Common Adult Skin Problems Slideshow:
Shingles, Hives, and More
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Got Skin Problems?
Is your skin itchy, broken out, or covered in
a rash or strange spots? Skin inflammation, changes in texture or color, and
spots may result from infection, a chronic skin condition, or contact with an
allergen or irritant. If you think you have one of these common adult skin
problems, have your doctor check it out. Most are minor, but others can signal
something more serious.
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Shingles (Herpes Zoster)
A rash of raised dots that turns into painful
blisters, shingles causes your skin to burn, itch, tingle, or become very
sensitive. Shingles often shows up on your trunk and buttocks, but can appear
anywhere. An outbreak lasts about two weeks. You’ll recover, but pain,
numbness, and itching might linger for months, years, or even the rest of your
life. Treatment includes creams for your skin, antiviral drugs, steroids, and
even antidepressants. It’s important to be treated early to help
prevent complications.
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Hives (Urticaria)
Hives look like welts and can itch, sting or
burn. They vary in size and sometimes join together. They may appear on any
part of you and last anywhere from minutes to days. Causes include extreme
temperatures, infections like strep throat, and allergies to medications,
foods, and food additives. Antihistamines and skin creams can help.
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Psoriasis
Thick, red patches of skin covered with white
or silvery scales are signs of psoriasis. Doctors know how psoriasis works --
your immune system triggers new skin cells to grow too quickly -- but they
don't know what causes it. The patches typically show up on
your scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back. They can heal and come back
throughout your life. Treatments include creams and ointments for your
skin, light therapy, and medications taken by mouth, injection, or IV.
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Eczema
Eczema is a blanket term for several
non-contagious conditions that cause inflamed, red, dry, and itchy skin.
Doctors aren't sure what makes eczema start in the first place, but they do
know that stress, irritants (like soaps), allergens, and climate can trigger
flares. In adults, it often appears on the elbows, hands, and in skin folds.
Several medications treat eczema. Some are spread over the skin, and others are
taken by mouth or as a shot.
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Rosacea
A tendency to flush easily, followed by
redness on your nose, chin, cheeks, and forehead could be rosacea. It can get
redder over time with blood vessels you can see. You may have thickened skin,
bumps, and pus-filled pimples. It could even affect your eyes. Medications
taken by mouth or spread on the skin are available. Doctors can treat broken
blood vessels and red or thickened skin with lasers.
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Cold Sores (Fever Blisters)
The herpes simplex virus causes small,
painful, fluid-filled blisters on your mouth or nose. Cold sores last about 10
days and easily spread from person to person. Triggers include fever, too much
sun, stress, and hormonal changes like periods. You can treat cold sores with
antiviral pills or creams. Call your doctor if the sores contain pus, the
redness spreads, you have a fever, or if your eyes become irritated. These can
be treated with prescription pills or creams.
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Rash From Plants
Contact with the oily coating from poison ivy,
oak, or sumac causes a rash in many people. It begins with redness and swelling
at the site, and then becomes itchy. Blisters usually show up within 12 to 72
hours after you touch the plant. A typical rash looks like a red line, the
result of the plant dragging across your skin. An outbreak usually lasts up to
2 weeks. Treatment can include medicine spread on the skin or taken by mouth.
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Soothe Itchy Plant Rashes
Prescription or over-the-counter medication
can help soothe the itch. Try cool compresses and oatmeal baths, too. Your
doctor may prescribe medication for a severe rash and antibiotics for an
infection. Learn to spot these plants so you can avoid direct contact. In
general, poison oak grows west of the Rockies; poison ivy to the east.
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Razor Bumps
Razor bumps pop up after you shave, when the
sharp edge of a closely cut hair curls back and grows into your skin. This can
cause irritation, pimples, and even scars. To minimize razor bumps, take a hot
shower before you shave, pull the blade in the direction your hair grows, and
don't stretch your skin while you pull the razor across it. Always use a
shaving cream or foam. Rinse with cold water, then apply moisturizer.
