Key Communication Skills in Cosmetic Dermatology: A 3-Pillar Model

M C Martínez-González; R A Martínez-González; A Guerra-Tapia

doi:10.1016/j.ad.2019.01.010

Key Communication Skills in Cosmetic Dermatology: A 3-Pillar Model

Actas Dermosifiliogr (Engl Ed). 2019 Dec;110(10):794-799. doi: 10.1016/j.ad.2019.01.010.

[Article in English, Spanish]

Authors

M C Martínez-González¹, R A Martínez-González², A Guerra-Tapia³

Affiliations

¹ Dermatología, Consulta privada, Oviedo, Asturias, España. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Departamento de Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, España.
³ Departamento de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España; Dermatología, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España; Dermatología, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, España.

PMID: 31130240
DOI: 10.1016/j.ad.2019.01.010

Abstract

Cosmetic dermatology deals with the beauty and appearance of the skin - a most important element of body image. Treatments used in cosmetic dermatology (hygiene, hydration, protection, repair) aim to enhance the characteristics of the skin, its anatomy, its function, and its vitality, to produce aesthetic improvements. Communication with the patient is essential in medical consultations and we believe that it has special connotations in cosmetic dermatology that must be taken into account. In this article, we present a 3-pillar model for communication with cosmetic dermatology patients that rests on 3 skills: assertiveness, empathy, and critical judgement.

Keywords: Asertividad; Assertiveness; Communication; Comunicación; Critical judgement; Dermatology; Dermatología; Empathy; Empatía; Esthetics; Estética; Juicio crítico; Pilares; Pillars.

MeSH terms

Assertiveness
Body Image
Communication*
Cosmetic Techniques*
Decision Making
Dermatology*
Empathy
Esthetics
Humans
Skin Physiological Phenomena
Surgery, Plastic*