Acne vulgaris, commonly known as pimples or blemishes, is an unsightly skin condition which greatly affects self-esteem. Ance is characterized by the presence of open and closed comedones (blackheads and whiteheads, respectively). More severe acne includes erythema (reddening) and nodules (bigger collections of inflammation and, sometimes, pus under the skin). In normal skin, hair grows out of pores called follicles. The human body produces sebum (an oily substance) from glands at the bottom ...

An actinic keratosis is an abnormal lesion on the skin which is rough and scaly. Like many skin lesions, these are caused by exposure to sunlight. They usually appear on areas which are exposed to sun including the face, ears, neck, lips, hands, forearms, and scalp. Actinic keratoses usually appear in older adults and, if left untreated, can progress to skin cancer. Actinic keratoses come from the top layer of skin, called the epidermis. The top layer of skin usually regenerates in an order ...

Alopecia is the medical term for baldness, but can refer to all sorts of hair loss including that from heredity, medications, or medical conditions. While we generally think hair loss affects men, it can also affect women and children. Hair loss can be very traumatizing. It can affect how you feel and interact in social situations. Normally, the hairs on your head go through cycles when they grow (anagen phase) and when they rest (telogen phase). Each hair independently goes through these s ...

Anhidrosis is the medical condition of not being able to sweat properly. Sweating is part of the body’s natural function to cool itself down, so not being able to sweat can be quite serious. In anhidrosis, sweat glands stop working for a variety of reasons including damage to the skin (as with scarring from burns), damage to the nerves (from illnesses like diabetes, alcohol use, or a variety of other conditions), medications (like some of those for blood pressure, urinary incontinence, and na ...

Puffiness or swelling under the eyes, so-called “bags”, happens as we get older. As we age, the skin on the body becomes thinner, including the skin under the eye. More importantly, the skin becomes less taut and the muscles that support the eyelid become weaker while fat moves forward into the lids and undereye area. The presence of this fat makes the area look puffy. A variety of factors can cause fluid to pool under the eyes including weather changes, hormones, salty foods, not sleeping e ...

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer apart from melanoma. Fortunately, basal cell carcinoma is not likely to spread and easily treated by removal. However, if left alone, basal cell carcinoma can grow large and invade surrounding bone, muscles and nerves. Skin is made of three layers: the epidermis (on the outside), the dermis (the second layer) and the subcutis at the bottom. Basal cell carcinoma comes from the basal cells which live at the bottom of the epidermis. T ...

Botox is the brand name for botulinum toxin, a byproduct of certain bacteria that causes temporary weakening of muscles. Botulinum toxin has been used in the past and is currently used for many different medical treatments including neuromuscular disorders. More recently, botulinum toxin has been used to soften the look of wrinkles by weaken the tiny muscles of the face. Botox is administered by dermatologists certified in the administration of Botox. The most effective places to use Botox i ...

Warts are abnormal growths of the skin due to infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV). The skin is made up of several layers with the outermost being the epidermis. HPV infects the epidermis. There are over 100 different kinds (or strains) of HPV that cause both benign conditions like warts and more serious conditions like cervical cancer. However, the types that cause cancer are not the same types as those that cause common warts. Warts are usually flesh colored and appear as bumps ...

Tinea pedis is the medical term for athlete’s foot, a fungal infection on the foot. Athlete’s foot causes a tremendous amount of itching as well as burning or stinging. The fungi that infect the foot in athlete’s foot are from a mold-like group called “dermatophytes” which have projections the stick down into the top layers of skin. The skin responds to the irritation by producing more cells which lead to thickening and cracking of the skin in the infected area. Fungus likes to grow in the m ...