They're all skin conditions that could have you seeing red. When it comes to dealing with these issues, prevention is key. Wash your face. Apply sunblock. Don't scratch.
Unfortunately, common sense doesn't always prevail. Here are a list of skin issues and how to cope with them.
Acne
This is the most common skin disease, affecting 80 percent of all Americans in their life. It is almost a rite of passage. But it's nothing to get nostalgic about.
Acne is basically a hormonal change, androgenic, around puberty. Sensitivity to these hormones, combined with pumped up oil production in the skin and fatty acids in the oils and bacteria all combine to create acne. Places where oil glands are present are all vulnerable to acne, the face, chest, and back.
Acne affects the oil glands in the skin. Holes in the skin, pores, connect to the oil glands under the skin which produce sebum. The pore connects to the glands by the follicle. When the follicle clogs, a pimple results. Pimples come in different forms such as whiteheads, blackheads, nodules, cysts and small bumps.
Treatment comes in several forms and may involve one or more treatments for acne. Retinoids, benzoyl peroxide and antibiotics. Retinoids are vitamin A derivatives which treat both whiteheads and blackheads. Benzoyl peroxide kills bacteria that could aggravate acne. Antibiotics control bacteria on the skin and inflammation. Antibiotics have been noted to work well when used in combination with benzoyl peroxide or retinoids.
Sunburn
Despite the warning about sun damage to the skin, one-third of adults and 70 percent of children admit to having a sunburn over the past year. So we all know what causes sunburn at the most basic level -- we stayed out in the sun too long without protective clothing. Eventually the skin burns, gets irritated and starts to turn red.
A blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence increases the chances of getting melanoma later in life by two times. And the risks rise the more frequently one spends in the sun without protection.
The sun generates three different types of ultraviolet rays. One, UVC, doesn’t reach the Earth’s surface -- so no problems there. But the other two, UVA and UVB, penetrates the Earth’s surface and your skin surface where it could do long-term damage to your skin. UV light can alter your DNA and age your skin prematurely. Over the long run, these DNA changes can cause skin cancers, including life-threatening melanoma.
Signs of a sunburn: redness of the skin; skin hurts to the touch or even without a touch; swelling, and sunburn blisters. You may also have flu-like symptoms such as chills, nausea, headache and weakness.
A few days later, more or less, your skin will probably start itching and then peeling as your body tries to shed the sun-damaged skin. Treatment involves stopping the pain of the burn while relieving sore, irritated skin. To this end, use menthol, camphor and aloe creams to take the sting out of the burn. Refrigerate the creams and that will complement the soothing action.
Use cold compresses or a cool bath to take the heat in your skin down. Use NSAIDS like ibuprofen or naproxen to help with the inflammation and pain of the sunburn. Drink lots of water and, duh, avoid the sun until you feel recovered. Even then, take care, you’ve damaged your skin once, it could easily happen again.
More severe cases of sunburn are actually sun poisoning. This is when severe burning and blistering, electrolyte imbalances, and severe dehydration occurs. With too much sun exposure, the result could be shock, where the organs start shutting down, or death. Immediate medical attention is needed.
Seek medical intervention if blisters cover more than 20 percent of your body. If you have chills, fever higher than 102 F, severe pain, and signs of dehydration like thirst, dry mouth, decreased urination, dizziness and fatigue, see a doctor immediately.
Melanoma
Severe, life-threatening skin cancer. It begins in certain skin cells after damage from the sun or possibly family history. Before we get started, experts would like you to learn the “A,B,C,D and E” s of melanoma:
• A – Asymmetry, the two halves of the mole are not the same
• B – Border, the edges are ragged and irregular
• C – Color, uneven in color, may involve, black, brown, tan
• D – Diameter, change in size, usually increasing
• E – Evolving, mole is changing over time
Okay, so the part of the skin, or epidermis, that is affected by melanoma are the melanocytes, which is located in the last layer of the epidermis. These cells make melanin, the brown pigment that protects your skin from the sun. For most people, this mechanism allows a bit of tanning.
Melanomas often are found on the chest or back of men and the legs of women. The face and neck are other places melanoma is found. This cancer can also develop on the palms of hands, soles of feet, under the nails, eyes, mouth, genitals and anal but these are not as prevalent.
Surgery is the most often-used tool used for the treatment of melanoma, followed by chemo and radiation therapy. Once melanoma is discovered, careful skin checks should be a regular routine.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a chronic, common skin affliction that changes the lifecycles of skin cells. This causes scaling and swelling of the skin with a thick red skin with silvery scales. These patches can be itchy and painful on elbows, knees, other parts of legs, scalp, face, palms, sides of feet and lower back. Psoriasis can be difficult to diagnose because it can appear as other diseases. The primary goal is to get the skin cells to begin to act normally.
Symptoms include: small scaly spots; itching, burning soreness; thickened pitted or ridged nails; red patches of skin covered with silvery scales and stiff and swollen joints. Most types of psoriasis go through cycles of manifestation then remission.
The cause of psoriasis is not completely known but is thought to be an autoimmune disease, specifically one type of cell is fighting with healthy skin cells as if to heal a wound. Scientists have found environmental factors as well as a genetic link to psoriasis.
Environmental factors that may come into play are stress, cold weather, smoking, injury to skin such as a scrape or cut, certain medications, heavy alcohol consumption, and infections such as strep throat or skin infections.
Treatments include creams, ointments, oils, sprays, shampoos, and exposure to some sunlight.
Now that you have the lowdown on four of the most vexing skin conditions, keep a watchful eye. It could be a matter of life or death.