Other Conditions

Acne & Acne Scars

Acne and Acne scars

Acne, also known as acne vulgaris, is a long-term skin disease that occurs when hair follicles are clogged with dead skin cells and oil from the skin. It is characterized by blackheads or whiteheads, pimples, oily skin, and possible scarring. It primarily affects areas of the skin with a relatively high number of oil glands, including the face, upper part of the chest, and back. The resulting appearance can lead to anxiety, reduced self-esteem and, in extreme cases, depression or thoughts of suicide.

Genetics is thought to be the primary cause of acne in 80% of cases. The role of diet and cigarette smoking is unclear, and neither cleanliness nor exposure to sunlight appear to play a part. During puberty, in both sexes, acne is often brought on by an increase in hormones such as testosterone. A frequent factor is excessive growth of the bacterium Propionibacterium acnes, which is normally present on the skin.
Many treatment options for acne are available, including lifestyle changes, medications, and medical procedures. Eating fewer simple carbohydrates such as sugar may help. Treatments applied directly to the affected skin, such as azelaic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and salicylic acid, are commonly used.

Frequently asked questions

These bumps can be blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, or cysts. Teens get acne because of the hormonal changes that come with puberty. ... As the body begins to mature and develop, though, hormones stimulate the sebaceous glands to make more sebum. Pores become clogged if there is too much sebum and too many dead skin cells.
No one factor causes acne. Acne occurs when sebaceous (oil) glands attached to the hair follicles are stimulated at the time of puberty or due to other hormonal changes. Sebum (oil) is a natural substance that lubricates and protects the skin.
Acne is a broader term than pimples. Acne refers to the skin disease involving sebum (skin oil), keratinization (shedding dead skin cells), and bacteria. It can range from very mild acne consisting of mostly blackheads, to severe cystic acne. ... A clogged pore filled with sebum has bacteria in it eating the sebum.
Today, there are many effective acne treatments. ... They may have whiteheads, blackheads, papules, and/or pustules (aka pimples). Many people can treat mild acne with products that you can buy without a prescription. A product containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid often clears the skin.
Acne will eventually go away (really, it will). ... Doing things like picking at and popping pimples can definitely damage your skin and cause scarring. But sometimes, even if you're really careful with your skin, scars can still develop. Severe blemishes, those that are very inflamed, are more likely to scar.

Rosacea

Rosacea

Rosacea most commonly affects middle-aged women with fair skin. It can be mistaken for acne or other skin conditions. Key symptoms are facial redness with swollen red bumps and small visible blood vessels.Treatments such as antibiotics or anti-acne medication can control and reduce symptoms. Left untreated, it tends to worsen over time.

Symptoms

Rosacea usually causes a persistent redness in the central part of your face. Small blood vessels on your nose and cheeks often swell and become visible.
Many people who have rosacea also develop pimples on their face that resemble acne. These bumps sometimes contain pus. Your skin may feel hot and tender.
About half of the people who have rosacea also experience eye dryness, irritation and swollen, reddened eyelids. In some people, rosacea's eye symptoms precede the skin symptoms.
Rarely, rosacea can thicken the skin on the nose, causing the nose to appear bulbous (rhinophyma). This occurs more often in men than in women.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis""

Psoriasis is thought to be an immune system problem. Triggers include infections, stress and cold. The most common symptom is a rash on the skin, but sometimes the rash involves the nails or joints. Treatment aims to remove scales and stop skin cells from growing so quickly. Topical ointments, light therapy and medication can offer relief.

The most common symptom is a rash on the skin, but sometimes the rash involves the nails or joints. People also may experience Pain in the joints, Skin rashes, dryness, fissures, flakiness, peeling, small bump, thickness, or redness.

Frequently asked questions

The exact cause remains unknown. A combination of elements, including genetic predisposition and environmental factors, are involved. It is common for psoriasis to be found in members of the same family. Defects in immune regulation and the control of inflammation are thought to play major roles. Certain medications like beta-blockers have been linked to psoriasis. Despite research over the past 30 years, the "master switch" that turns on psoriasis is still a mystery.
Yes, psoriasis is associated with inflamed joints in about one-third of those affected. In fact, sometimes joint pains may be the only sign of the disorder, with completely clear skin. The joint disease associated with psoriasis is referred to as psoriatic arthritis. Patients may have inflammation of any joints (arthritis), although the joints of the hands, knees, and ankles tend to be most commonly affected. Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory, destructive form of arthritis and needs to be treated with medications in order to stop the disease progression. The average age for onset of psoriatic arthritis is 30-40 years of age. Usually, the skin symptoms and signs precede the onset of the arthritis.
Yes, psoriasis may involve solely the nails in a limited number of patients. Usually, the nail signs accompany the skin and arthritis symptoms and signs. Nail psoriasis is typically very difficult to treat. Treatment options are somewhat limited and include potent topical steroids applied at the nail-base cuticle, injection of steroids at the nail-base cuticle, and oral or systemic medications as described below for the treatment of psoriasis.

