviews can be built through marketing, and low prices always have a reason. Without first checking specialist qualifications, experience, and equipment status, it could lead to medical accidents.


Q. Is there really a difference between board-certified dermatologists and general practitioners?

A. The training period alone differs by more than 4 years. Even for the same procedure, their judgment criteria are completely different.

What is a Board-Certified Dermatologist?

A Board-Certified Dermatologist is

a physician who has completed 1 year of internship and 4 years of dermatology residency after medical school graduation,

and passed the specialist examination.

Unlike general clinics or clinic-level skin and aesthetic centers,

board-certified dermatologists have undergone systematic training

from diagnosis to treatment of skin conditions.

Honestly, Is One Certification Really That Important?

This is a common misconception,

but whether someone is a board-certified dermatologist or not

isn't just a simple title difference.

Here's where it gets tricky—

under current law, anyone with a medical license

can perform laser procedures.

So even clinics with "dermatology" signs

may not actually have board-certified dermatologists.

But here's what's crucial:

While procedures may seem like machines do the work,

determining whether this procedure is right for this person

is a completely different matter.

Let me give you an example.

A patient came for pigmentation treatment.

They had received laser treatment elsewhere,

but the pigmentation had actually spread worse.

Looking at the cause,

they had post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH),

which is pigmentation that occurs after skin irritation.

In this case, laser treatment can actually make it worse.

Catching this from the beginning

is diagnostic ability and the difference training makes.

While it varies case by case,

I always assess skin type, medical history,

and previous procedure history during initial consultations

before deciding on treatment.

Without this process, even the best equipment

can produce adverse effects.

Let me talk more about equipment.

Many people check equipment lists

on clinic websites when choosing dermatology clinics,

but there are pitfalls here too.

Even with the same equipment name,

authenticity certification, maintenance history,

and head replacement schedules all differ.

Honestly speaking,

procedures with equipment that has old consumables

have poor energy uniformity,

resulting in half the effectiveness and higher burn risk.

Ask directly before your visit:

"When was this equipment last inspected?"

This single question can give you

a good sense of the clinic's reliability.

Different Types of Dermatology Clinics

The table below compares three types of dermatology clinics

commonly encountered in clinical practice.

Rather than one being absolutely better,

use this as a reference to see what fits your situation.

But this isn't always better.

Even specialist-operated private dermatology clinics

produce completely different results depending on

what the director's specialty area is.

For example, a clinic that excels at pigmentation treatment

isn't guaranteed to be good at lifting procedures.

So definitely ask during consultation:

"What procedure does the director perform most often?"

This one question tells you a lot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How can I verify if someone is a board-certified dermatologist?

A. You can directly check medical staff's specialty areas

through the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service website (www.hira.or.kr)

using the 'Find Hospitals & Pharmacies' menu.

I recommend not relying only on clinic websites

but double-checking through official institutions.

Q2. How many sessions of dermatology procedures are usually needed to see results?

A. Honestly, the variation is quite significant

depending on procedure type and skin condition.

Pigmentation procedures typically take 1-3 sessions, lifting procedures usually

require observing progress 2-3 months after one session.

I've had patients who saw no change after 10 sessions elsewhere

but were satisfied after 2-3 sessions with us—

most cases involved incorrect skin type assessment

during the initial diagnosis stage.

Q3. What should I do if side effects occur after a procedure?

A. Erythema and swelling within 2-3 days after procedures are normal reactions.

However, if they persist longer or if blistering or pigment changes occur,

you must contact the clinic where you received treatment first.

What's important here is that

if you arbitrarily receive additional procedures at other clinics,

it becomes difficult to identify the cause

and responsibility becomes unclear.

Checking the side effect response policy during consultation beforehand

is also one of the criteria for distinguishing good dermatology clinics.

This was Dr. Wi Young-jin.