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Compare skin conditions, skincare ingredients, medications, and procedures.
What it is, why it happens, and what actually treats it — every entry written in plain English and backed by primary research.
Understand acne spots, treatment options, skin-tone differences, and realistic progress. Learn when painful breakouts, scars, or distress need medical care.
Acne scarring is lasting change in skin texture after inflammatory acne. Depressed, raised, and mixed scars need different approaches. Flat red or brown marks
Actinic keratoses are rough or scaly areas caused by ultraviolet damage to epidermal cells. They occur most often on repeatedly sun-exposed skin. They are
Alopecia areata is an immune-mediated, nonscarring form of hair loss that often produces smooth patches. It can affect scalp, brows, lashes and other hair. Th
Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection of the feet, often between the toes or across the sole. Antifungal treatment and attention to moisture usually help; pers
Basal cell carcinoma is a common skin cancer that usually grows locally and can damage surrounding tissue. It may look like a pearly bump, a persistent sca
Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of deeper skin and the tissue beneath it. A painful, warm, swollen area can spread and may be accompanied by fever or feel
Cold sores are recurrent blisters usually caused by herpes simplex virus around the lips. Tingling or burning can precede the eruption. The virus remains late
Contact dermatitis is inflamed skin caused by an irritant or a contact allergen. Finding the exposure is central to care; products that were previously tolera
Dandruff is scalp flaking, often with itch and little obvious inflammation. It overlaps with the seborrheic-dermatitis spectrum. Medicated shampoos can help,
Dark circles describe a darker-looking area beneath the eyes rather than one single disease. Pigment, visible vessels through thin skin, puffiness, and sha
Dry skin, or xerosis, develops when the outer skin layer cannot retain enough water. Weather, washing habits, aging, medicines, and underlying conditions can
Eczema describes itchy, inflamed skin. Atopic eczema commonly comes and goes because the skin barrier and immune response are overreactive; other forms can be
An epidermal inclusion cyst is a usually benign sac lined by skin-like cells and filled with keratin. It often appears as a slowly growing lump with a cent
Female pattern hair loss is gradual thinning caused by progressive miniaturization of scalp follicles. The central part often widens while the frontal hairlin
Folliculitis means inflammation centered on a hair follicle. Small itchy or tender bumps may be caused by bacteria, yeast, shaving, occlusion, medicines or an
“Fungal acne” usually means Malassezia folliculitis: an itchy eruption caused by overgrowth of yeast in hair follicles. It is different from acne vulgaris, al
Head lice are small insects that live on scalp hair and spread mainly through direct head-to-head contact. They do not jump or fly, and an infestation is not
Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory condition causing recurrent painful nodules, abscess-like swellings, draining tunnels, and scars, usuall
Hives are transient itchy wheals caused by mediator release in the skin. They may be spontaneous or triggered by physical stimuli, infection, medicines, or al
Hyperhidrosis is sweating that exceeds what is needed for temperature regulation. It can affect selected areas such as the palms, soles, armpits, or face,
Impetigo is a contagious superficial bacterial skin infection. Small lesions can become honey-colored crusts, while a bullous form causes fragile blisters. Th
Ingrown hairs occur when a growing or cut hair enters nearby skin instead of emerging freely. The resulting inflammation can cause itchy or tender bumps, espe
Jock itch is a dermatophyte infection of the groin and nearby skin. It commonly produces an itchy, spreading, scaly border. Antifungal treatment helps, but a
A keloid is an overgrown scar that extends beyond the boundaries of the original skin injury. It can remain raised, itchy, painful, or cosmetically distres
Keratosis pilaris is a common benign pattern of rough follicular bumps, often on upper arms, thighs, or cheeks. It is not contagious and usually does not requ
Male pattern hair loss is gradual genetically influenced thinning in susceptible scalp follicles. Recession at the temples and thinning over the crown are com
