Skin diseases and allergology specialist Tarja Mälkönen is an expert in psoriasis and severe atopic dermatitis, who treats all types of skin conditions. She is the chief physician of the Inpatient Ward for Skin Diseases of the Skin and Allergy Hospital of Helsinki University Hospital, and contributes to the national treatment recommendations for psoriasis as a member of the Current Care Guidelines working group. She became interested in skin diseases due to the opportunity they afford to get right to the heart of the problem with the patient.
“Skin diseases are a unique field of medicine in which you can see the problem immediately and start solving it without lab tests. I also enjoy working with people of all ages and genders, and being able to help the whole spectrum of patients. The best aspect of this is seeing people feel better thanks to their treatment, because skin symptoms from itching to rashes can make life very difficult.”
Skin diseases tend to be long-term and Tarja’s rule of thumb is that things don’t come easy: treatment has to be long term and must be relevant months and even years later. The goal is to make the patient feel better as permanently as possible, given the patient’s situation. In addition to helping patients, Tarja is motivated by developments in the field that improve life for patients. She works actively with treatment recommendations so that the latest information can be implemented around the country, and to maintain up-to-date and high-quality treatment from one year to the next.
