dermat(o)- Sometimes derm(o)-.

The skin.

[Greek derma, dermat-, skin or hide.]

Dermatology is the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of skin disorders, such as dermatitis, a condition of the skin in which it becomes red, swollen, and sore; dermabrasion is the removal of superficial layers of skin with a rapidly revolving abrasive tool, as a technique in cosmetic surgery; dermatoglyphics is the study of skin markings or patterns on fingers, hands, and feet, and its application, especially in criminology.

The form dermo- was once common but now largely replaced by dermato-; surviving examples include dermoid, relating to the skin, usually found in dermoid cyst, an abnormal growth containing skin cells, hair follicles, and sebaceous glands; and dermographism (Greek -graphia, writing), a local reaction caused by pressure on the skin, such that it can be ‘written’ on, producing welts.

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