Melanoma is a cancer arising from melanocytes, the cells that produce pigment. It may appear as a new lesion or a change in an existing mark, and it can be
Melasma causes acquired patches of darker pigmentation, usually on the face. It is influenced by light exposure, hormones, and susceptibility; it is not conta
Milia are tiny cysts containing keratin just beneath the skin surface. They usually look like firm pearly-white bumps, often on the eyelids or cheeks. They
Moles are usually benign collections of pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. They may be flat or raised, skin-colored or pigmented, and present from
Molluscum contagiosum is a poxvirus infection that produces small firm bumps, often with a central dip. It is common in children and usually clears without
Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of a nail, commonly causing thickening, discoloration and crumbly edges. Many nonfungal nail disorders look similar, so te
Nail psoriasis can cause pits, lifting, discoloration, thickening, or crumbling of fingernails and toenails. It may occur with limited skin disease and can re
Perioral dermatitis is an inflammatory eruption of small bumps around the mouth; similar changes may occur around the nose or eyes. Facial corticosteroids and
Plantar warts are HPV-related growths on the soles of the feet. Pressure can push the growth inward beneath thickened skin, causing discomfort when walking
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is darkening left after inflammation or injury, such as acne, eczema, or a procedure. It is a pigment change rather than a
Post-inflammatory redness is residual red, pink, or violaceous discoloration after an inflammatory lesion, often acne. It can coexist with dark pigment or tex
Psoriasis is a recurring immune-mediated disease that can affect skin, nails, and joints. Treatment controls inflammation; it is not contagious and is not cau
Ringworm is a fungal infection, not a worm. On the body it often produces an expanding scaly patch, but the scalp, feet, groin, and nails need different treat
Rosacea is a recurring inflammatory facial condition that can cause persistent redness, flushing, visible vessels, and acne-like lesions. Eye symptoms may occ
Scabies is an infestation by a microscopic mite that burrows into the outer skin. Intense itching, often worse at night, and affected close contacts are usefu
Scalp psoriasis causes inflammatory, often well-defined scaly plaques in the scalp or around the hairline. It is not contagious. Treatment must reach the skin
Seborrheic dermatitis is a recurring inflammatory, scaly condition that commonly affects the scalp, face, ears, or chest. It is associated with the skin’s res
A seborrheic keratosis is a benign growth of surface skin cells. It often looks waxy, warty, or stuck onto the skin and may be tan, brown, gray, or almost
Shingles is reactivation of varicella-zoster virus, the virus that causes chickenpox. It usually produces pain or tingling followed by a blistering rash on on
Skin tags are soft, benign growths that often hang from a small stalk in skin folds. They can be skin-colored or darker than the surrounding skin. They are
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is a skin cancer arising from keratinocytes. It often appears as a growing scaly or crusted lump, persistent ulcer, or th
Stretch marks are linear changes in the dermis that develop when skin stretches or changes rapidly. Newer marks may be red, purple, or brown and sometimes
Sunburn is an inflammatory skin injury caused by excessive ultraviolet exposure. Warmth, tenderness, swelling, and redness or other color changes can devel
Sun spots, or solar lentigines, are usually flat brown marks on chronically sun-exposed skin. They are benign when correctly diagnosed, but other pigmented le
Telogen effluvium is increased shedding of resting hairs, often beginning a few months after illness, childbirth, surgery, major weight change or another phys
Tinea versicolor is a superficial overgrowth of Malassezia yeast that normally lives on skin. It causes finely scaly patches that can be lighter, darker, or p
Vitiligo is an acquired loss of pigment caused by loss or dysfunction of melanocytes, often involving autoimmune activity. It is not contagious. Patterns, act
Cutaneous warts are benign skin growths caused by infection with certain types of human papillomavirus, or HPV. They often have a rough surface and may spr
Wrinkles and fine lines are changes in skin surface contour related to aging, facial movement, ultraviolet exposure, and changes in supporting tissue. Fine