Skin disorders vary greatly in symptoms and severity. They can be temporary or permanent, and may be painless or painful. Some have situational causes, while others may be genetic. Some skin conditions are minor, and others can be life-threatening.
While most skin disorders are minor, others can indicate a more serious issue. Contact your doctor if you think you might have one of these common skin problems.
Acne
Commonly located on the face, neck, shoulders, chest, and upper back
Breakouts on the skin composed of blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, or deep, painful cysts and nodules
May leave scars or darken the skin if untreated
Cold Sores
Red, painful, fluid-filled blister that appears near the mouth and lips
Affected area will often tingle or burn before the sore is visible
Outbreaks may also be accompanied by mild, flu-like symptoms such as low fever, body aches, and swollen lymph nodes
Blister
Characterized by watery, clear, fluid-filled area on the skin
May be smaller than 1 cm (vesicle) or larger than 1 cm (bulla) and occur alone or in groups
Can be found anywhere on the body
Hives
Itchy, raised welts that occur after exposure to an allergen
Red, warm, and mildly painful to the touch
Can be small, round, and ring-shaped or large and randomly shaped
Rosacea
Chronic skin disease that goes through cycles of fading and relapse
Relapses may be triggered by spicy foods, alcoholic beverages, sunlight, stress, and the intestinal bacteriaHelicobacter pylori
There are four subtypes of rosacea encompassing a wide variety of symptoms
Common symptoms include facial flushing, raised, red bumps, facial redness, skin dryness, and skin sensitivity
Latex allergy
Rash may occur within minutes to hours after exposure to a latex product
Warm, itchy, red wheals at the site of contact that may take on a dry, crusted appearance with repeated exposure to latex
Airborne latex particles may cause cough, runny nose, sneezing, and itchy, watery eyes
A severe allergy to latex can cause swelling and difficulty breathing
Eczema
Yellow or white scaly patches that flake off
Affected areas may be red, itchy, greasy, or oily
Hair loss may occur in the area with the rash
Psoriasis
Scaly, silvery, sharply defined skin patches
Commonly located on the scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back
May be itchy or asymptomatic
Cellulitis
Caused by bacteria or fungi entering through a crack or cut in the skin
Red, painful, swollen skin with or without oozing that spreads quickly
Hot and tender to the touch
Fever, chills, and red streaking from the rash might be a sign of serious infection requiring medical attention
Measles
Symptoms include fever, sore throat, red, watery eyes, loss of appetite, cough, and runny nose
Red rash spreads from the face down the body three to five days after first symptoms appear
Tiny red spots with blue-white centers appear inside the mouth
Contact Dermatitis
Appears hours to days after contact with an allergen
Rash has visible borders and appears where your skin touched the irritating substance
Skin is itchy, red, scaly, or raw
Blisters that weep, ooze, or become crusty
Wart
Caused by many different types of a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV)
May be found on the skin or mucous membranes
May occur singly or in groups
Contagious and may be passed to others
Chicken Pox
Clusters of itchy, red, fluid-filled blisters in various stages of healing all over the body
Rash is accompanied by fever, body aches, sore throat, and loss of appetite
Remains contagious until all blisters have crusted over
Skin disorders are common in children. Children can experience many of the same skin conditions as adults. Infants and toddlers are also at risk for diaper-related skin problems. Since children have more frequent exposure to other children and germs, they may also develop skin disorders that rarely occur in adults. Many childhood skin problems disappear with age, but children can also inherit permanent skin disorders. In most cases, doctors can treat childhood skin disorders with topical creams, medicated lotions, or condition-specific drugs.
Skin conditions have a wide range of symptoms. Symptoms on your skin that appear due to common problems aren’t always the result of a skin disorder. Such symptoms can include blisters from new shoes or chafing from tight pants. However, skin problems that have no obvious cause may indicate the presence of an actual skin condition that requires treatment.
Skin irregularities that are typically symptoms of a skin disorder include:
