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Health

Cosmetologist - who is he and when to contact him?

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 20.10.2021
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The cosmetologist is a specialist who gives beauty and youth to mankind. What is achieved by a set of diagnostic, therapeutic and restorative procedures that are aimed at maintaining and renewing the structure and functions of the body's integumentary tissues - skin, hypoderm, nails, hair, mucous membranes and superficial muscles.

Who is a cosmetologist?

The cosmetologist is a professional in aesthetic problems associated with the appearance of a person, reveals the causes of their appearance and conducts their correction using a variety of methods.

Distinguish (conditionally): 

  • A cosmetologist-aesthetic - a specialist without a higher medical education, working in a hairdresser or beauty salon. Performs simple manipulations that do not violate the integrity of the skin - performs massage, cleanses the face, wraps, depilates, applies masks, makeup, etc. 
  • The doctor-cosmetologist (dermatocosmetologist) is a graduate master with a higher medical education. Determines the type of skin, selects cosmetic products taking into account the type of skin, conducts therapy of problem skin with the help of medicines and / or small (small) surgical interventions (removal of papillomas, moles, vascular asterisks and other defects). 
  • Plastic surgeons are specialists with higher medical education who perform more complex surgical interventions - facelift, change the shape of the nose, lip contour, perform liposuction, etc.

The cosmetologist must regularly confirm or upgrade his skills and master new methods of work and manipulation.

When should I go to a cosmetologist?

When you should go to a cosmetologist, everyone decides for himself. But it is necessary to know that any emerging skin, hair and nail disease should be treated in a timely manner in order to avoid chronization of the process and further complications. What signs of damage to the skin, hair and nails should alert: 

  • skin rash of pale or pronounced color; 
  • swelling of the skin; 
  • the presence of itching, especially for a long time; 
  • hyperemia and peeling of individual skin areas; 
  • regular inflammatory processes of varying intensity on the skin; 
  • frequent occurrence of furuncles, pustular formations; 
  • a large number of moles and / or warts that grow; 
  • copious amounts of acne, acne and much more.

Therefore, even in dubious situations it is necessary to apply to a dermatologist, who: 

  • will inspect the affected and healthy areas; 
  • will appoint, if necessary, additional methods of examination; 
  • determine the amount of therapy - conservative treatment (prescribing drugs and / or physiotherapy procedures) or surgical; 
  • If necessary, he will send a consultation to the necessary specialist.

What tests should I take when I go to a cosmetologist?

What tests need to be handled when referring to a cosmetologist, as a rule, the expert himself decides. The following tests are usually performed: 

  • a general analysis of blood and urine, 
  • biochemical blood test with determination of blood glucose and lipoproteins, 
  • the study of feces on intestinal dysbacteriosis,
  • a blood test to determine the level of sex hormones and thyroid hormones, 
  • if necessary, virological examination of blood.

Often the consultation of such specialists as - gastroenterologist, endocrinologist, gynecologist, infectious disease specialist is necessary. If necessary, additional methods of examination - ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs, abdominal cavity or thyroid gland.

What methods of diagnostics does the cosmetologist use?

What methods of diagnostics the cosmetician uses - the most diverse. Methods of diagnosis can be invasive (with penetration through the skin and mucous membranes) and non-invasive. Invasive are mainly used in oncology, the cosmetologist-dermatologist also uses mostly non-invasive methods, with the help of which they evaluate: 

  • moisturizing, 
  • pigmentation, 
  • fat content, 
  • pH of the skin.

Widely used: 

  1. Photodiagnostics (with the help of photography) of the skin and hair. 
  2. Dermatoscopy, video-dermatoscopy (diagnosis of moles) - hardware diagnostics of skin lesions. 
  3. Trichoscopy is a study of the skin of the scalp, hair follicles and rods. 
  4. Confocal laser microscopy of the structure of the skin - a study of tissue at the cellular level, allows you to see on the monitor the epidermis and papillary dermis layer with a resolution close to the histological. 
  5. Ultrasonic diagnosis of skin. 
  6. Sebumetry - the activity of the sebaceous glands is measured and the amount of surface fat is the measurement of the fat content of the skin. 
  7. Optical coherence tomography is a non-invasive diagnosis of thin layers of skin, mucous membranes, eye tissues and teeth. 
  8. Diagnosis of pigmentation, desquamation (exfoliation) of the skin. 
  9. Bio-impedance measurement is a unique method that allows to determine exact data on body composition - percentage of fat, excess fluid, metabolic rate, mass of muscle tissue.

What does the cosmetologist do?

