Dermatology Program

About our pediatric dermatologists and services

Children's Hospital Colorado has been treating kids and young adults with a wide range of skin conditions for over 35 years. We offer the most advanced treatments for skin conditions – from common skin conditions, such as eczema, acne and warts, to rare genetic skin disorders – with each child’s individual needs in mind.

The Dermatology Program at Children’s Colorado is the only comprehensive pediatric dermatology evaluation and management program in the Rocky Mountain region. All of our pediatric dermatologists have completed rigorous training in pediatric dermatology and are board-certified in pediatrics, dermatology and/or pediatric dermatology.

Why choose Children’s Colorado for treatment of dermatology conditions?

We are kids at heart who see beyond the skin and find the special child in each of our patients. Whether your child is an infant, toddler or adolescent, the experienced staff at Children’s Colorado are specially trained and certified to take care of his or her skin needs. Our state-of-the-art clinical services allow us to provide the best possible experience for children and their families, and our innovative approaches make treatments as non-invasive as possible.

We have years of experience evaluating and treating a wide range of pediatric skin conditions. William Weston, MD, the first pediatric dermatologist at Children's Colorado, is considered one of the founding fathers in the field of pediatric dermatology and helped establish the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. Dr. Weston also co-authored one of the premier textbooks in pediatric dermatology, along with Joseph Morelli, MD, Chief of Pediatric Dermatology at Children's Colorado. Years of experience combined with specialized training make dermatologists at Children's Colorado experts in understanding the sensitive needs of children with skin conditions.

Examinations, biopsies and blood testing

Your child will see a pediatric dermatologist who will begin with a thorough skin examination. This will require your child to remove some or all of his or her clothing.

In some cases, the dermatologist might recommend a skin biopsy, skin scrape or blood tests, which can be performed in the clinic that same day. Following the examination and possible skin or blood testing, the dermatologist will make recommendations for treatment.

Surgical procedures

If a surgical procedure is necessary, the pediatric dermatologist will determine whether the procedure will take place the same day or if it needs to be rescheduled. Then the dermatologist works with your child and family to discuss whether a local anesthetic or general anesthetic is the best option. Children who undergo surgeries have the option of watching or listening to videos or music to help make them feel as comfortable as possible.

Other dermatology services

In addition to examinations and surgeries, we provide the following services:

• Pulsed dye laser therapy
• Botox for excessive perspiration (hyperhidrosis)
• Evaluation for referrals to specialty clinics and programs:
  • Phototherapy Clinic
    Children's Hospital Colorado works with the Dermatology Clinic at the University of Colorado Hospital to coordinate pediatric phototherapy. The Dermatology Clinic at University Hospital offers the most comprehensive phototherapy options in the state, with services that include PUVA, Narrow Band UVB and UVA (UVAI) phototherapies.
  • Regional Epidermolysis Bullosa Clinic
    Children’s Colorado runs a monthly multidisciplinary clinic for patients with epidermolysis bullosa, a genetic disorder that causes blistering and wounds of the skin. In addition to skin care, patients in this clinic see providers from other specialties.
  • Vascular Birthmarks/Malformations Clinic
    We participate in a monthly multidisciplinary clinic that addresses the complex needs of children with vascular birthmarks, such as hemangiomas and malformations.
  • Genetic Skin Disease Clinic
    Patients with known or suspected genetic skin conditions are seen in this monthly clinic for evaluation and long-term follow up. The clinic is staffed by Anna Bruckner, MD, from the Dermatology Clinic and faculty from the Genetics and Inherited Metabolic Diseases Program.