YOUR PROTECTIVE LAYER
And its nasty issues
SKIN CANCER
• Skin cancer is the uncontrolled
growth of cancer cells in the skin.
Left untreated, these cells can
spread to other organs and tissues,
such as lymph nodes and bone. Skin
cancer is the most common cancer
in the United States, affecting one in
five Americans during their lifetimes,
according to the Skin Cancer
Foundation.
LUPUS
• Lupus is an autoimmune disease
that affects more than 1.5 million
Americans, according to the Lupus
Foundation of America. Normally,
the immune system protects the
body against foreign invaders like
viruses and bacteria. In the case of
a disease like lupus, the immune
system mistakenly attacks the body
and damages healthy tissues and
organs. Lupus can cause problems
with the kidneys, nervous system,
blood vessels, and skin.
MEASLES (RUBEOLA)
• Rubeola (measles) is often confused
with roseola and rubella (German
measles), but these three conditions
are different. Measles produces a
splotchy reddish rash that spreads
from head to foot. Roseola is a
condition that affects infants and
toddlers. It causes a rash to form on
the trunk, which spreads to the
upper arms and neck and fades
within days. Rubella is a viral disease
with symptoms including a rash and
fever that last two to three days.
ACNE
• Your skin has tiny holes
called pores that that can become
blocked by oil, bacteria, and dirt.
When this occurs, you may develop
a pimple or “zit.” If your skin is
repeatedly affected by this
condition, you may have acne.
HEMANGIOMA
• Hemangiomas are noncancerous
growths that form due to an
abnormal collection of blood
vessels. They are usually found on
the skin or internal organs—
particularly the liver. Because they
are congenital, most people
develop them before birth, while
they are still in the womb.
COLD SORE
• Cold sores are red, fluid-filled blisters
that appear near the mouth or on
other areas of the face. In rare
cases, cold sores may appear on
the fingers, nose, or inside the
mouth. There is no cure for cold
sores, and infections tend to
reoccur without warning. Sores are
contagious and may persist for
more than one week.
PSORIASIS
• Plaque psoriasis is a chronic
autoimmune condition that
appears on the skin in patches of
thick, red, scaly skin. It can affect
anyone and is not contagious.
ROSACEA
• According to the National Rosacea
Society, rosacea is a chronic skin
disease that affects more than 16
million Americans (NRS). The cause
of rosacea is still unknown, and
there is no cure. However, research
has allowed doctors to develop a
course of treatment that effectively
controls rosacea by minimizing its
symptoms.
ECZEMA
• Eczema is a common skin condition
marked itchy and inflamed patches
of skin. It is also known as atopic
dermatitis. It is more common in
babies and young children. It
occurs on the faces of infants, as
well as inside the elbows and
behind the knees of children,
teenagers, and adults. It is caused
by an overactive immune system
HIVES
• Hives, also known as urticaria, are
itchy, raised welts that are found on
the skin. They may be red and
painful to touch. In most cases,
hives are caused by an adverse
reaction to medication or an
allergic reaction to an irritant.
VITILIGO
• Vitiligo is a condition in which you
lose the pigment of your
skin. Pigment causes skin color and
is produced by cells called
“melanocytes.” Another word for
pigment is “melanin.”
WARTS
• Warts are raised bumps on your skin
caused by the human
papillomavirus (HPV).
NECROTIZING FASCIITIS
• Necrotizing fasciitis is a type of soft
tissue infection. It can destroy the
tissue in your skin and muscles as
well as subcutaneous tissue.
CUTANEOUS CANDIDIASIS
• While some fungal infections are not
harmful, the candida fungus can
be. This is because too
much candida causes an infection
known as candidiasis. While most
candidiasis cases can be treated
with improved hygiene, fungal
infections can be very dangerous
for those with weak immune
systems.
CARBUNCLE
• A carbuncle is an infection of the
skin that may be filled with pus. The
infection usually occurs deep within
your skin and involves your hair
follicles. It is also called a staph skin
infection.
CELLULITIS
• Cellulitis is a common bacterial skin
infection. Cellulitis may first appear
as a red, swollen area that feels hot
and tender to the touch. The
redness and swelling often spread
rapidly. Cellulitis is usually painful.
IMPETIGO
• Impetigo is a highly contagious skin
condition. It usually occurs on the
face, neck, and hands of young
children and infants. Children who
wear diapers also tend to get it
around the diaper area. Impetigo
occurs more rarely in adults, usually
following another skin condition or
an infection.
DECUBITUS ULCER
• A decubitus ulcer, also called a
pressure sore or bed sore, is an open
wound on your skin. Pressure sores
often occur on the skin covering
bony areas. The most common
places for a pressure sore to appear
includes your hips, back, ankles,
and buttocks.
NAIL FUNGUS
• There are many different causes of fungal nail
infections, and each cause has a treatment of its
own. Although many of the causes of
onychomycosis are preventable, some risk factors
increase the likelihood of developing it. You are
more likely to develop a fungal nail infection if you:
• have diabetes
• have a disease that affects the blood vessels
• are an older woman
• wear artificial nails
• swim in a public swimming pool
• have a nail injury
• have moist fingers or toes for an extended time
• have a weakened immune system
• wear closed shoes, such as tennis shoes or boots
DERMATOMYOSIS
• Dermatomyositis is a rare
inflammatory disease. It is an
inflammatory myopathy, a
condition that occurs when muscles
become inflamed.
MOLLUSCUM CONTAGIOSUM
• Molluscum contagiosum is a skin
infection that is caused by a virus.
The virus, called the molluscum virus,
produces benign raised lesions, or
bumps, on the upper layers of your
skin.
INGROWN TOENAIL
• Ingrown toenails occur when the
edges or corners of the nail grow
into the skin next to the nail. Your
big toe is most likely to get an
ingrown toenail.
SEBACEOUS CYST
• Sebaceous cysts are common
noncancerous cysts of the skin.
Cysts are abnormalities in the body
that may contain liquid or semiliquid material.
LICHEN PLANUS
• Lichen planus is a fairly common
skin rash that is thought to be
triggered by the immune system.
Exactly why the immune response
occurs is not known. There may be
several contributing factors, and
each case is different. Potential
causes include viral infections, an
allergen, or even stress or genetics.
Sometimes lichen planus occurs
along with autoimmune disorders.
CORNS AND CALLUSES
• Corns and calluses are the terms
given to patches of hard, thickened
skin.
SHINGLES
• Shingles (herpes zoster) occurs
when the dormant chickenpox virus
(varicella-zoster) is reactivated in
your nerve tissues. Early signs of
shingles include tingling and
localized pain. Most, but not all,
people with shingles develop a
blistering rash. Typically, the shingles
rash lasts two to four weeks, and
most people make a complete
recovery.