Rosacea is a facial rash that occurs in middle-aged men and women. It is tought to be related to an overgrowth of a mite that normally resides on the skin. Rosacea affects people mainly in the 30s and 40s, especially those with fair-skin, blue eyes and of Celtic origin. Rosacea used to be called "acne rosacea" but it is quite different from acne. The red spots and pustules are dome-shaped rather than pointed and there are no blackheads, whiteheads, deep cysts, or lumps. Sometimes the affected skin is swollen and hot. Rosacea affects the cheeks, nose and forehead , rarely it involves the trunk and upper limbs. Facial creams or oils, and topical steroids may aggravate it.

Scabies is an itchy skin condition caused by a mite that burrows in the surface of the skin. Scabies is acquired by skin-to-skin contact with an infected person. The contact may be quite brief such as holding hands. Scabies causes a severely itchy rash with tiny lumps, blisters and "burrows" in characteristic sites on the skin. These include between the fingers, around the wrists, around the armpit folds, buttocks, on the penis in the male, insteps of the feet, and backs of the heels. Surprisingly, scabies only rarely affects the face and head. Itchy nodules (small lumps) on the penis are almost always due to scabies and such nodules on the buttocks and around the armpits are also very suggestive. One may have scabies for up to 12 weeks before there is any itch or rash. The itch of scabies is due to an allergy to the mites and their products, which takes at least 4 weeks to develop. During this time, a patient can be infested with scabies, and passing it on to others, without any symptoms.

Scalp folliculitis is an inflammatory disorder of hair follicles in the scalp. The condition is also known as "acne necrotica miliaris" or "Proprionibacterium acnes" folliculitis. It is characterized by small, very itchy pustules within the scalp.

This is the most common type of Capillaritis (reddish -brown patches caused by leaky capillaries) Crops of red -brown flat patches with cayenne pepper spots on their borders appearr for no apparent reason. Although it is most common on the lower legs, Schamberg's can arrise on any part oh the body. It is usually distributed on both sides with few or many patches.

Sebaceous hyperplasia is the term used for enlarged sebaceous glands seen on the forehead or cheeks of the middle-aged and elderly. They are sometimes confused with basal cell carcinoma. Sebaceous hyperplasia appears as small yellow bumps up to 3 mm in diameter. Close inspection reveals a central hair follicle

Seborrhea is the name given to excessively oily skin. It is due to overactive sebaceous glands and can affect both males and females. The oil produced by the skin is called sebum. Although most people with seborrhea have no other health problems, it is sometimes a sign of underlying disorders. The skin feels unpleasant, and seems to get dirty quickly. The face appears shiny. Make-up may run off or cake. Seborrhea can also result in acne or seborrhoeic dermatitis.

Seborrhoeic dermatitis is a common, harmless, scaling rash that sometimes itches. Dandruff (also called pityriasis capitis) is seborrhoeic dermatitis of the scalp. Seborrhoeic dermatitis may also occur on the eyebrows, eyelid edges, ears, the skin near the nose and skin-folds of the armpits and groin. Sometimes seborrhoeic dermatitis produces round, scaling patches on the middle of the chest or on the back. Seborrhoeic dermatitis is believed to be due to a proliferation of a normal skin inhabitant, a yeast called Pityrosporum ovale (Malassezia furfur). Patients with seborrhoeic dermatitis appear to have a reduced resistance to the yeast due to various factors including stress, fatigue, change of the seasons and reduced general health. It is not contagious or related to diet. Nervous stress and any physical illness tend to worsen the condition.

Seborrhoeic keratoses are harmless common skin growths that first appear during adult life. Seborrhoeic keratoses may also be called basal cell papillomas, senile warts or brown warts. As time goes by, seborrhoeic keratoses become more numerous. Some people have inherited a tendency to develop a very large number of them. Seborrhoeic keratoses appear on both covered and uncovered parts of the body; they are not generally caused by sunlight, although they can follow sunburn or other irritating skin conditions including dermatitis. Seborrhoeic keratoses are harmless and rarely become malignant. They begin as slightly raised, light brown spots. Gradually they thicken and take on a rough, warty surface. They slowly darken and may turn black. These color changes are harmless. Seborrhoeic keratoses are superficial and look as if they were stuck on the skin. People who have had several seborrhoeic keratoses can usually recognize this type of benign growth.

