Skin Articles

What is skin cancer?

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Skin cancer is a group of skin diseases that lead to abnormal growth of skin cells. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV) and inherited genetics are the main risk factors f...

Shingles vaccine

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The varicella-zoster vaccine is currently given in two doses. The first dose is recommened at age 12 to 15 months and the second at 4 to 6 years. It is also approved as...

What are the treatments for shingles (herpes zoster)?

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Shingles treatments are available to minimize pain and reduce the duration of skin symptoms.

Diagnosing shingles (herpes zoster)

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Diagnosis of shingles can usually be determined by physical examination by an experienced professional. Laboratory tests can confirm shingles diagnosis. Direct fluore...

What is herpes zoster opthalmicus (eye shingles)

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Zoster opthalmicus is a common complication of shingles and affects 10 to 20% of shingles patients. If left untreated, shingles infection of the ...

What are the symptoms of shingles?

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Prodromal phase - Shingles symptoms usually begin with a prodromal phase that is characterized by tingling, itching, or burning of the skin. General symptoms of headach...

Shingles virus and herpes

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The varicella-zoster virus that causes shingles is one of 8 types of herpesvirus that affect humans. Shingles is distinct ...

What are risk factors for shingles?

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Shingles can develop in anyone infected with the varicella-zoster virus. Almost all adults in the US have been exposed to the varicella virus.

What are the causes of shingles?

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Shingles is caused by an activation of the varicella-zoster virus. After a patient is infected with chickenpox, the immune system develops antibodies to protect against...

What are shingles (herpes zoster)?

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Shingles (herpes zoster) is characterized by a painful skin rash that occurs from the reactivation of the chickenpox virus (varicella-zoster). Most children are infected with the varicella-zoster...

What are the treatments for seborrheic dermatitis?

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Seborrheic dermatitis treatments are often unnecessary as they typically resolve naturally within several months. Medicated shampoos are the first line of...

What are the symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis?

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Seborrheic dermatitis typically presents itself on oily areas of the skin. The scalp is almost always affected and dandruff is considered a mild form of seb...

What are the causes of seborrheic dermatitis?

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The exact cause of seborrheic dermatitis is unknown, but several theories include fungal infection or hormone imbalances. Patients with seborrheic dermatitis ...

What is seborrheic dermatitis?

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Seborrheic dermatitis is a common skin problem that forms flakes or scales on oil-producing areas of the skin. Seborrheic dermatitis can affect individuals of any age. In infants, seborrheic derm...

Types of rosacea and treatments

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It is debatable whether rosacea is a disease that progresses from one type to another. However, the classification of rosacea is necessary as treatment for r...

What are the symptoms of rosacea?

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Rosacea symptoms occur mostly in the central area of the face (nose, cheeks, forehead, chin).

What are the causes of rosacea?

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The cause of rosacea is uncertain, but some patients can identify some factors that trigger rosacea symptoms. A few rosacea triggers include...

What is rosacea?

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Rosacea is a chronic skin problem that is especially common in older, fair-skinned individuals. Rosacea is characterized by redness of the face, in particular the cheeks, chin, and nose. Red or f...

What are the treatment options for perioral dermatitis?

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The first line of treatment involves trying to identify the cause of irritation and discontinuing its usage. Patients should keep a detailed record of any ap...

What are the causes of perioral dermatitis?

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The exact cause of perioral dermatitis is usually unknown. Possible causes include...

What are the signs and symptoms of perioral dermatitis?

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The signs and symptoms of perioral dermatitis include the following...

What is perioral dermatitis?

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Perioral dermatitis is a skin condition that forms red papules around the face, specifically the mouth, chin, and cheeks. Perioral dermatitis is much more common in women between the ages of 18 an...

What are the treatments for molluscum contagiosum?

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Molluscum Contagiosum warts disappear with no treatment within several months. More resilient warts may last 2 years and sometimes reoccur. Children often ...

Diagnosing molluscum contagiosum

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Molluscum Contagiosum can be usually diagnosed by a health professional from a physical examination. A tissue sample can confirm Molluscum Contagiosum inf...

What are the signs and symptoms of molluscum contagiosum?

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The lesions caused by Molluscum Contagiosum form distinct looking warts. signs and symptoms of Molluscum Contagiosum infection include:

What is molluscum contagiosum?