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Skin Tags
This small flap of flesh-colored or slightly
darker tissue hangs off your skin by a stalk. They're usually found on the
neck, chest, back, armpits, under the breasts, or in the groin area. Skin tags
appear most often on women and elderly people. They aren’t dangerous and
usually don't cause pain unless they become irritated when clothing or nearby
skin rubs against them. A doctor can cut, freeze, or burn them off.
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Acne
Acne breaks out when a pore clogged with oil
and dead skin cells gets inflamed. Pores that stay open and turn dark are
called blackheads; completely blocked pores are known as whiteheads.
Bacteria and hormones trigger acne, which most often shows up on your face,
chest, and back. You can also get pus-filled pimples and cysts. To help control
acne, keep oily areas clean and don't squeeze (this may cause infection and
scars).
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Athlete's Foot
This fungal skin infection causes your feet to
peel, turn red, itch, and burn. You may also get blisters and sores. Athlete's
foot is contagious and passed through direct contact. To prevent it, don't
share shoes with an infected person or walk barefoot in areas like locker rooms
or near pools. Treat it with topical antifungal lotions. A doctor can prescribe
medications for more severe cases. During treatment, you’ll need to keep your
feet and the insides of your shoes clean and dry.
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Moles
Moles, which are usually brown or black, can
be anywhere on the body. They might show up alone or in groups and generally
appear before age 20. Some moles change slowly over the years. They can go from
flat to raised, grow hair, or change color. Get your moles checked once a year
by a dermatologist. See your doctor right away for any that change, have
irregular borders, are an unusual or uneven color, bleed, or itch.
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Age or Liver Spots
These pesky brown or gray spots aren’t really
caused by aging, though they do become more common as you get older. You get
them from exposure to sunlight, which is why they tend to appear on your face,
hands, and arms. You can try bleach creams, acid peels, and light-based
treatments to fade them. See a dermatologist to rule out serious problems like
melanoma, a type of skin cancer.
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Pityriasis Rosea
A harmless rash, pityriasis rosea usually
begins as a single scaly, pink patch with a raised border. Days to weeks later,
it starts to itch and spread. The rash may be in the shape of a Christmas tree spread
across your body. Doctors don't know for sure what causes it, but they don't
think it's contagious. It often goes away in 6 to 8 weeks without treatment.
Pityriasis rosea most often shows up between the ages of 10 and 35.
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Melasma ('Pregnancy Mask')
Melasma (chloasma) is tan or brown patches on your
cheeks, nose, forehead, and chin. It’s often called the "pregnancy
mask" because it happens in half of all pregnant women. Men can get it,
too. If it doesn’t go away on its own after the baby comes, you can treat it
with prescription creams, over-the-counter products, or with laser treatments.
Sunlight makes it worse, so always use a broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen.
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Warts
In most cases, common warts appear on the
fingers or hands. They're caused by the human papillomavirus. Warts spread when
you touch something used by a person with the virus. To prevent more warts,
cover them with bandages, keep them dry, and don’t pick them. They're usually
harmless and painless. You can treat them with topical medications, or a doctor
can freeze or burn them off. More advanced removal techniques include surgery,
lasers, and chemicals.
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Seborrheic Keratoses
Seborrheic keratoses are noncancerous growths
that often show up as you age. They can appear on many areas of the skin either
alone or in groups. They may be dark or multicolored, and they usually have a
grainy surface, though they can be smooth and waxy. You don't need to treat
them unless they get irritated or you don’t like the way they look. They're
easy to mistake for moles or skin cancer, but a dermatologist can tell the
difference.
This tool does not provide medical
advice
| SLIDESHOW |
| Skin Problems: What's Serious, What's Not | |
| Skin inflammation, changes in texture or color, and spots may result from infection, a chronic skin condition, or one of these other causes. |
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