Dermatologist vs Esthetician - What's the Difference?

Aside from the obvious medical degree, my clients tend to ask me this often. They want a description going beyond their title and schooling. A description that answers "what can each do for my specific skin concern?"

One major difference is the products they are recommending for their patient. A dermatologist can prescribe medications when a certain skin concern is not responding to over-the-counter or professional products. An example of these types of skin concerns would be rashes, skin diseases, allergies, etc. Estheticians can recommend a professional grade of products. These products have a higher concentration of ingredients than over-the-counter products and can only be carried by a professional who holds an esthetics license. Professional products -such as the ones carried at Rouge- will treat a variety of skin concerns at the same time. Most of the professional products will not have side effects that many prescriptions will.

Another key difference is the time spent with each practitioner. A dermatologist has many patients and will see you for a total of 10-20 minutes. Not only will an esthetician see you more frequently but also for a longer period of time. Our most popular facial treatment at Rouge is an hours long. Our estheticians consult with each client understanding the specific needs of a persons overall skin health. Many times I will refer clients out to a dermatologist because their skin condition may be suspicious and need medical attention. Both a dermatologist and an esthetician are typically appointment only.

Dermatologists are trained on how to treat the diseases of the skin. This is their primary focus, for this reason many dermatologists will have estheticians on staff at their practice to consult with the patient about their day-to-day skin care routine. One that will go beyond the skin condition or disease and treat other concerns of the patient as well.