Treating Common Skin Ailments

Skin is a human’s largest organ, and it is important to be treated with care. Applying sunscreen to ward off sunburn and moisturizing daily for soft and healthy skin are just a few ways we tend to it. However, people suffer from various skin conditions. Below, we have five common ones and the ways they can be treated.

What is it? It occurs mostly during adolescence, but adult acne is also common. It is caused when oil is produced on the skin and pores get clogged up, creating blackheads and whiteheads. As bacteria forms, the skin becomes inflamed and pimples and zits appear. The degree of oiliness of one’s skin does play a factor; women are also prone to acne when pregnant or breastfeeding.

How to treat it: Treatment varies, and prevention actually begins with proper skin care, such as daily cleansing and moisturizing, and weekly exfoliation. Avoid touching your face with your hands, and use clean towels when drying your skin to avoid the spread of bacteria. To treat, creams and ointments containing benzoyl peroxide can be used, as can antibiotics and hormonal treatments.

What is it? While eczema mostly occurs in infants, it can make an appearance in adults, as well. It is a type of skin inflammation that sometimes is triggered when skin comes in contact with certain soaps, detergents, cosmetics, jewelry, and so on. It is identified as dry, red and itchy skin, sometimes leading to blisters. Genetic history, as well as the immune system may play a factor, too.

How to treat it: Anti-histamines and cortisone creams can be prescribed to help relieve the itching and, more recently, topical calcineurin inhibitors have helped for people with moderate-to-severe forms, targeting eczema at its root cause.

What is it? It is a chronic disease, causing red patches across the skin. It can be localized on certain parts of the body, or cover a large portion of skin. It can also cause joint inflammation, leading to what is called psoriatic arthritis. It occurs when t-cells—white blood cells that control the immune system—are over-activated.

How to treat it: Topical corticosteroids are used to reduce swelling, inflammation, and itchiness, but should only be used in the short-term. Light therapy using UV radiation is another option for moderate psoriasis, as it kills t-cells in the red patches of skin.

What is it? It’s a chronic condition that causes redness of the facial skin. It can start out as merely a redness that is similar to a blush, but can lead to pimples, followed by the nose becoming very red and its skin to thicken (called rhinophyma). Sometimes, the eyes can be affected and get irritated.

How to treat it: There is no cure for rosacea, but it can be treated with antibiotics (either in pill or cream/gel form) to ease the redness. Surgery may be required to treat rhinophyma.

What is it? Warts are tiny, bumpy growths that can appear on hands and feet, as well as on the genitals and elsewhere. They are caused by the human papilomavirus (HPV) and are contagious when an infected person makes skin-to-skin contact with someone else.

How to treat it: Many topical treatments can be used, especially those containing salicylic acid. Dermatologists can also freeze them off with the use of liquid nitrogen.