What is the name given to study of the skin?

Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin, nails, hair and its diseases. It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist treats diseases, in the widest sense, and some cosmetic problems of the skin, scalp, hair, and nails.

Dermatology developed as a subspecialty of internal medicine in the 18th century; it was initially combined with the diagnosis and treatment of venereal diseases because syphilis was an important possible diagnosis in any skin rash. Modern dermatology emerged in the early 20th century, after the discovery of an effective drug therapy for syphilis.

Today dermatologists have gained the capacity to control fungal diseases of the skin, to recognize and treat skin cancers at an early stage, to control the life-threatening skin diseases pemphigus and lupus erythematosus, and to alleviate psoriasis.