One of the services available at most dermatology clinics, and most certainly available at Pine Belt Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center, that many people may not be aware of is that of wound care. For most people dermatology is associated with moles, skin cancer, warts, rashes, and non-surgical cosmetic procedures. This is not an inaccurate view of dermatology and the role that your dermatologist plays in your health, but there is still much more than meets the eye when it comes to dermatology. Wound care centers are great for extremely severe wounds, however many of the caregivers at these centers develop involved, and expensive, treatment programs even for the more mild wounds (such as superficial 2nd degree burns) that can take a physical and emotional toll on the patient. This blog is not intended to undermine the necessity of wound care centers by any stretch of the imagination, but in fact, is an effort to educate patients on recognizing when it is appropriate to see a dermatologist instead of occupying the wound care providers’ time when their time could be spent on more severely wounded patients. In many instances, much of what encompasses mild wound care therapies is maintenance and monitoring of the skin surrounding the wound itself. Who better to see for such therapies than a doctor who specializes in the health of the skin? Dermatologists are in fact wound care specialists. At the risk of a gross generalization, dermatologists know more about skin wound issues and can utilize that knowledge base to better serve these patients. In this blog, I want to discuss wound care services that are available at Pine Belt Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center locations in Hattiesburg, Petal, Collins, and soon Ellisville.