Private equity dermatology consolidation reached 35+ US PE-backed MSO platforms in 2026, with named sponsors that any dermatology owner should recognize before their inbound calls start: USDP (Abry), Forefront (OMERS), Schweiger (LLR), Pinnacle (Audax), and a long tail of regional roll-ups building for a 2027-2028 secondary sale.
Quick Answer
Christoph Totter · Managing Partner, CT Acquisitions
Buy-side M&A across 76+ active capital partners · Physician specialty MSO M&A: dermatology, optometry, GI, women’s health · Updated June 6, 2026
Dermatology is one of the most consolidated physician-specialty MSO markets in the United States with more than 35 PE-backed platforms operating across roughly 20 states (Physician Growth Partners). Verified active 2026 buyers include U.S. Dermatology Partners (Abry Partners), Forefront Dermatology (Partners Group, recap from OMERS 2022), Anne Arundel Dermatology (Ridgemont Equity Partners since Oct 2020), Epiphany Dermatology (Leonard Green & Partners, recap from CI Capital), Pinnacle Dermatology / QualDerm Partners (BayPine, after Pinnacle acquired QualDerm March 31, 2025), Schweiger Dermatology (acquired United Skin Specialists Jan 2024 and California Skin Institute 2025), DermCare Management (Gemini Investors), and Aqua Dermatology (Riverchase + Water’s Edge merger; GTCR-backed). Multiples: 3x-5x EBITDA for solo practices, 4x-9x for small to mid-sized 1-4 location groups, and 12x-15x EBITDA for scaled platforms with $10M+ EBITDA. CT Acquisitions is buy-side. Every named platform, sponsor, and multiple on this page is sourced to a primary press release, SEC filing, or sponsor portfolio page.
For 2026 women’s health practice sale playbook (6-12x EBITDA) at 6x-12x EBITDA with named buyers (Axia, Unified Women’s, Pediatrix), MSO playbook, see our reference. For 2026 how to sell a medical practice at 4x-8x EBITDA by specialty (6x-12x PE-platform-ready), with regulatory mechanics and 12-month prep playbook, see our reference. For 2026 sell a plastic surgery practice at 3x-10x EBITDA with cosmetic-cash mix, owner-MD brand dependency, and named buyers (SkinSpirit, Sono.
For 2026 women’s health practice sale playbook (6-12x EBITDA) at 6x-12x EBITDA with named buyers (Axia, Unified Women’s, Pediatrix), MSO playbook, see our reference.
For 2026 how to sell a medical practice at 4x-8x EBITDA by specialty (6x-12x PE-platform-ready), with regulatory mechanics and 12-month prep playbook, see our reference.
For 2026 sell a plastic surgery practice at 3x-10x EBITDA with cosmetic-cash mix, owner-MD brand dependency, and named buyers (SkinSpirit, Sono Bello, Skytale), see our reference.
For 2026 how to sell a urology practice at 6x-12x EBITDA with named MSO buyers (Solaris Health, US Urology Partners, Genesis Healthcare, Chesapeake Urology), see our guide.
For 2026 vet specialty / 24-hour hospital sale playbook with 10x-18x EBITDA and named buyers (Mars/VCA, BluePearl, Thrive, NVA, MedVet, Ethos), see our reference guide.
For 2026 medical practice sale playbook (PE consolidators) with 5x-12x EBITDA by specialty, named PE consolidators (Optum, USPI), and Stark / Anti-Kickback diligence, see our reference guide.
For 2026 how to sell a cardiology practice with 6x-12x EBITDA multiples and named MSO buyers (US Heart & Vascular, CVA, US Cardiology Partners), see our guide.
For 2026 collision/body shop sale playbook with 4x-8x EBITDA multiples and named MSO buyers (Caliber, Gerber, Crash Champions), see our guide.
For 2026 why private equity is buying home services companies with the fragmented-market, recurring-cash-flow, roll-up thesis driving HVAC/plumbing/roofing/electrical/pest deals, see our reference guide.
For 2026 MedSpa / aesthetic services sale playbook with 3x-10x SDE/EBITDA multiples and named aesthetic platforms (Skytale, Cortes, AbbVie/Allergan), see our guide.
For 2026 how to sell an orthopedic practice with multiples by subspecialty / ASC and named MSO buyers (US Orthopaedic Partners, HOPCo, Resurgens), see our guide.
