EN
For patients from abroad, dermatology in Germany usually means a hospital skin department, and most come in one of two situations: a chronic skin condition keeps returning for years, or a mole has changed and nobody at home can say clearly whether it is dangerous. Either way, a German dermatologist starts with an accurate diagnosis and only then chooses the treatment.
This page covers diagnosis, the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases and skin growths, moles, dermatology clinics that see international patients and how AlenMed arranges the trip.
Why patients choose dermatology clinics in Germany
The main reason is that German university hospitals review a complex skin case with several specialists rather than one dermatologist alone. Skin diseases sit where dermatology, allergology, oncology, rheumatology and plastic surgery meet: psoriasis can inflame the joints, allergies often show on the skin, and the wound left after removing a tumour from the face must be closed so as to preserve appearance. In German such a department is often called a Hautklinik — literally a skin hospital — the usual name for the dermatology departments of university hospitals.
Treatment follows the guidelines of the German Dermatological Society (DDG), published by AWMF, the association of German scientific medical societies. They set out when to move from creams to tablets and injections: the German psoriasis guideline, for example, covers systemic and biological therapy. Biological drugs for severe psoriasis and atopic dermatitis are used in line with current German guidelines. Patients often look for a ranking of clinics, but the right one depends on the diagnosis rather than on a rating.
First, an accurate diagnosis
Diagnosis starts with a careful examination of the whole skin under magnification, including the scalp and nails. A dermatoscope — a magnifying instrument with its own light — shows the structure of a mole or rash without any intervention. Digital dermoscopy also stores the images, so at the next visit the new picture is compared with the old one. For people with many moles the whole skin surface is photographed and mapped, so that a single suspicious spot is not missed.
If a lesion raises doubts, a biopsy — a small piece of tissue taken under local anaesthetic — is examined under the microscope: histology gives the final answer as to whether a growth is benign. For inflammatory diseases, blood tests and allergy tests are added, such as skin prick tests or patch tests if a contact allergy is suspected, and a scraping or swab is tested for fungi or bacteria if an infection is suspected.
Ultrasound of the lymph nodes, CT or MRI is ordered only if a tumour may have spread; nothing superfluous is done. Earlier reports, test results and photos of past flare-ups help the doctor — the list of documents is at the end of this page.
Skin treatment in Germany: how the therapy is chosen
Therapy depends on the diagnosis and its severity, and chronic inflammatory conditions are treated step by step. Psoriasis, eczema and atopic dermatitis are first treated with anti-inflammatory creams and ointments plus daily skin care. If that is not enough, phototherapy with measured ultraviolet light is added, then systemic tablets or injections and biological therapy that targets the inflammation. The doctor also looks for triggers such as infections, stress or smoking. Such a disease usually cannot be abolished, but rarer and milder flare-ups are a realistic goal. See also psoriasis treatment in Germany and new drugs for atopic dermatitis.
With other common conditions, the doctor first establishes the form and severity. In acne, they decide whether skin treatments are enough or tablets are needed. In rosacea, inflamed bumps are treated with creams and tablets, visible vessels with laser or light. In chronic urticaria (hives), antihistamine tablets come first and, if they are not enough, injections of a biological drug. In vitiligo, the doctor checks whether new patches keep appearing and offers creams and phototherapy, which can restore pigment in some areas. In melasma, strict sun protection and lightening creams come first; laser is used cautiously because it can worsen the pigmentation.
Benign growths — warts, skin tags and molluscum contagiosum — are removed when necessary, for example when they get in the way or keep spreading. The method suits the case: CO2 laser, cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen, electrocautery or excision with a scalpel. One rule applies: if the tissue needs histology, laser vaporisation is ruled out because it destroys the tissue, so the growth is excised. What makes up the cost of papilloma and wart removal is explained separately.
Laser often helps with scars, vascular marks and pigment marks: it evens out a scar’s texture and colour and removes dilated vessels. A keloid, a firm scar growing beyond the original wound, is usually treated with steroid injections, pressure dressings or cold, laser being one part of the plan, and it tends to come back. Any pigmented spot is first checked by a dermatologist with a dermatoscope: if it is in fact a melanoma, laser would destroy the pigment and make histology impossible. See the cost of laser scar removal.
