How Is Your Skin Doing?…

An article on the WebMD website states it clearly: “Your skin is the largest organ of your body, made up of several different components, including water, protein, lipids, and different minerals and chemicals. Its job is to protect you from infections and germs.

“Throughout your life, your skin will change constantly, for better or worse. In fact, your skin will regenerate itself approximately every 27 days. Proper skin care is essential to maintaining the health and vitality of this protective organ.”

And another article from Medline Plus:

“As you age, you are at an increased risk for skin injury. Your skin is thinner, more fragile, and the protective subcutaneous fat layer is lost…. Aging skin repairs itself more slowly than younger skin and wound healing may be up to four times slower.”

The following is some important information about a variety of skin issues. This information is for educational purposes only. The information is not to be construed as medical advice. If you have one of the skin conditions described below, please consult with your physician.

Abrasion

Abrasion injuries usually occur when exposed skin comes into contact with a rough surface, causing a grinding or rubbing away of the upper layers of the epidermis.

Acne

Acne vulgaris (or simply acne) is a long-term skin disease that occurs when hair follicles become clogged with dead skin cells and oil from the skin. Acne is characterized by areas of blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, and greasy skin, and may result in scarring, if not attended to.

Allergic Rashes

The causes of rashes can be from many sources, including plants (e.g., poison oak or poison ivy), allergic reactions to a medication or a food, or an illness (e.g., measles or chickenpox). Eczema and hives, both related to allergies, are two of the most common skin rashes.

Arthritis

Arthritis is a joint disorder that involves inflammation in one or more joints. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease), a result of trauma to the joint, infection of the joint, or age.

Ashy Skin

Xeroderma, or Ashy Skin, involves the integumentary system, which in most cases can safely be treated with emollients or moisturizers.

Athlete’s Foot

Athlete’s foot, known medically as tinea pedis, is a common skin infection of the feet caused by fungus. Symptoms often include itching, scaling, and redness.

Bed Sores

Bed sores are localized injuries to the skin and/or underlying tissue as a result of pressure in combination with shear and/or friction.

Bee Stings

Bee stings differ from insect bites in that the venom or toxin of stinging insects is quite different. Therefore, the body’s reaction to a bee sting may differ significantly from one species to another.

Blisters

A blister is a small pocket of fluid within the upper layers of the skin that is typically caused by forceful rubbing (friction), burning, freezing, chemical exposure or infection.

Boils

A boil, also called a furuncle, is a deep infection of the hair follicle. It is most commonly caused by infection by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, resulting in painful swollen area on the skin caused by an accumulation of pus and dead tissue. Boils which are expanded are basically pus-filled nodules. Individual boils clustered together are called carbuncles.

Bruises

A bruise, also called a contusion or an ecchymosis, is a visible bluish or purplish mark or patch appearing beneath the surface of the skin, resulting from blood that leaked out of the deeper layers of the tissues. Bruises are usually caused by a blow or pressure. In older people, bruises may also occur without a special reason.

Burns

A burn is a type of injury to the skin , or other tissues, caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, friction, or radiation. The treatment required depends on the severity of the burn.

Bursitis

Bursitis is the inflammation of one or more bursae (small sacs) of synovial fluid in the body. Healthy bursae create a smooth, almost frictionless functional gliding surface, making normal movement painless. When bursitis occurs, however, movement relying on the inflamed bursa becomes difficult and painful.

Candida

Candida is a genus of yeasts and is the most common cause of fungal infections worldwide. Many species are harmless plant species living in close association with their hosts, including humans; however, when mucous membrane barriers are disrupted or the immune system is compromised, they can invade and cause disease.

Canker Sores

A mouth ulcer (also termed an oral ulcer, or a mucosal ulcer) is an ulcer that occurs on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity. Mouth ulcers are very common, occurring in association with many diseases and by many different mechanisms, but usually there is no serious underlying cause.

Chapped Lips

Chapped lips (also known as cheilitis simplex or common cheilitis) are characterized by cracking, fissuring, and peeling of the skin of the lips, and are one of the most common types of cheilitis. While both lips may be affected, the lower lip is the most common site.

Chapped Skin

Caused by dry skin, a skin fissure is a cutaneous condition in which there is a linear-like cleavage of skin, sometimes defined as extending into the dermis. It is smaller than a skin laceration.