CT Acquisitions · 2026 Buyer-Market Signal
What Dermatology MSO Platforms Look For in 2026
Across our buy-side conversations with dermatology MSO platforms in 2026:
Multiple at a Glance · 2026
Dermatology MSO Sale Multiples · 2026
By scale and subspecialty mix.
Source: CT Acquisitions analysis of dermatology MSO M&A. 35+ active PE-backed platforms operating across 20+ states drive multi-buyer competition.
This tracker follows CT Acquisitions’ 5-tier source hierarchy for research-grade content:
Industry-data tier (multiples, market size, fragmentation): FOCUS Bankers, Physician Growth Partners white papers, First Page Sage Healthcare EBITDA Multiples, IBISWorld (Dermatologists in the US), SovDoc, HealthFMV, Scope Research.
Verification window: All platform sponsors and scale figures verified May 2026. The derm space has had multiple platform-to-platform mergers in 2024-2025; see “Future Updates” for the quarterly refresh cadence.
Inclusion criteria for “active platform”: (a) a verifiable current institutional sponsor; (b) at least 25 U.S. dermatology clinic locations or 50+ dermatologists in the network; and (c) at least one verified add-on acquisition in the last 24 months or a stated active-acquirer posture.
Four structural forces explain the durability of capital in dermatology consolidation through 2026: Recurring patient demand and balanced cash flow. Dermatology blends medical (insurance-mediated), surgical (Mohs, complex excisions), and cosmetic/medspa (cash-pay) revenue streams. The mix smooths cyclicality. While 2024 saw a modest dip in overall healthcare M&A, dermatology deals proved resilient thanks to this revenue diversification. Source: Practical Dermatology: Preparing for Private Equity (Sept 2025) . Fragmentation runway. There are.
Four structural forces explain the durability of capital in dermatology consolidation through 2026:
The result: 35+ PE-backed dermatology platforms operate nationally, with a 2024-2025 wave of platform-to-platform mergers (Schweiger + United Skin Specialists Jan 2024; Schweiger + California Skin Institute 2025; QualDerm acquired by Pinnacle March 2025; Water’s Edge + Riverchase to form Aqua Dermatology) reshuffling the inventory.
Adjacent healthcare sector: OB-GYN and women’s health MSO has 12 active platforms now defined by post-Dobbs geography. See the 2026 OB-GYN PE Roll-Up Tracker . Adjacent healthcare sector: fertility MSO has 11 active platforms now defined by California SB 729 employer-mandate as the largest 2026 catalyst. See the 2026 Fertility PE Roll-Up Tracker . Adjacent healthcare sector: urology MSOs have 22 active platforms now defined by strategic-buyer dominance and Pluvicto.
Adjacent healthcare sector: OB-GYN and women’s health MSO has 12 active platforms now defined by post-Dobbs geography. See the 2026 OB-GYN PE Roll-Up Tracker.
Adjacent healthcare sector: fertility MSO has 11 active platforms now defined by California SB 729 employer-mandate as the largest 2026 catalyst. See the 2026 Fertility PE Roll-Up Tracker.
Adjacent healthcare sector: urology MSOs have 22 active platforms now defined by strategic-buyer dominance and Pluvicto oncology infrastructure thesis. See the 2026 Urology PE Roll-Up Tracker.
Adjacent healthcare sector: dermatology and ortho MSOs share specialist-led workflow but diverge on procedural intensity and the CY2026 MPFS efficiency-adjustment hit on ortho codes 27130/27447. See the 2026 Orthopedic PE Roll-Up Tracker.
Adjacent healthcare sector: dermatology and GI MSO economics share specialist-led workflow but diverge sharply on procedural intensity and ASC ownership lever. See the 2026 Gastroenterology PE Roll-Up Tracker.
Adjacent healthcare sector: dermatology and ophthalmology MSO economics share specialist-driven workflow but diverge sharply on ASC integration and retina sub-specialty premium (~18x EBITDA). See the 2026 Ophthalmology PE Roll-Up Tracker.
Adjacent healthcare sector: outpatient PT has the largest PE-affiliated clinic count of any non-dental healthcare-services category (2,591 PE-affiliated PT clinics by 2024 per JAAOS; top 10 platforms = 59.3% of PE-affiliated locations). See the 2026 Physical Therapy PE Roll-Up Tracker for the 18-platform sponsor map.
