Dermatology is concerned with all the disorders of the outer skin and inner mucous membranes. Venereology is concerned with disorders that can be transmitted through sexual contact.
The specialist in these branches of medicine is able to recognise skin and sexually transmitted diseases though changes in the skin or mucous membranes. He uses probes to conduct a variety of tests so as to arrive at a precise diagnosis. Common skin disorders include dermatitis (inflammation), psoriasis (flaking) and fungal infections. He also deals with skin allergies and is familiar with certain disorders of the blood vessels, such as varicose veins.
Dermatology can make use of a variety of methods to treat skin and sexually transmitted diseases. These can either be drug-based, or can involve techniques such as laser therapy, cryotherapy (freezing), dermal abrasion (scraping damaged skin) or surgical interventions, e.g. removing skin tumours.
