What They Look Like and How They Are Treated
Many commonskin conditionscan be hard to tell apart.
This article looks at 12 skin conditions and the different forms they can take.
It also offers an overview of treatment and describes some of the key risk factors and causes.
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It triggers when hair follicles get clogged by skin oil and dead skin debris.
Its cause is not known, but it is thought to involve an abnormal immune reaction.
Genetics is believed to play a part.
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How Common Is Eczema?
Up to 15% of people experience some degree of atopic dermatitis in childhood, usually before age 5.
Around 16.5 million adults and children in the United States are affected.
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Bacterial Skin Infections
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Bacterial skin infectionsare common and can vary in their severity from mild to life-threatening.
Most are brought on by one of two bacteria:Staphylococcus aureusor a form ofStreptococcus.
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Symptoms can vary but often include redness, swelling, pain, or pus.
Others areopportunistic, meaning that fungus naturally inhabiting the skin will suddenly overgrow when the immune system is down.
Symptoms can vary but often involve a ring-like rash with raised edges.
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There may also be peeling, cracking, itching, and tiny blisters.
Fungal skin infections include:
Fungal skin infections are treated withantifungals.
Common triggers include nickel, chromium, dyes, poison ivy, and poison oak.
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Instead, the immune reaction will be more generalized.
Common triggers include solvents, latex, cosmetics, strong soaps, detergents, and household cleaners.
Contact dermatitis may benefit from oralantihistaminesto reduce itchiness and swelling.
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Topical steroids likehydrocortisone creamcan also help.
Once you are infected, the virus stays in your body forever and can reactivate at any time.
These blisters can then grow and converge, causing a painful, open sore as the blisters rupture.
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After crusting, the sore will gradually heal, and the virus will go into remission.
The rash will form into tiny blisters that fill with pus, rupture, and crust over.
The outbreak is painful and can cause scarring andchronic nerve paineven after the blisters heal.
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As with herpes, immediate antiviral treatment can reduce the duration and severity of the infection.
Both chickenpox and shingles can also be prevented withvaccines.
They do so when the immune system targets and attacks different skin cells with inflammation.
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The autoimmune disease characterized by skin lesions ispsoriasis.
The disease targets skin cells known askeratinocyteswith inflammation, causing them to multiply faster than they can be shed.
This leads to patches of scaly, inflamed skin calledplaques.
https://dermnetnz.org/topics/squamous-cell-carcinoma-on-the-face-images/?stage=Live
Hives and angioedema are the result of an inflammatory reaction that causes capillaries to leak fluid into surrounding tissues.
The cause is unknown but is thought to be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Laser treatments can reduce some of the cosmetic effects of rosacea.
Vitaligo
Vitiligois a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment.
The genitals and skin around the belly button are also commonly affected.
The loss of color occurs in smooth patches that initially start small but often grow and change shape.
Some people experience itching before a new patch appears.
The treatment involves topical steroids and calcineurin inhibitors that suppress the immune response.
Phototherapy (light therapy) is also commonly used.
Skin Cancer
https://dermnetnz.org/topics/squamous-cell-carcinoma-on-the-face-images/?stage=Live
A less likely cause of a skin lesion isskin cancer.
Other factors may contribute, including genetics and skin tone.
How Common Is Skin Cancer?
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