The cosmetologist is engaged in the preservation and maintenance of health and youth, which ensures the beauty and attractiveness of the female and male. The cosmetologist works with such matters as - skin integuments and subcutaneous fatty tissue, hair and nails. The cosmetologist does not only correct existing deficiencies, but also treats and prevents various skin, hair and nail diseases.

Medical measures that the cosmetologist uses in his work: 

  1. Conservative methods of therapy. Medicines are used in the form of solutions, ointments, gels, creams, lotions or therapeutic mud. Drugs can be applied to damaged (defective) skin areas or injected (solutions and gels). Often used therapeutic massage, bath or shower. 
  2. Hardware methods of therapy. Medical equipment is used, which provides a deeper effect on the skin. 
  3. Surgical methods of treatment. They are used to eliminate serious defects in the skin and subcutaneous fat: 
    • scars and adhesions that occurred after burns or surgeries, 
    • benign lesions on the surface of the skin, as well as in the inner layers (papillomas, nevuses - moles, warts, keratomas, fibromas), 
    • congenital and acquired defects (for example, deformation of the nose - curvature of the septum of the nose, conduct rhinoplasty, change the shape and / or breast size - do mammoplasty, etc.).

Preventative measures used by a cosmetologist: 

  1. It promotes the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle: balanced rational nutrition, proper distribution of sleep and wakefulness regimes, strengthening of the immune and nervous systems, exercise. 
  2. Selects the best means for daily care for skin, hair and nails, taking into account their individual properties. Uses, as general strengthening measures, lymph drainage, immunostimulating and other types of equipment that do not violate the skin.

In his office, the cosmetologist conducts a survey and examination, if necessary, sends for an additional examination. In the manipulative cosmetologist conducts non-invasive manipulations: 

  • depilation, 
  • darsonvalization, 
  • therapy with broadband impulse light, 
  • laser influence, 
  • magnetotherapy, 
  • microcurrent treatment, 
  • phonophoresis, electrophoresis, UFD, electrical myostimulation, 
  • hardware treatment of nails in case of non-infectious lesions, 
  • automated massage (mechanotherapy), vacuum massage, 
  • cosmetology face cleaning, 
  • cryomassage and cryogenic irrigation, 
  • manual medical massage of scalp, face, neck and décolletage, 
  • hardware skin pilling and surface peeling, 
  • rubbing medicines into the scalp, 
  • makes therapeutic masks.

In the procedure room, the cosmetologist performs invasive manipulations: 

  • injection injection of tissue fillers, 
  • administration of botulinum toxin, 
  • carrying out an injection correction of scar tissue, 
  • mesotherapy, 
  • biorevitalization, 
  • median peeling, 
  • injections of medicines.

What diseases are treated by a cosmetologist?

The cosmetologist is engaged in therapy and prevention of diseases of skin, hair and nails, which has a positive effect on the whole organism. Since the skin covers a barrier function and protects the internal environment of the body from external influences. What diseases are treated by a cosmetologist? 

  1. Acne (disease of the sebaceous glands): 
    1. blackheads,
    2. whiteheads (beggars),
    3. ordinary acne.
  2. Demodecosis - the defeat of the skin of the face and the external ear with a mite - acne glandular. 
  3. Withering of the skin (wrinkles). 
  4. Nevus (birthmark). 
  5. Hyperpigmentation of individual skin areas (excess pigment in the skin). 
  6. Skin diseases caused by viruses (papillomas, lichens, warts, herpes). 
  7. Fungal lesions of skin and nails (trichophytosis, epidermophytia, microsporia, etc.). 
  8. Keratosis (skin diseases, in which there is a powerful growth of the horny layer). 
  9. Treads, corns or cracks on the lower limbs in the foot area. 
  10. Hirsutism, hypertrichosis (increased hairiness). 
  11. Different types of scars (keloid, fan-shaped, stellate, hypertrophic). 
  12. Oblasts (inflammation of the skin at the points of contact of the skin surfaces). 
  13. Dermatitis (skin inflammation, including allergic). 
  14. Hemangiomas (benign vascular tumors, most often localized on the face).

Advices of a cosmetologist

The advice of a cosmetologist doctor is to take a close look at your health: 

  • healthy rational nutrition (more fruits, vegetables, water and protein); 
  • active way of life (sport - running, swimming, fitness, etc.); 
  • avoid negative influences; 
  • properly take care of your skin, nails and hair - to know your type of skin and hair (dry, normal, fatty or combination), which will allow you to choose the right care products; regularly nourish and moisturize your skin, nails and hair, using creams, lotions, tonics and masks; do not go to bed with make-up; 
  • not to be exposed to long-term influence of solar beams, supercooling; 
  • periodically visit a cosmetologist-dermatologist for preventive examination; 
  • In case of skin, nail and hair diseases, seek medical help immediately. 
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