Adjacent healthcare sector: ABA therapy and autism services attracted more disclosed 2024-2026 PE dollars than dermatology, with State Medicaid rate cuts (NY 97153 $16.85 to $14.45) and HHS-OIG audit overhang as the dominant valuation pressure points. 15-platform sponsor map with corrected attributions in the 2026 ABA Therapy PE Roll-Up Tracker.
Adjacent healthcare sector: behavioral health is the largest US healthcare-services PE roll-up category by addressable need (61.5M US adults with mental illness, 48.4M with SUD). The 28-platform sponsor map and the Optum-Refresh under-tracking finding are in the 2026 Behavioral Health PE Roll-Up Tracker.
Adjacent healthcare sector: home health, home care, and hospice attracted more disclosed 2025 PE dollars than dermatology and shares similar PE-platform discovery economics for sub-$5M EBITDA practice owners. See the 2026 Home Health PE Roll-Up Tracker for the 32-platform map, the Optum effect, and the 2026 CMS rate trajectory.
U.S. Dermatology Partners, Sponsor: Abry Partners (acquired May 2016 for approximately $300M; the platform was originally branded U.S. Dermatology Associates / Dermatology Associates of Tyler). Scale: 100+ locations and 200+ board-certified dermatologists across Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Maryland, and Virginia. Headquartered in Dallas. Recent expansion: new locations in Golden, CO (July 2025); Grove, OK (June 2024); Alva, OK (February 2024). Source: Abry Partners portfolio: U.S. Dermatology.
Forefront Dermatology, Sponsor: Partners Group (acquired 2022 from OMERS). Scale: One of the largest dermatology MSOs in the U.S., dominant in the Midwest. Source: Partners Group: Forefront Dermatology acquisition.
Pinnacle Dermatology / QualDerm Partners, Sponsor: BayPine (acquired Pinnacle October 2021). Scale: 158 practices across 17 states under QualDerm Partners (the combined entity following Pinnacle’s March 31, 2025 acquisition of QualDerm from Cressey & Co.). Chicago Pacific Founders rolled a portion of its ownership in Pinnacle post-closing in 2021. Source: BayPine: Pinnacle Dermatology acquisition.
Anne Arundel Dermatology, Sponsor: Ridgemont Equity Partners (acquired October 20, 2020). Scale: 90+ practice locations across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Source: Ridgemont Equity Partners: Anne Arundel Dermatology acquisition.
Epiphany Dermatology, Sponsor: Leonard Green & Partners (acquired from CI Capital Partners). Scale: Active acquirer of regional dermatology practices through 2025; October 2025 added Big Sky Dermatology and Modly Dermatology. Same Leonard Green portfolio stable as Caliber Collision, Sun Auto Tire, and Mister Car Wash in the broader services consolidation thesis. Source: PE Hub: Leonard Green acquires Epiphany from CI.
Schweiger Dermatology, Sponsor: institutional PE-backed (Waud Capital Partners historically; verify current). Scale: Major 2024-2025 expansion. Acquired United Skin Specialists in January 2024 to expand Midwest presence, and acquired California Skin Institute in 2025 as a landmark platform-to-platform combination. The most acquisitive derm platform of the 2024-2025 cycle per Physician Growth Partners. Source: Practical Dermatology: Preparing for Private Equity (Sept 2025).
Aqua Dermatology (Riverchase + Water’s Edge), Sponsor: GTCR (sponsor of legacy Riverchase Dermatology). Scale: Formed by the merger of Water’s Edge Dermatology and Riverchase Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery, headquartered in Fort Myers, FL. Strong Florida and Sunbelt density. Source: GTCR portfolio: Riverchase Dermatology | Aqua Dermatology company site.
DermCare Management, Sponsor: Gemini Investors. Headquartered in Hollywood, FL. Scale: Among the longest-tenured dermatology platforms; per Physician Growth Partners coverage, DermCare has completed 20-40 transactions in recent years and has expanded into adjacent aesthetics, plastic surgery, and medspa categories. Source: Practical Dermatology: Preparing for Private Equity (Sept 2025).