Chemical Burns

A chemical burn occurs when your skin or eyes come into contact with an irritant, such as an acid or a base. Bases are described as alkaline. Chemical burns are also known as caustic burns. They may cause a reaction on your skin or within your body. These burns can affect your internal organs if chemicals are swallowed.

Cold Sores

A cold sore is a fluid-filled, painful blister that is usually on or around the lips. Other names for a cold sore are fever blister, oral herpes, labial herpes, and can appear on the lips, chin or cheeks and in the nostrils. Cold sores most often occur on the lips which distinguishes them from the common canker sores that are usually inside the mouth. Cold sores do not usually occur inside the mouth except during the initial episode. Canker sores usually form either on the tongue or inside the cheeks.

Cradle Cap

Cradle cap, also known as infantile or neonatal seborrhoeic dermatitis, crustal actea, milk crust, honeycomb disease, and is a yellowish, patchy, greasy, scaly and crusty skin rash that occurs on the scalp of recently born babies. It is usually not itchy and does not bother the baby.

Dermabrasion

Abrasion injuries most commonly occur when exposed skin comes into moving contact with a rough surface, causing a grinding or rubbing away of the upper layers of the epidermis.

Diaper Rash

Diaper rash, or diaper dermatitis, is a general term describing any of a number of inflammatory skin conditions that can occur in the diaper area.

Eczema

Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is a condition that makes the skin red and itchy. It’s common in children but can occur at any age. Atopic dermatitis is long-lasting and tends to flare up periodically and then subside. It may be accompanied by asthma or hay fever.

Edema

Edema is an observable swelling from fluid accumulation in body tissues. It most commonly occurs in the feet, ankles and legs, where it is referred to as peripheral edema. Edema of the foot is sometimes called pedal edema. The swelling is the result of the accumulation of excess fluid under the skin in the spaces within the tissues.

Fever Blisters

A fever blister is a small sore situated on the face or in the mouth that causes pain, burning, or itching before bursting and crusting over. The usual locations are on the lips, chin or cheeks and in the nostrils. Less frequented sites are the gums or roof of the mouth.

Flea Bites

Flea bites exhibit several common symptoms: they are very itchy, and the skin around each bite may become sore or painful. A person may experience hives or develop a rash near the site of a bite. Additionally, excessive itching can lead to an infection.

Folliculitis

Folliculitis is a common skin condition in which hair follicles become inflamed. It’s usually caused by a bacterial or fungal infection. At first, it may look like small red bumps or white-headed pimples around hair follicles – the tiny pockets from which each hair grows. The infection can spread and turn into non-healing, crusty sores.

Fungus

Fungi usually make their homes in moist areas of the body where skin surfaces meet: between the toes, in the genital area, and under the breasts. Common fungal skin infections are caused by yeasts.

Hives

Hives is a hypersensitive skin reaction characterized by the sudden appearance of very itchy, slightly raised, smooth, flat-topped wheals and plaques that are usually redder or paler than the surrounding skin. In its acute form, the skin lesions generally subside in 6 to 24 hours, but they may come and go and persist much longer in the chronic form.

Impetigo

Impetigo is a highly contagious skin infection that mainly affects infants and children. It usually appears as red sores on the face, especially around the child’s nose and mouth. The sores burst and develop honey-colored crusts.

Inflamed Joints

Swollen or inflamed joints refers to the enlargement of the joints, usually as a result of an inflammatory process or injury to the joint or to surrounding structures. Joint swelling may be accompanied by other symptoms, including stiffness, pain, redness, warmth, and apparent loss of range of motion of the joint.

Insect Bites

Most bites cause mild stinging or itching. Some bites can trigger a life-threatening allergic reaction that may require emergency care. Breathing difficulty, facial swelling, dizziness, confusion, and hives are symptoms of such a reaction.

Itching

Pruritus simply means itching. It can be associated with a number of disorders, including dry skin, skin disease, pregnancy, and more.

Jock Itch

Jock itch (tinea cruris) is a fungal infection that affects the skin of the genitals, inner thighs and buttocks. Jock itch causes an itchy, red, often ring-shaped rash in the warm, moist areas of the body.

