Twin Cities skin care experts reveal what they’re doing to make your neighbor

Medical Treatments, Cosmetic Results

Though many people (even some within the community itself) refer to cosmetic dermatology as a vanity industry, the truth is that some of the so-called “cosmetic” procedures can be used to treat problems that, if left untreated, can turn into issues that are more than skin deep.

True, no one has ever died from acne, but social acceptance is very important in America and, for many, this includes clear skin. “All along, our primary job has been to make [patients’] skin look better,” says Charles Crutchfield, MD, medical director of Crutchfield Dermatology in Eagan and a clinical associate professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

“That’s what we’ve always done with the removal of warts, the treatment of acne, the treatment of psoriasis, and the treatment of eczema. It’s all to make skin look and feel better, so you could say they’re cosmetic procedures too.”

Acne has been considered a teen issue for generations, but in reality, it can continue well beyond a person’s twentieth birthday. And even after the acne itself begins to subside, many adults continue to live with scarring from the acne they endured in adolescence.

Today, lasers and light treatments are being used to help combat acne, eczema, and rosacea. Topical compounds (also known as biologic modifiers) and UV light therapy are being used on patients who suffer from psoriasis. “Under the guise of making the skin look and feel better, I think in the last five years we have had a wealth of new medicines that really work to achieve those goals, namely the medicines like the Restylane fillers and Botox,” Crutchfield says.

—L. S.