Westlake Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery, Cosmetic-and-aesthetics-led platform, regional density in Texas. Included as a notable cosmetic-tier example of the MSO consolidation, though it is sub-50 locations and outside the central Apex/Growth tier. Owners considering an exit to a cosmetic-focused buyer should evaluate Westlake-style platforms separately from medical-derm-led MSOs.
More than 25 additional PE-backed dermatology platforms operate at the regional or starter tier. The most active per Becker’s ASC and Physician Growth Partners coverage include Waud Capital-backed platforms, Goldman Sachs Asset Management-backed dermatology investments, and a long tail of regional MSOs. Source: Becker’s ASC: 27 PE firms investing in skin practices and ASCs.
Disclosed major dermatology equity events 2016-2026: Dermatology owners running aesthetic-service lines can see our full medical spa exit planning , which covers the adjacent aesthetic-category buyer pool. May 2016 , Abry Partners acquires majority of Dermatology Associates (later renamed U.S. Dermatology Partners) for approximately $300M. October 2020 , Ridgemont Equity Partners acquires Anne Arundel Dermatology. October 2021 , BayPine acquires Pinnacle Dermatology in partnership with management. Chicago Pacific Founders rolls.
Disclosed major dermatology equity events 2016-2026:
Dermatology owners running aesthetic-service lines can see our full medical spa exit planning, which covers the adjacent aesthetic-category buyer pool.
Note on private equity disclosure norms: Most dermatology platform transactions do not disclose enterprise value, EBITDA, or multiples. Where press accounts cite a number (e.g., Abry / Dermatology Associates ~$300M in 2016) we attribute it to the reporter. Where multiples are quoted as ranges they reflect industry-data tier sources, not specific transactions.
Dermatology valuation breaks into three operator tiers with significantly different buyer sets and multiple ranges.
Dermatology valuation breaks into three operator tiers with significantly different buyer sets and multiple ranges.
Multiple range: 3x, 5x EBITDA for solo-physician practices.
Typical seller: 1 dermatologist, owner working full-time, $200K-$800K EBITDA after compensation normalization. Buyer pool: regional consolidators looking for tuck-ins, individual dermatologists (often with practice-financing), and the smaller MSO platforms looking for geographic extension. Premium end (4x-5x) requires multi-provider operations (PAs / NPs), Mohs micrographic surgery in-house, and a meaningful cosmetic/aesthetics revenue mix. Source: FOCUS Bankers: Dermatology Practice Valuation 2025 Benchmarks | HealthFMV: Dermatology Practice Valuation 2025.
Multiple range: 4x, 9x EBITDA for 1-4 location group practices.
Typical seller: 2-10 dermatologists, $500K-$3M EBITDA, established cosmetic and medical mix, professional management beginning to develop. Buyer pool: the entire MSO platform set above (Forefront / U.S. Dermatology Partners / Anne Arundel / Epiphany / Pinnacle-QualDerm / Schweiger / Aqua / DermCare) plus growth-stage PE looking for new platforms. The lower end (4x-6x EBITDA) reflects medical-only practices in saturated metros; the upper end (7x-9x EBITDA) requires cosmetic-aesthetics exposure, Mohs surgery in-house, pathology in-house, and high-density Sunbelt geography. Source: Scope Research: Dermatology M&A Multiples and Trends 2025. For sellers in this space, see our step-by-step on How to Sell a Dermatology Practice (2026): Multiples & MSO Buyers.
Multiple range: 12x, 15x EBITDA for true platform-quality operators ($10M+ EBITDA).
Typical seller: $10M+ EBITDA, multi-state, 10+ locations, strong cosmetic-and-aesthetics mix, professional CFO/CEO, transferable brand and operating systems, in-house pathology. Buyer pool: middle-market and upper-middle-market PE looking for a new platform investment, plus the existing consolidators when they target platform-level rather than tuck-in deals. Industry-data sources consistently cite 12x-15x for this tier, consistent with 2025 healthcare benchmarks for scaled physician groups. Source: First Page Sage: Healthcare EBITDA & Valuation Multiples 2025 | SovDoc: How to Value a Dermatology Practice.