Keratosis

An actinic keratosis, also known as a solar keratosis, is a scaly or crusty growth (lesion). It most often appears on the bald scalp, face, ears, lips, backs of the hands and forearms, shoulders, neck or any other areas of the body that are frequently exposed to the sun. Usually used as the plural, “keratoses,” because there is seldom just one.

Lupus

Lupus, an autoimmune disease, occurs when the immune system attacks its tissues, causing inflammation, swelling, pain, and damage. Lupus symptoms include fatigue, joint pain, fever, and a lupus rash.

Poison Ivy

Poison ivy rash is caused by an allergic reaction to an oily resin called urushiol. This oil is in the leaves, stems and roots of poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac.

Poor Circulation

The body’s circulation system is responsible for sending blood, oxygen, and nutrients throughout your body. When blood flow to a specific part of the body is reduced, it may experience the symptoms of poor circulation. Poor circulation is most common in the extremities, such as in the legs and arms; and can lead to itching.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common skin condition that changes the life cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis causes cells to build up rapidly on the surface of the skin. The extra skin cells form thick, silvery scales and itchy, dry, red patches that are sometimes painful.

Razor Burns

Razor bumps, or ingrown hairs, are small, irritated bumps on the skin. They happen after a shave, when strands of hair curl back on themselves and grow into the skin. They can cause irritation and pimples, and they may cause scarring.

Ringworm

Ringworm of the body is a fungal infection that develops on the top layer of the skin. It’s characterized by a red circular rash with clearer skin in the middle. It may or may not itch. Ringworm gets its name because of its appearance. There is no actual worm involved.

Rosacea

Rosacea most commonly affects middle-aged women with fair skin and can be mistaken for acne or other skin conditions. Key symptoms are facial redness with swollen red bumps and small visible blood vessels.

Rough Hands

Many factors can cause dry, rough hands, such as dry air, cold weather, low humidity, sun exposure, excessive hand washing or immersion in water, exposure to harmful chemicals, swimming in chlorinated pools and use of soap bars.

Scabies

Scabies produces a skin rash composed of small red bumps and blisters and affects specific areas of the body.

Sebaceous Cyst

Causes of a Sebaceous Cyst. Sebaceous cysts form out of the sebaceous gland which produces the oil called sebum that coats the hair and skin. Cysts can develop if the gland or its duct, the passage where oil is able to leave, become damaged or blocked. This usually occurs due to a trauma to the area.

Seborrhea

Abrasion injuries most commonly occur when exposed skin comes into moving contact with a rough surface, causing a grinding or rubbing away of the upper layers of the epidermis.

Shingles

Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. Although shingles can occur anywhere on the body, it most often appears as a single stripe of blisters that wraps around either the left or the right side of the torso.

Sore Muscles

Almost everyone has sore, aching muscles now and then. Muscle pain (myalgia) can range from mild to excruciating. Though it often goes away in a few days, sometimes muscle pain can linger for months. Muscle pain can develop almost anywhere in the body, including the neck, back, legs and even the hands.

Stretch Marks

Streaks or stripes on the skin, especially on the abdomen, caused by distension of the skin from obesity or during pregnancy.

Styes

A stye is a red, painful lump near the edge of the eyelid that may look like a boil or a pimple. Styes are often filled with pus and usually form on the outside of the eyelid, but sometimes can form on the inner part of the eyelid.

Sunburn

Sunburned red, painful skin that feels hot to the touch usually appears within a few hours after too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from sunshine or artificial sources, such as sunlamps. Sunburn may take several days or longer to fade.

Varicose Veins

Varicose veins are gnarled, enlarged veins. Any vein may become varicose, but the veins most commonly affected are those in the legs and feet due to standing and walking upright increasing the pressure in the veins of the lower body.

Very Dry Skin

Abnormally dry skin can be caused by a dry climate, winter weather, severe deficiency of vitamin A, systemic illness, overexposure to sunlight, or medication.

Warts

Common warts are small, grainy skin growths that occur most often on the fingers or hands. Rough to the touch, common warts also often feature a pattern of tiny black dots sometimes called seeds which are small, clotted blood vessels.

Wind Burn

Wind burn is a condition in which a sunburn obtained in cool or cloudy conditions is incorrectly attributed to the effects of the wind rather than the sun.