What it means
پوستپزشک (pust-pezeshk) is the Persian compound word for a dermatologist, a doctor specializing in skin conditions. Both parts are native Persian: پوست (pust) means “skin” and پزشک (pezeshk) means “physician,” a word that traces back to Middle Persian “pezishk.” The compound is widely used in formal and clinical contexts. You will sometimes see متخصص پوست (motakhasses-e pust), meaning “skin specialist,” used interchangeably, and the loanword درماتولوژیست (dermâtolozhist) also exists but is less common in everyday speech.
How to use it
- پوستپزشک گفت این جوشها آکنه هستن. (pust-pezeshk goft in jush-hâ âkne hastan.) “The dermatologist said these pimples are acne.”
- یه وقت از پوستپزشک گرفتم برای هفته دیگه. (ye vaqt az pust-pezeshk gereftam barâye hafte-ye dige.) “I got an appointment with the dermatologist for next week.”
- پوستپزشک یه کرم تجویز کرد. (pust-pezeshk ye krem tajviz kard.) “The dermatologist prescribed a cream.”
- دختر خالهام پوستپزشک شد. (dokhtar-khâle-am pust-pezeshk shod.) “My cousin became a dermatologist.”
Cultural note
Dermatology is a highly sought-after specialty in Iran, partly because skin care and appearance hold significant social value in Persian culture. Many Iranians visit پوستپزشک not only for medical conditions like eczema or psoriasis but also for cosmetic treatments such as laser therapy and anti-aging procedures. Skin clinics (کلینیک پوست, klinik-e pust) are common in major cities. The compound پوستپزشک reflects a productive Persian word-formation pattern of combining a body-part noun with پزشک to name medical specialties, such as چشمپزشک (cheshm-pezeshk, ophthalmologist) and دندانپزشک (dandân-pezeshk, dentist).