Shingles is a painful blistering rash caused by reactivation of Chicken Pox virus. Chickenpox (varicella) is the primary infection with the virus, Herpes zoster. During this widespread infection, which usually occurs in childhood, virus is "seeded" to nerve cells in the spinal cord, usually of nerves, which supply sensation to the skin. The virus remains in a resting phase in these nerve cells for years before it is reactivated and grows down the nerves to the skin to produce shingles (zoster). Shingles occurs sporadically. The annual incidence is about 3.4 per 1000. It is uncommon in childhood and the incidence increases with age. The sexes are equally affected. Shingles patients are infectious, both from virus in the lesions and in some instances the nose and throat. In susceptible contacts of shingles, chickenpox, sometimes severe, can occur. The first sign of shingles is usually pain, which may be severe, and may be accompanied by fever, headache, feeling unwell and tenderness localized to the areas of one or more sensory nerves where they emerge from the spine. The pain may be sharply localized to the same area or may be more diffuse. The time between the start of the pain and the onset of the eruption averages 1.4 days in shingles of the face and 3.2 days in trunk shingles. Closely grouped red papules, rapidly becoming blistered and then pustular, develop in a continuous band in the area of skin supplied by one, occasionally two, and, rarely more neighboring spinal nerves. Inside of the mouth can also be involved. New vesicles (blisters) continue to appear for several days.

Solar comedones arise on the face of the middle-aged and elderly. They affect areas that have been exposed to sunlight over a long period of time, particularly the cheeks, which may become yellow and "leathery" (solar elastosis). The comedones may be "open" (blackheads) or "closed" (whiteheads). There may be larger cysts. Solar comedones are not related to acne vulgaris and do not usually become inflamed. They are however very persistent.

Rough scaly spots on sun-damaged skin are called solar keratoses. Solar keratoses are caused by repeated sun exposure damages the skin, especially in fair-skinned persons. Sun-damaged skin is dry and wrinkled and may form persistently scaly spots, solar (actinic) keratoses, even though the crust or scale is picked off.

Squamous cell carcinoma is a common skin cancer that typically affects people of fair complexion. Lesions develop in areas that have been exposed to the sun over a long period. Squamous Cell Carcinomas vary in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters in diameter. Sometimes they grow to the size of a pea or larger in a few weeks, though more commonly they grow slowly over months or years. They may be tender. Some SCCs appear as sores, which fail to heal. A common site is the bottom lip - if a sore has not gone in 3 weeks, get it checked. SCCs are often crusty and may bleed easily. Early SCC is known as Bowen's disease. This is a flat red scaly patch up to several centimeters wide, often found in large numbers on the lower legs. The development of a lump or bleeding in Bowen's disease may indicate the beginning of invasive SCC.

Steroid acne is an acne-like skin condition that follows the use of steroid medications. Steroid acne most often occurs on the chest but may also develop on the face, neck, back and arms. It most often affects adolescent or adult patients who have been taking moderate or high doses of oral steroids for several weeks. Steroid acne presents with small skin bumps, which may itch. Sometimes they are pustular. Unlike acne vulgaris, most of the lesions are similar in size. Nodules are rare.

Steroid rosacea is the name given to a rosacea-like condition on the face caused by potent topical steroids. After several weeks of applying a topical steroid to the eyelids, cheeks or chin the affected area becomes red. Small bumps (papules) and pustules appear intermittently, and may paradoxically worsen when the topical steroid cream is discontinued.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete treponenum pallidumcharacterized by the appearance of a painless ulcer or chancre at the site of inoculation often associated with enlarged lymph nodes in the vicinity. Shortly after inoculation, syphilis becomes a systematic infection. Untreated syphilis can affect virtually any organ including the brain.

