While many skin rashes are nothing to worry about, others may indicate something more serious than typical skin irritation or sunburn. A number of external and internal factors can result in, or even exacerbate, rashes on your skin, but you may struggle to tell if a rash is simply harmless or a symptom of a more serious problem.
All rashes may look troublesome in one way or another. Keep reading to learn about a few crucial warning signs that a rash may need medical attention.
Natural aging creates some inevitable physical and biochemical changes, including the transition from the childbearing years to menopause. These changes often extend to your skin’s resilience, thickness, and health, paving the way for a variety of uncomfortable or embarrassing dermatological conditions.
Thankfully, you can protect your skin against many of menopause’s effects once you understand how menopause affects the skin and what dermatologists can do for these changes. Check out the answers to these frequently asked questions on the subject.
Some people regard odd-looking nails purely as an aesthetic issue calling for the attention of a manicurist or pedicurist. In reality, these trouble signs can also indicate a variety of potential health problems. These problems often require evaluation and treatment by the appropriate medical specialist.
If your fingernails or toenail have an unusual appearance (with or without additional discomfort), you’ll benefit from a basic understanding of what these changes might mean and how treatment can address them. Take a look at some common symptoms and their potential causes.
Discolored Nails
Nails can take on some surprising colors. One common example is a dark purple color caused by an acute injury, such as when you drop a heavy item onto your toe or finger. This purple discoloration, which stems from bleeding beneath the nail bed, should resolve itself naturally (if slowly) with new nail growth.
Other discolorations may signal a nail infection. For instance, a nail that has turned white or yellow may have onycholysis, a separation of the nail plate associated with a fungal infection. Additionally, some bacteria can turn the nails green. And a dark vertical stripe on a nail may indicate possible melanoma that requires removal.
Do you have dandruff or scalp psoriasis? While the two issues may seem similar, these conditions typically have different causes. If you’re not sure why your scalp is itchy or flaky, take a look at what you need to know about dandruff, psoriasis, and your treatment options.
What Is Dandruff?
Dry, flaky scalp skin is the hallmark of this dermatological condition. Dandruff is a common — and often misunderstood — skin and hair issue. While science hasn’t yet found a precise cause, dandruff isn’t a usually the result of poor hygiene.
If your scalp skin feels dry and lightly flakes away into your hair or onto your shoulders, chances are you have dandruff. But this doesn’t necessarily mean you should self-diagnose this issue. Before you assume dandruff is at fault for your flakes, talk to a dermatologist. The dermatologist can examine the area, take a full health history, and determine whether you have dandruff or something more serious.
Do you need a new dermatologist? Whether you’ve never needed a dermatologist, recently moved, or just want to switch practices, take a look at the questions to ask right now.
What Type of Conditions Do You Treat?
You need to see the dermatologist for a reason. This reason should guide your choice of doctor. According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD), these physicians treat over 3,000 conditions. While all dermatologists specialize in the treatment of the skin, not every physician has the same level of expertise in individual areas. Before you pick a practice, consider:
As the year advances toward fall and winter, temperatures begin to cool. If you are one of over 7 million Americans who suffer from psoriasis, you may notice a change in your psoriasis symptoms during this time. Some sufferers experience an increase in the number of outbreaks. Others see their symptoms worsen.
You can better manage psoriasis symptom flare-ups when you understand how cold weather impacts your condition. Take a look at these three cold-weather phenomena that cause psoriasis flare-ups.
Young children have more sensitive immune systems than adults do. Children are also often less sanitary than older siblings or adults, which puts small children at a higher risk of contracting various skin-related ailments than you or their other siblings may encounter.
Discover common skin ailments younger children get and what you can do about them. If you have concerns about any rash or other skin changes in your small child, take your child to a pediatric dermatologist right away.
As a woman, you may hope you never experience hair loss of any sort. However, an estimation provided by the Cleveland Clinic suggests that over 50 percent of women will experience some degree of hair loss. If you’re one of the women who suffer from hair loss, you may wonder what caused it.
Heredity
Female-pattern hair loss (FPHL) is a hereditary issue. You may inherit the genes associated with FPHL from your father, mother, or possibly both. FPHL is the leading cause of hair loss in women. In fact, studies show that 30 million women in the U.S. experience hair loss for this reason.
Generally, this type of hair loss begins when you’re in your 40s, 50s, or 60s. However, you may experience it earlier in some cases. Moreover, it may worsen after menopause due to the lack of estrogen your body produces.
One in five people in the United States will receive a diagnosis of skin cancer before their 70th birthday. There are more cases of skin cancer diagnosed each year than all other types of cancer combined. The risk of developing skin cancer is shared by everyone, and the rising rates over the last decade prove that everyone should understand more about skin health.
Clumps of melanocytes, also known as moles, are common. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, a majority of people have between 10 to 40 moles. Many moles are not a cause for concern, but some aren’t always just cosmetic; sometimes, moles are cancerous. You should understand the signs that may mean a mole requires an examination by a dermatologist.