Median healthcare services EV/EBITDA multiples have moderated to approximately 11.5x in 2025, down from 14.5x in 2024, reflecting higher borrowing costs and increased buyer selectivity compared to the record valuations seen in 2021-2022. Dermatology specifically has held up better than the broader healthcare services category because of the cosmetic / cash-pay mix and recurring patient demand. Source: Healio: Private Equity in Dermatology (April 2025).
Cosmetic and aesthetics revenue mix. The single largest multiple-driver. Practices with 25%+ cosmetic / cash-pay revenue trade at materially higher multiples than insurance-only medical practices. Mohs micrographic surgery in-house. Reliable, high-acuity revenue stream that compresses multiples upward and creates a defensible referral moat. Practices that refer Mohs out are leaving multi-million-dollar valuation on the table. Pathology in-house. Owning the pathology revenue (rather than referring it to an outside lab) is.
Three operator-tier strategies, in order of typical exit value: Sponsors acquiring dermatology platforms can join through buy-side application for healthcare deals for direct practice-owner introductions. If you are a solo or 1-2 physician practice owner , your realistic exit is 3x-5x EBITDA plus real estate (separately, at cap-rate value). Pre-sale prep over 18-24 months focused on adding mid-level providers, bringing Mohs in-house, building cosmetic / aesthetics revenue, and modernizing EHR.
Three operator-tier strategies, in order of typical exit value:
Sponsors acquiring dermatology platforms can join through buy-side application for healthcare deals for direct practice-owner introductions.
CT Acquisitions runs a buy-side advisory; we represent the buyer universe profiled above. See the How to Sell a Dermatology Practice guide for the sell-side process detail, and the Owner’s Exit Checklist for the 18-24 month preparation framework.
Sponsor status changes faster than this tracker can update in real time. The derm space has seen multiple platform-to-platform mergers in 2024-2025 (Schweiger + United Skin Specialists, Schweiger + California Skin Institute, Pinnacle + QualDerm, Water’s Edge + Riverchase). We disclose verified-as-of-May-2026 and refresh quarterly. Schweiger Dermatology’s current sponsor is partially obscured. Public reporting through Physician Growth Partners and Healio identifies the platform but does not in all cases name.
Refresh cadence: quarterly. The next scheduled refresh is August 24, 2026. Specific 2026 refresh triggers we are watching: Schweiger sponsor confirmation and 2026 add-on cadence. Schweiger has been the most acquisitive platform of 2024-2025; the current sponsor structure and 2026 acquisition pace will reset benchmark expectations for the growth tier. Pinnacle / QualDerm post-integration metrics. The combined 158-practice / 17-state platform is large enough that 2026 acquisition cadence and geographic.
Refresh cadence: quarterly. The next scheduled refresh is August 24, 2026. Specific 2026 refresh triggers we are watching:
How to flag corrections: Every named platform on this page is sourced to a primary press release, SEC filing, or sponsor portfolio page. If you believe a sponsor attribution, scale figure, or transaction date is wrong, the fastest path to a correction is an email to [email protected] with the primary source (press release URL, sponsor portfolio page, or SEC filing) that contradicts what we have published. We re-verify and patch within 5 business days.
What this tracker does not do: We do not publish private-deal pricing without primary-source attribution, we do not name buyers in active CT engagements, and we do not produce projections about future multiples or platform behavior.
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Every named platform, sponsor, and scale figure on this page is sourced to a primary press release, SEC filing, or sponsor portfolio page. Industry-data tier (multiples, market size, fragmentation) draws on the named industry research publishers. Subscription-gated figures are labeled in body where used. Abry Partners portfolio: U.S. Dermatology , U.S. Dermatology Partners sponsor primary source Partners Group: Forefront Dermatology acquisition , Forefront sponsor primary source (2022 OMERS recap) Ridgemont.
Every named platform, sponsor, and scale figure on this page is sourced to a primary press release, SEC filing, or sponsor portfolio page. Industry-data tier (multiples, market size, fragmentation) draws on the named industry research publishers. Subscription-gated figures are labeled in body where used.
Last verified: May 24, 2026. Next refresh: quarterly (target 2026-08-24).
Disclaimer: This tracker is general market intelligence, not investment, legal, or tax advice. Multiples and outcomes by operator tier are illustrative; actuals vary with deal structure, geography, and buyer fit. CT Acquisitions is a buy-side advisor; we represent acquirers and may have active engagements with platforms profiled here.