Moles and skin cancer
Most moles are harmless, but a changed mole should be shown to a dermatologist early, because skin cancer is common. Melanoma alone, one of its most aggressive forms, was diagnosed in around 27,500 people in Germany in 2023, according to the Krebsinformationsdienst of the German Cancer Research Center. The main cause of skin cancer is ultraviolet radiation from the sun and sunbeds. Warning signs include a mole that grows, changes shape or colour, bleeds or itches, or a new spot unlike the others. Found early, skin cancer generally has a much better outlook, so people with many moles, fair skin or a family history are advised to have regular skin cancer screening.
Basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma, especially on the face, are often removed with Mohs micrographic surgery: the tissue is examined under the microscope along its entire margin, and wherever tumour cells remain, a little more is removed at that exact spot, sparing healthy skin. With melanoma, the extent of surgery and further treatment are decided by a tumour board; see skin cancer treatment in Germany.
Dermatologists in Germany and the clinics they work in
Complex skin diseases in Germany are treated mainly in university hospital skin departments, and each dermatologist named here works in one of them. In Berlin, Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Ulrike Blume-Peytavi is deputy director of the Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology at Charité. In Cologne, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Esther von Stebut heads the Department of Dermatology and Venereology at University Hospital Cologne. In Frankfurt am Main, Prof. Dr. med. Bastian Schilling directs the Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology at University Hospital Frankfurt.
Other university hospitals have dermatology departments too: in Düsseldorf one that treats inflammatory and autoimmune skin diseases, skin tumours and allergies; in Augsburg the Department of Dermatology and Allergology, which also covers skin tumour surgery; in Erlangen the Hautklinik, with a focus on pigment disorders such as vitiligo; in Essen a department with a skin cancer centre (Hauttumorzentrum); and in Bonn the Department of Dermatology and Allergology, covering classic skin diseases and allergies. Choosing a dermatology clinic in Germany starts with the diagnosis: a department that regularly treats your condition matters more than a famous name. Patients often ask us for the “best dermatologist in Germany”, but no official ranking of dermatologists exists.
In Munich, where AlenMed has its office, skin diseases are treated at the Department of Dermatology, Allergology and Laser Medicine of München Klinik Thalkirchner Straße, a specialist skin hospital in the city centre. Here too, what counts is the department’s experience with your condition.
Frequently asked questions
Can I consult a dermatologist in Germany before travelling?
Yes, for a preliminary opinion. AlenMed translates your reports and photos and sends them to the hospital, and the doctor can hold a video consultation to say whether the trip makes sense and which tests to plan. A mole cannot be judged definitively from a photo, though: that needs a dermatoscope and, if in doubt, a biopsy. Treatment decisions are made at the in-person appointment.
How long does a dermatology assessment take?
It depends on the task. A skin check with dermoscopy and mole mapping usually takes a single visit. A histology report after a biopsy does not come at once; you can wait for it in Germany or receive it at home. Starting systemic or biological therapy needs blood tests and a follow-up visit, and phototherapy means weeks of sessions, so the trip is planned with the hospital in advance.
How much does dermatology treatment in Germany cost?
There is no single price: it depends on the diagnosis, the tests needed and whether a hospital stay is required. After reviewing your documents the hospital sends a preliminary cost estimate, a Kostenvoranschlag. If treatment is to continue at home, for example with a biological drug, how you will obtain it is discussed in advance, since the drug itself is a significant cost.
Should I stop my medicines before the trip?
No, do not stop anything on your own. If a break from a medicine is needed before allergy tests or surgery — antihistamine tablets, for example — the hospital doctor will tell you in advance after reviewing your documents. Bring all your medicines, or at least their packaging: the doctor needs the exact names and doses to continue or change your treatment without a gap.
How AlenMed arranges treatment with a dermatologist in Germany
AlenMed collects your documents, translates them into German, sends them to a dermatology department that treats your condition and then organises the trip. Send us your medical reports, the names of previous medicines and how long you took them, any histology results, and photos of the rash during a flare-up, taken in daylight from a distance and close up: your skin may have calmed down by the time you arrive. The hospital replies with a preliminary plan and a cost estimate (Kostenvoranschlag), and you pay the hospital directly.
A video consultation with the doctor is possible before the trip. AlenMed arranges the visa invitation, accommodation and an interpreter at appointments; the company office is in Munich, and our 86 partner hospitals are in 38 German cities. For chronic diseases, follow-up at home is agreed in advance: the hospital’s report is translated, your local doctor receives the treatment plan and the schedule of check-up tests, and questions for the German dermatologist go through AlenMed, including for a follow-up video consultation.
This material is for information only and is not an offer. The treatment plan is decided by a doctor at an in-person appointment.
