Demand for dermatology care in the US increased 140% in a single decade. This article details the prevalence and substantial economic impact of skin conditions, from the $153,000 average first-year cost of melanoma treatment to the $1 billion spent annually by Medicare on nonmelanoma skin cancers.
Key Takeaways
- US dermatology visits increased 140% from 2005 to 2015
- Annual cost of atopic dermatitis in the US is $5.3 billion
- Psoriasis costs US $112 billion annually including indirect costs
- Solar urticaria affects 1 in 10,000 people
- Atopic dermatitis affects up to 20% of children and 3% of adults worldwide
- Acne vulgaris affects approximately 85% of adolescents aged 12-24
- Family history increases psoriasis risk 6- to 10-fold
- Smoking doubles the risk of psoriasis
- Obesity increases psoriasis risk by 20-50%
- In the United States, skin cancer is the most common cancer, with more than 5.4 million cases of basal and squamous cell skin cancer treated annually
- Globally, melanoma skin cancer causes around 57,000 deaths per year according to 2020 estimates
- About 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70
- Methotrexate remission rates for psoriasis reach 40% at 6 months
- Topical corticosteroids clear 80% of mild psoriasis cases
- Biologics like secukinumab achieve PASI 90 in 70-80% of psoriasis patients
Dermatology demand and costs are soaring, with conditions like eczema and psoriasis driving billions annually.
Related reading
01 · Category
Economic and Societal Impact19 stats
01
US dermatology visits increased 140% from 2005 to 2015
02
Annual cost of atopic dermatitis in the US is $5.3 billion
03
Psoriasis costs US $112 billion annually including indirect costs
04
Acne treatment market globally is projected to reach $13.66 billion by 2026
05
Skin disease burden accounts for 1.79% of global DALYs
06
Melanoma treatment costs average $153,000per patient in the first year post-diagnosis
07
Nonmelanoma skin cancer Medicare costs exceed $1 billion yearly
08
Eczema absenteeism costs UK economy £1.2 billion annually
09
Global dermatology devices market was $12.8 billion in 2022
10
Hidradenitis suppurativa direct costs average $14,000per patient yearly
11
Rosacea annual cost per patient in US is $3,775
12
Vitiligo quality of life impact is comparable to psoriasis
13
Alopecia areata causes $4,800average productivity loss per patient
14
Skin cancers represent 40% of Medicare dermatology costs
15
Global anti-acne cosmetics market to hit $9.6 billion by 2027
16
Urticaria chronic cases lead to 7.8 work loss days per year
17
Biologics for psoriasis cost $30,000-$60,000 per patient annually
18
Teledermatology reduces costs by 20-30% vs in-person visits
19
Global alopecia market projected at $13.6 billion by 2030
Interpretation
Economic and Societal Impact Interpretation
The skin we're in is costing us a fortune, both in our wallets and our well-being, proving that while beauty may be only skin deep, the financial and human burdens of dermatological conditions cut right to the bone.
02 · Category
Prevalence and Incidence26 stats
01
Solar urticaria affects 1 in 10,000 people
02
Atopic dermatitis affects up to 20% of children and 3% of adults worldwide
03
Acne vulgaris affects approximately 85% of adolescents aged 12-24
04
Psoriasis affects about 2-3% of the global population
05
Rosacea prevalence is estimated at 5.46% in the general population
06
Vitiligo impacts 0.5-2% of the world's population
07
Alopecia areata affects 2% of the population by age 50
08
Hidradenitis suppurativa prevalence is 0.05-4.1%
09
Seborrheic dermatitis affects 1-3% of the general population
10
Contact dermatitis accounts for 85-95% of occupational skin diseases
11
Urticaria (hives) has a lifetime prevalence of 20-25%
12
Eczema prevalence in children under 18 is 10.7% in the US
13
Melasma affects 1.5-33% depending on population
14
Lichen planus lifetime risk is about 1%
15
Pityriasis rosea incidence is 50-170 cases per 100,000 annually
16
Pruritus prevalence in general population is 8.1%
17
Bullous pemphigoid incidence is 6-13 per million per year in Europe
18
Globally, acne affects 9.4% of the population
19
Hand eczema point prevalence is 4% in the general population
20
Oral lichen planus affects 0.5-2.2% lifetime
21
In the US, 31.6 million people have eczema
22
Fungal infections like tinea pedis affect 10-20% of the population
23
Herpes zoster lifetime risk is 30% by age 80
24
Scabies global prevalence is 200 million cases annually
25
Impetigo incidence in children is up to 12.3% in low-income settings
26
Keloids affect 5-15% in darker skin types
Interpretation
Prevalence and Incidence Interpretation
It seems our skin, in its vast and varied rebellion, has ensured that virtually every human will at some point negotiate terms with it, making dermatology less a specialty and more a universal human experience.
