Leather is in – now more than ever.
Over the past five years, applications for dermatology residencies have increased by 50%, according to a Wall Street Journal report, thanks in part to the prevalence of online “dermfluencers” who boast millions of followers.
“People are much more aware of our field now,” NYC dermatologist Dr. Shereene Idriss told the Journal, pointing to the rise in popularity of skin care on social media and the amount of time spent on virtual Zoom calls as reasons for the skin boom.
Dr. Lindsey Zubritsky, a dermatologist from Mississippi who boasts 3 million followers on her social media platforms, said the industry has become “fiercely competitive” as a result.
Fortune reported that the number of openings cannot keep pace with job demand, making dermatology the second most competitive medical profession.
At UConn Health in Farmington, Connecticut, the hospital’s dermatology program received over 600 applicants for four residency positions, Drs. Jane Grant-Kels, vice president of dermatology at the hospital, told The Journal.
“The quality of these applicants is terrific,” she said.
Dermatologists also earn a hefty salary, about $541,000 a year, the Journal reported, citing a survey by the Medical Group Management Association. For dermfluencers, the cash flow is even greater, with some earning $30,000 for sponsored posts.
Idriss, who charges $500 for microneedling and $4,000 for laser and filler treatments at her clinic, said “the sky’s the limit” when it comes to earnings as a cosmetic dermatologist.
Plus, dermatologists typically don’t have to respond to medical emergencies, unlike other on-call doctors, and the flexibility of their schedule is an attractive prospect, according to the Journal.
“It is one of the only ones [medical] fields where you can work 40 hours a week like a normal person,” Zubritsky told the Journal.
That means they have time to grow a social media audience, share their take on the latest cosmetic remedies and how to use them, or start side gigs as podcast hosts, making deals brands, appearing in advertisements and more.
“One of the best things about our field is that the career is very flexible in many ways,” dermatologist Dr. Angelo Landriscina told Allure earlier this year. “You can make it exactly what you want it to be.
But the proliferation of dermatologists on TikTok has prompted a number of concerns from his non-app peers. They fear for the future of their field if more professionals abandon seeing patients and focus their efforts only on creating content.
“I see the draw,” said Dr. Sandra Lee, better known as the viral Dr. Pimple Popper, told Allure, talking about the prospects of full-time dermfluencing.
“But if you’re not seeing patients regularly and putting everything you’ve learned into practice, I don’t know if you can really call yourself a dermatologist.”
Some even scoff at the idea of growing an online following.
Dr. Adam Friedman, chairman of dermatology at George Washington University, told the media that patients have shown him TikToks of other dermatologists dancing or endorsing products online, asking him “Why aren’t you doing that?”
“I’m like, ‘Because I’m here to see you,'” he countered.
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