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Molluscum Contagiosum is a skin condition caused by a virus that forms characteristic shiny, dome-shaped papules (small, raised bumps) on the skin. It mainly affects children or adults with weakene...

Treatment of melanoma

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Early diagnosis and treatment of melanoma has a 90% survival rate outlook. If melanoma is not treated, the cancer can spread anywhere. Melanoma cancer commonly spreads...

How to prevent melanoma?

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The following is a list of steps that can be taken to lower the risks of developing melanoma...

Skin biopsy to diagnose melanoma

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A dermatologist may take a skin biopsy after visual inspection of an atypical mole. Usually, the dermatologist will excise (cut) the entire mole for best diagnosis re...

What are the risk factors for developing melanoma?

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There are many factors that contribute to an increased risk of developing melanoma. Some of the major risk factors include...

What are the signs and symptoms for melanoma?

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Nearly all moles (nevi) are harmless skin tumors that develop from melanocytes. Moles become worrisome only if they begin to change shape. Melanoma often f...

What is melanoma?

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Melanoma is a very serious type of cancer of the skin. Melanoma specifically affects the skin cells (melanocytes) that produce melanin, which is a protective pigment that makes the skin darker or ...

How to manage hives

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Hives are often very itchy and treatments are used to reduce skin inflammation and itching. Most cases of hives typically disappear without treatment within 24 hours. Exp...

What are the different types of hives?

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Hives are classified according to how long the hives last on the skin. Acute conditions last 1 day up to 6 weeks. Chronic hives last for months to years. Hive types can ...

What are the symptoms of hives?

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The following are a list of symptoms commonly associated with hives...

What are hives?

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Hives (urticaria) are a common skin problem that affects up to 25% of people at some point in their lives. Hives are characterized by inflamed itchy, red raised marks on the skin. Hives form on t...

What is jock itch fungal infection?

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Jock itch (tinea cruris) is a fungal infection that is mostly found in young men, but can also be found in overweight women or those who wear tight pants. Symp...

What are fungal infections of the feet (athlete's foot)?

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A foot fungal infection (Athlete’s foot) usually develops in the space between the toes and causes skin itching and...

What are scalp fungal infections (scalp ringworms)?

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Scalp fungal infections are the most common infections among children. Depending on the type of fungus, scalp infections can be spread f...

Types of fungal skin infections

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Fungal infections can be categorized by location (feet, scalp, nails) or by fungus type. Fungi do not grow on slippery, mucosal surfaces, such a...

Dermabrasion alternatives for skin rejuvenation

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There are certain risks associated with the dermabrasion procedure for skin rejuvenation that some patients might not be comfortable with. See

Dermabrasion risks

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Dermabrasion uses a high-speed tool to scrape off the outer skin layers. It is often performed under local or general anesthesia. The procedure may cause spott...

How does dermabrasion work?

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Dermabrasion is a mechanical technique performed by trained dermatologists and plastic surgeons, which involves a tool with a rotating diamond tip to mechanicall...

What is dermabrasion?

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Dermabrasion is a cosmetic skin therapy that mechanically resurfaces the outer layers of the skin to decrease wrinkles, acne scars, sun damage, and other skin defects. The p...

Contact dermatitis treatments

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Unfortunately, there the only cure for contact dermatitis is complete avoidance of the irritant or allergen. Any contact dermatitis treatment can only a...

Contact dermatitis test & diagnosis

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Dermatologists or allergy specialists use patch testing to determine which irritants or allergens cause contact dermatitis on an individual. A...

Symptoms of contact dermatitis

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Contact dermatitis is defined as skin inflammation that results from direct contact between the skin and an irritant. Only the specific areas ...

What causes contact dermatitis?

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Many materials, allergens, chemicals, or plants can cause contact dermatitis, a skin condition that is characterized by itchy red skin that general...

Types of contact dermatitis

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Contact dermatitis can be broken down into several categories based on the type of irritants...

What is contact dermatitis?

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Contact dermatitis is a generic medical term that refers to skin inflammation caused by any type of irritant. Upon direct contact with the irritant, the skin ...

Hair loss in Women

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It may be surprising to discover that 40% of hair loss cases occur in women. Hair loss in women may not be as obvious as hair loss spreads evenly along the scalp. Men, on the other hand, tend to ...