Vitiligo

Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a chronic skin disorder that causes areas of skin to lose colour. It presents as depigmented (white) patches. Exposed body sites, such as the face, elbows, knees, hands and feet, are often involved, resulting in significant cosmetic concerns. Vitiligo is usually treated with creams and tablets, or by phototherapy. Vitiligo may fail to improve or clear with these treatments. Surgical treatment options can be considered in patients with stable vitiligo.

Vitiligo is also known as ‘leucoderma’. In India , it is called ‘safed kod’ or ‘safed dag’ and is considered as a social stigma. Vitiligo is appearance of single or multiple depigmented patches on any part of the body.These patches gradually increase in size & cause lot of psychological stress in the patient. It is an auto-immune condition and may have a genetic predisposition. Treatment of vitiligo usually takes a long time. Medical treatment helps arrest the spread of depigmentation and in some cases, may bring back the pigmentation.
In majority of the cases, medical therapy only achieves stabilization of the vitiligo patch but fails to cause repigmentation. However, repigmentation in cases of ‘stable vitiligo’ can be achieved by various dermatosurgical techniques.

Frequently asked questions

PUVA therapy enhances skin re-pigmentation. An oral psoralen compound is given to the patient. Two hours later , the de-pigmented patch on his body is exposed to ultraviolet-A (UVA) rays, for a fixed time duration. This should be supervised by a medical personnel. If UVA is not available then the patch is exposed to sun rays. The latter is known as PUVA SOL therapy.Treatment with UVB rays is another option. The most recent modality is treatment with Excimer laser.
When the de-pigmented patch does not increase in size for a period of two years, it is said to be stable. This is the right time to perform vitiligo surgery. If the patch is growing or is in an active phase, it needs treatment with medicines and / or PUVA till it stops growing.
All types of surgical treatment aim to transfer melanocytes (pigment-producing cells) from normal skin (the donor site) to the skin affected by vitiligo.

Eczema

Eczema

Atopic dermatitis usually develops in early childhood and is more common in people who have a family history of the condition. The main symptom is a rash that typically appears on the arms and behind the knees, but can also appear anywhere. Treatment includes avoiding soap and other irritants. Certain creams or ointments may also provide relief from the itching.

Types

This is a skin reaction following contact with a substance or allergen that the immune system recognizes as foreign.
This is an irritation of the skin on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. It is characterized by blisters.
This forms scaly patches of skin on the head, forearms, wrists, and lower legs. It is caused by a localized itch, such as an insect bite.
These show as circular patches of irritated skin that can be crusted, scaly, and itchy.
This forms oily, scaly, yellowish patches of skin, usually on the scalp and face.
This is a skin irritation of the lower leg usually related to circulatory problems.

Melasma

Melasma

Melasma can be due to hormonal changes during pregnancy or from sun exposure. Women are much more likely than men to develop this condition. The brown or grey-brown patches of melasma appear most often on the cheeks, forehead, nose and chin.

In women, melasma often fades on its own after pregnancy or after an affected woman stops taking contraceptive pills. Skin lightening creams can help lasting melasma.

Frequently asked questions

It isn’t totally clear what causes melasma. Darker-skinned individuals are more at risk than those with fair skin. Estrogen and progesterone sensitivity are also associated with the condition. This means birth control pills, pregnancy, and hormone therapy can all trigger melasma. Stress and thyroid disease are also thought to be causes of melasma. Additionally, sun exposure can cause melasma because ultraviolet rays affect the cells that control pigment (melanocytes).
A visual exam of the affected area is often enough to diagnose melasma. To rule out specific causes, your healthcare professional might also perform some tests. One testing technique is a Wood’s lamp examination. This is a special kind of light that’s held up to your skin. It allows your healthcare professional to check for bacterial and fungal infections and determine how many layers of skin the melasma affects. To check for any serious skin conditions, they might also perform a biopsy. This involves removing a small piece of the affected skin for testing.
For some women, melasma disappears on its own. This typically occurs when it’s caused by pregnancy or birth control pills. There are creams your healthcare professional can prescribe that can lighten the skin. They might also prescribe topical depigmenting cream is given to help lighten the affected areas. If these don’t work, chemical peels, dermabrasion, and microdermabrasion are possible options. These treatments strip away the top layers of skin and may help lighten dark patches.
Melasma usually becomes more noticeable in the summer and improves during the winter months.It is not an infection; therefore, it is not contagious, and it is not due to an allergy. It is not cancerous and will not develop into skin cancer.