Customers and clients expect to see professionals in some fields wear uniforms, including postal workers, ambulance drivers, flight attendants and utilities employees. Other jobs don’t require a specific uniform, but still enforce a dress code – courtroom lawyers, teachers and bankers are often required to meet standards for professional attire. In some fields, including health care, that line has become more hazy. Learn what is considered the proper attire while working as a dermatologist to maintain professional standards.

Uniform

Some health care facilities concerned with slack dress code standards have begun to introduce uniforms for professionals, according to “Dermatology Times.” Uniforms may be composed of slacks, collared polo shirts bearing the company logo, knee-length white coat or scrubs approved by the health care facility in tasteful, soothing colors. (No loud prints or fluorescent colors.) Uniforms should be well-maintained; no tears, stains, missing buttons or excessive wrinkles. Dermatologist facilities may require that professionals wear nametags to increase patient confidence.

Professional Attire

Dermatologists may work in a setting where there is no established uniform, but proper attire is still expected. Jeans and sweatshirts should be avoided, and clothing should be of adequate length so that the back, abdomen and chest are not exposed. Tank tops and T-shirts aren’t considered appropriate attire for dermatologists; polo shirts or cotton blouses are acceptable, according to Stanford Hospital. Even when wearing a white lab coat, clothing beneath should reflect proper attire standards when working as a dermatologist.

Footwear

Dermatologists should avoid wearing open-toed or high-heeled shoes, since this can be unsanitary or unsafe in a medical environment. Non-skid soles are the proper choice to avoid slipping in busy hallways, according to “Dermatology Times.” Shoes should be neat and clean. Neutral-toned tennis shoes or sneakers and nursing clogs may be considered appropriate attire. Socks covering the leg or hosiery should be worn; bare legs aren’t acceptable for dermatologists in a health care environment, according to George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates.

Additional Considerations

Since dermatologists are specifically concerned with skin conditions, and may handle patients’ skin, it’s especially appropriate to have clean, groomed hands and nails. Even though dermatologists will pull on gloves before interacting with patients in most cases, it’s unprofessional for people to get a glimpse of a dermatologist’s grimy hands or torn fingernails before examinations. Dermatologists may be prohibited from wearing artificial nails. In hospital settings, dermatologists (and other staff members) may be required to wear a watch with a second hand for providing accurate time documentation in hospital records.