Natural treatments for hair loss

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There have not been many clinical trials involving natural supplements to cure or prevent hair loss.

Treatments for hair loss

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Unfortunately, nearly all hair restoration products that claim to halt and even reverse hair loss are completely unproven. There are several approved products that have been shown to slow the rate...

Causes of hair loss in men

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The cause of male pattern baldness is not completely understood, but some factors include genetics, testosterone, and environmental factors. The medical term androgenic alopecia refers to the fact...

What is androgenic alopecia?

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Male pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia) is an inheritable condition that increases in frequency with age. Approximately 50% of males are affected by male pattern baldness, while almost 90% of m...

Alopecia areata treatments

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Alopecia areata can spontaneously come and go naturally. Hair regrowth occurs in 80% of patients. For patients seeking treament, the therapy options for alopecia areata include steroid injections...

Alopecia areata causes

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Alopecia areata is considered to be an autoimmune disorder that attacks hair follicles and causes smooth, round patches of baldness. The cause of Alopecia areata is still uncertain, but genetic fa...

Alopecia areata symptoms

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Alopecia areata is patchy hair loss caused by an attack of the body’s immune system that tends to recover completely in most patients. Hair loss is typically a single well-defined patch that...

What is alopecia areata?

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Alopecia areata is an inflammatory disease of hair follicles that rapidly causes patches of hair loss on the scalp and may continue to expand to other areas of the skin. Alopecia areata is conside...

Ways of preventing actinic keratosis

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There are some preventative measures that can be taken to reduce the risks of developing actinic keratois. Some of these steps include...

Actinic keratosis treatments

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Studies have shown that up to 25% of actinic keratoses spontaneously disappear within 1 year without treatment. Most actinic keratoses result in few symptoms and are not considered dangerous. How...

Does actinic keratosis cause skin cancer?

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Rarely, it can lead to a dangerous skin cancer called invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). SCC develops in less than one in 1000 patients. While the risk of developing skin cancer is low, the ...

What is actinic keratosis?

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Actinic keratoses, also known as solar keratosis, are rough, scaly patches on the skin that have a reddish or brown color. Actinic keratoses take years to develop and occur on areas that are expos...

Contact dermatitis in children

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Dermatitis is very common in children and affects at least 20% of all children. Babies are often exposed to specific products that may cause contact dermatitis, such as diapers and tear-free shamp...

What are the treatments for atopic dermatitis (eczema)?

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Although there is no cure for eczema, there are many eczema treatments that can help improve the symptoms of skin itching and dryness. The most effective treatment for eczema involves daily skin c...

Test & diagnosis for atopic dermatitis (eczema)

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There is not a reliable test for eczema. Eczema is diagnosed by a doctor and is based on a physical exam and patient history. Children with a family history of eczema or allergies are more likely...

What are the symptoms of atopic dermatitis (eczema)?

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The symptoms of atopic dermatitis (eczema) vary between each patient, making it sometimes difficult to diagnose. 90% of patients with eczema develop symptoms as a child and unfortunately the sympt...

What are the causes of atopic dermatitis (eczema)?

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The exact cause of eczema is uncertain but is believe to be a combination of genetics and environmental triggers. Several genes have been linked to cause eczema and parents can pass along those ge...

What is atopic dermatitis (eczema)?

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Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is a chronic skin condition that causes patches of dry, scaly skin and is often extremely itchy. Eczema causes the outermost layers of the skin (epidermis) to turn very ...

What are the treatments for acne?

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Treatment of acne includes topical creams, antibiotics, hormones, and herbal remedies. Unfortunately, successful treatment varies between each patient and thus there is no single treatment that wo...

Treatments for scalp psoriasis

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The scalp is a common area affected by psoriasis. Patches of scalp often becomes itchy and forms scaly skin that easily flakes off. The most effective treatment for scalp psoriasis is topical stero...

Treatments for psoriasis

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Although there is no cure for psoriasis, most patients can treat psoriasis symptoms by using one or a combination of topical based treatments. Other treatment options include phototherapy (light) o...

Symptoms of psoriasis

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An experienced professional can diagnose psoriasis during a physical examination. There are no tests to specifically detect psoriasis. Psoriasis forms characteristic skin lesions that include:

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