The term "tinea" refers to a skin infection with a dermatophyte (ringworm) fungus. (See Dermatophyte)

Tinea nigra affects the skin of the palm and/or sole with persistent slowly growing brown or black patches. They are slightly scaly and do not itch or sting. Tinea nigra is most common in tropical regions and often infects those with a tendency to excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis). Tinea nigra is due to infection with a brown mould, Exophiala phaeoannellomyces. This mold usually inhabits soil.

Tinea versicolor is a harmless skin disorder caused by a yeast, Malassezia furfur, which may be found on normal skin. This yeast usually grows sparsely without causing any symptoms. For unknown reasons, it grows more actively in certain individuals. This results in pale brown flaky patches on the trunk, neck, or arms. Tinea versicolor is pink or coppery in pale subjects, but on tanned skin the patches are lighter, since tanning does not occur in the affected areas. The yeast produces a chemical, which diffuses down and impairs the function of the pigment cells in the underlying skin. The failure to tan is temporary; the skin tans normally with sun exposure after the rash has cleared up. Tinea versicolor is generally not contagious. It is more common in hot, humid climates or in those who sweat heavily, so it may recur each summer.

Trichoepithelioma is the name given to an uncommon condition in which a single lesion or multiple benign tumors (harmless skin growths) arise on the face after puberty. The tumor cells form rudimentary hair follicles but do not form actual hair shafts. The tendency to multiple Trichoepithelioma is inherited but the condition is more common in females. The tumors are small (usually less than one centimeter), firm, rounded and shiny. They may be yellow, pink, brown or bluish. They usually gradually increase in number with age, occurring on both cheeks, eyelids and around the nose.

Trichostasis spinulosa consists of numerous tiny open pores filled with multiple tiny short hairs, usually only visible with a magnifying glass. Trichostasis spinulosa affects the skin of the nose of adults, and is often confused with blackheads.

Ulcers are produced by the breakdown of skin leading to weeping open wounds. They are commonly seen with compromised blood flow of the lower legs.

Urticaria refers to a group of disorders in which wheals occurs in the skin. The wheals can be a few millimeters or several centimeters diameter, colored white or red, often surrounded by a red flare, and frequently itchy. Each wheal may last a few minutes or several hours, and may change shape. Wheals may be round, or form rings, a map-like pattern, or giant patches. The surface wheals may be accompanied by deeper swelling of eyelids, lips, hands and elsewhere, called angioedema. Angioedema may occur without urticarial wheals. The wheals and swellings occur because of the release of chemicals, particularly histamine, into the tissues. This causes small blood vessels to leak, allowing fluid to accumulate in the skin. People often associate acute urticaria with an allergic reaction. Typically, medicines such as antibiotics, or food, including even tiny amounts of fish, eggs, nuts or chocolate, are responsible. It depends on previous exposure to the material, and the development of an immune reaction to it.

UVB phototherapy refers to irradiation with short wave ultraviolet radiation.

Varicella is a highly contagious primary infection caused by the herpes varicella-zoster virus, characterized by sucessive crops of itch small blisters which can evolve into pustules, crusts and even scars. There is often associated headache, fever, generalized aches, and malaise. In adults the disease is usually more severe and may lead to pneumonia, encephalitis and myocarditis.

Vasculitis refers to inflamation of the blood vessels in the skin. Typically this may represent an allergic reaction to medication or infection or less often may represent an auto-immune disease. Vasculitis manifests as small bruises under the skin which may be bright red to purple. It is more commonly seen on the legs, but may involve multiple organ sstems. The more common allergic type usually resolves when offending drug, infection, or tumor is removed.

Warts are tumors or growths of the skin caused by infection with Human Papilloma Virus. More than 70 Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) subtypes are known. Warts are very common in childhood and are spread by direct contact or autoinocculation. This means if a wart is scratched, the viral particles may be spread to another area of skin. It may take as long as twelve months for the wart to appear. In children, 50% of warts disappear on their own within 6 months, and 90% are gone in 2 years. They tend to be more persistent in adults, lasting 5-7 years, but always go eventually.

Xerosis results from the loss of lipids (oils) in the skin and can occur from over bathing, advancing age, low humidity , and a result of drying from antibacterial and deodorant soaps. Some people have a genetic tendency towards dry skin.

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