Seeing a skin doctor isn’t just about checking for moles or getting a cream for acne or wrinkles. Dermatologists may see early signs of everything from celiac diseases to diabetes.
By Lauren Gelman
Your next dermatologist visit could reveal important health information that’s more than skin deep.

Some 30 to 40 percent of issues dermatologists see may be related to underlying chronic conditions, estimates Lisa Grandinetti, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “Skin is the window to your health,” says Wilma Bergfeld, MD, senior dermatologist in the department of dermatology in the Cleveland Clinic. Medical dermatologists are seeing more and more skin issues especially related to immune system problems, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. In many cases, dermatologists might help discover conditions during routine visits—before a specialist would—which can ensure patients get treated in earlier stages of illness. Here are some important conditions your skin doctor has her eyes on. (For more details on what any of the rashes or skin issues named in this piece look like, we highly recommend looking at Google Images).
Diabetes
Diabetes is very common—almost 10 percent of Americans have it. Dr. Grandinetti estimates that about half have some kind of skin disease. The main one is called acanthosis nigricans, a velvety thickening of the skin that occurs around the neck and in the underarms. Usually patients with these dark patches don’t know they have diabetes when we see them, says Dr. Bergfeld. “In dermatology, they tend to be younger, so we pick up these cases early.” Skin tags are another sign, but they’re not an automatic red flag. “Everybody gets skin tags under their arms every now and then, or in the groin area […]