Dermatology is a multi-facetted medical specialty. The historical basis for all dermatologic diagnoses was the identification and description of skin lesions. By precisely describing the color, shape, surface profile and pattern of lesions, one can often reach the correct diagnosis. Today, however, the eye of the dermatologist is supported by a wide variety of technological devices. Nonetheless in most cases, the diagnosis is a „Blickdiagnose“! – an untranslatable German term meaning that a trained eye can diagnose a disease at first glance! My enthusiasm for dermatology was stimulated during my medical student days by Prof. Dr. Otto Braun-Falco at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, and I was fortunate enough to receive my clinical training at the same university under Prof. Dr. Gerd Plewig. I am very grateful to him for helping me obtain a well-rounded training in most aspects of dermatology, including special certification in phlebology. My teacher and later colleague in dermatosurgery was Dr. Birger Konz, one of the giants in this field. He has always been a role model for me because of the caring and friendly manner in which he interacted with patients and his staff. In addition, he is a superb teacher and taught me a wide spectrum of surgical techniques and treatment modalities.