03 · Category
Risk Factors and Causes22 stats
01
Family history increases psoriasis risk 6- to 10-fold
02
Smoking doubles the risk of psoriasis
03
Obesity increases psoriasis risk by 20-50%
04
UV radiation exposure is the top modifiable risk for skin cancer
05
Fair skin (Fitzpatrick type I-II) has 100 times higher melanoma risk than dark skin
06
History of sunburns before age 20 doubles melanoma risk
07
Immunosuppression increases nonmelanoma skin cancer risk 65-250 fold
08
HPV infection is linked to 90% of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas
09
Dairy consumption may increase acne risk by 20-30% due to IGF-1
10
High glycemic load diet raises acne risk by 49%
11
Staphylococcus aureus colonization precedes atopic dermatitis flares in 90% of cases
12
Filaggrin gene mutations increase atopic dermatitis risk 3-5 fold
13
Arsenic exposure in drinking water increases skin cancer risk 20-fold
14
HIV infection increases Kaposi sarcoma risk dramatically
15
Nickel allergy causes 14-20% of contact dermatitis cases
16
Genetic predisposition accounts for 60-90% of vitiligo risk
17
Stress exacerbates rosacea in 79% of patients
18
Demodex mites are present in 100% of severe rosacea cases
19
Oral contraceptives with antiandrogens reduce acne recurrence by 50%
20
Childhood antibiotic use increases eczema risk by 40%
21
Heliobacter pylori infection correlates with rosacea in 50% of cases
22
Pesticide exposure raises Parkinson's and skin cancer risk
Interpretation
Risk Factors and Causes Interpretation
Your family history, diet, and habits write a startlingly clear prescription for your skin's future, so while you can't change your genes, you certainly shouldn't smoke on their behalf.
More related reading
04 · Category
Skin Cancer Statistics22 stats
01
In the United States, skin cancer is the most common cancer, with more than 5.4 million cases of basal and squamous cell skin cancer treated annually
02
Globally, melanoma skin cancer causes around 57,000 deaths per year according to 2020 estimates
03
About 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70
04
UV exposure causes 90% of nonmelanoma skin cancers and 65% of melanomas
05
In 2023, an estimated 97,610 new cases of invasive melanoma will be diagnosed in the US
06
Men have a 1 in 27 lifetime risk of developing melanoma, compared to 1 in 40 for women
07
Indoor tanning increases melanoma risk by 75% for those who start before age 35
08
Basal cell carcinoma accounts for about 80% of all skin cancers in the US
09
Squamous cell carcinoma represents about 20% of nonmelanoma skin cancers
10
Globally, there were 1.2 million new cases of melanoma in 2020
11
In Australia, skin cancer represents 80% of all newly diagnosed cancers
12
White individuals have a 24 times higher risk of melanoma than Black individuals
13
Actinic keratosis, a precancerous lesion, affects 10,000 Americans daily
14
Merkel cell carcinoma incidence has tripled from 1986 to 2011 in the US
15
Survival rate for melanoma diagnosed early (localized) is 99%
16
In Europe, melanoma incidence rates vary from 3.8 to 29.6 per 100,000 for men
17
Tanning bed use before age 20 increases melanoma risk by 47%
18
Nonmelanoma skin cancers cost the US over $8.1 billion annually in treatment
19
Kaposi sarcoma incidence rose 30-fold during the AIDS epidemic
20
In the UK, melanoma rates have increased by 158% since the early 1990s
21
Women aged 25-29 have the highest melanoma incidence rate in some countries
22
Genetic mutations like CDKN2A increase melanoma risk 50-fold
Interpretation
Skin Cancer Statistics Interpretation
The sun, in its infinite generosity, offers a 1 in 5 chance of gifting Americans a skin cancer diagnosis by age 70, a statistically grim souvenir from a star we foolishly treat like a tanning bed.
05 · Category
Treatment and Management21 stats
01
Methotrexate remission rates for psoriasis reach 40% at 6 months
02
Topical corticosteroids clear 80% of mild psoriasis cases
03
Biologics like secukinumab achieve PASI 90 in 70-80% of psoriasis patients
04
Isotretinoin clears severe acne in 85% of patients after one course
05
Mohs surgery has 99% cure rate for basal cell carcinoma
06
Photodynamic therapy success for actinic keratosis is 77-89%
07
Dupilumab reduces atopic dermatitis severity by 75% in 50% of patients
08
Laser therapy improves melasma by 50-75% in 60% of cases
09
Cryotherapy cures 85-90% of warts
10
Minoxidil 5% promotes hair regrowth in 40% of androgenetic alopecia cases
11
Narrowband UVB achieves 75% clearance in vitiligo repigmentation
12
Botulinum toxin reduces hyperhidrosis by 80-90%
13
Excimer laser clears 75% of psoriasis plaques
14
Topical calcineurin inhibitors remit 70% of facial atopic dermatitis
15
Fractional CO2 laser improves acne scars by 50-70%
16
Imiquimod clears 45-85% of actinic keratoses
17
JAK inhibitors like abrocitinib achieve EASI-75 in 43-62% of atopic dermatitis patients
18
Microneedling with PRP improves alopecia areata in 70% of cases
19
Oral ivermectin cures 96% of scabies cases
20
PUVA therapy achieves 80-90% clearance in psoriasis
21
Teledermatology improves access, with 92% concordance to in-person diagnosis
Interpretation
Treatment and Management Interpretation
If you view our dermatological arsenal as a set of power tools, then teledermatology is the universal adapter that ensures we can plug the right one—be it the sledgehammer of biologics or the precision scalpel of Mohs—into the exact spot of your skin’s revolt, with a confidence that verges on the clairvoyant.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). Dermatology Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/dermatology-statistics
MLA
Isabelle Moreau. "Dermatology Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/dermatology-statistics.
Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "Dermatology Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/dermatology-statistics.
Sources & references
23 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level