Ellene Papazis Alquati has aesthetic dermatology experience formally recognised in Portugal

PORTO, Portugal - Feb. 6, 2026 - PRLog -- Dermatovenereologist Dr Ellene Papazis Alquati has had her professional experience in Aesthetic Dermatology formally recognised in Portugal through her integration into the Subspecialty of Aesthetic and Cosmetic Medicine, within the medical specialty of Dermatovenereology, by resolution of the National Council of the Portuguese Medical Association.

This recognition is based on scientific and clinical criteria and reflects a professional pathway developed over many years of practice. It does not correspond to the acquisition of a new academic title, but rather to the formal validation of a competence already exercised and consolidated throughout her career, which began in Brazil and continues in Portugal.

In addition to her work in aesthetic dermatology, Dr Papazis Alquati has advanced training in skin cancer, completed at the National Cancer Institute (INCA) in Brazil. Although this area of study does not formally exist as a subspecialty in Portugal, it is fully integrated into her daily clinical practice at the Portuguese Oncology Institute (IPO), contributing to a medically grounded and comprehensive approach to patient care.

National context
According to data gathered from the Portuguese Medical Association's public registers on 1 February 2026, Portugal has 486 registered dermatovenereologists, of whom only 73 hold the formal subspecialty in Aesthetic and Cosmetic Medicine, representing approximately 15% of the total.

The geographical distribution of these professionals reveals a significant concentration in a small number of urban centres. Porto stands out as the main national hub, followed by Lisbon (city), Braga and Coimbra. Other regions, including the Azores, Ribatejo, Setúbal and Viseu, have very limited representation.

These figures highlight that, despite the growth of medical aesthetics, access to physicians with formal institutional recognition remains limited and geographically uneven.

Medical regulation and patient safety
Dermatovenereology is the medical specialty with the most comprehensive knowledge of the skin, mucous membranes and their appendages, the anatomical structures directly involved in medical aesthetic procedures. The subspecialty of Aesthetic and Cosmetic Medicine was created in recognition that aesthetic medical practice requires advanced expertise in anatomy, clinical assessment and the management of complications.

According to the official definition of the Portuguese Medical Association, a medical aesthetic act involves diagnosis, planning, therapeutic decision-making and execution as exclusive medical competencies, performed by legally qualified and registered physicians.

For patients, this framework reinforces the importance of seeking properly qualified and regulated medical professionals, a verification that can be easily carried out through the public registers, an essential mechanism for transparency, safety and patient protection.

Full release: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fC5Czy0lFQJ3yoU0HJHpI...

For more information: https://www.ellenepapazis.com