This article will focus on helping you understand the meaning of melasma, its risk factors, types, causes, treatment, and most frequently asked questions regarding melasma. Read on to learn all you need to know about this skin condition and how to get rid of it if you have been a victim of it for a while now.

Overview

Melasma is a chronic skin condition that causes hyperpigmented, brown, and sometimes blue-gray patches to appear on the skin. Melasma can also appear in the form of spots that resemble freckles, and a lot of the time, people mistake melasma for freckles; however, they’re two completely different skin conditions.

Melasma is also known as “the mask of pregnancy” or chloasma. It happens due to the increased number of melanin syntheses (skin pigment cells) which can be either superficial or deep. Studies have recently shown that 90% of the people affected by melasma are women. It especially happens to pregnant women.

Risk Factors that Can Trigger Melasma

Although melasma can develop quite suddenly, it does not develop out of the blue. There is a number of triggers that can stimulate the growth of increased melanin cells, which would result in the skin condition that is melasma. Some of the most common risk factors include:

• Skin color: People with darker skin are more prone to developing melasma.
• Hormonal changes during pregnancy or the intake of oral contraceptive pills: The increased level of the estrogen hormones can trigger melasma. This is why women, especially pregnant women, are at a higher risk of developing melasma.
• Sun exposure: Exposure to the sun can stimulate the production of melanin cells which in its turn triggers melasma to develop on the skin.
• Skin inflammation: Severe skin inflammation disrupts the bottom layer of the epidermis, which causes the pigment to leak into and become trapped in the dermis. This process results in a deeper and more stubborn pigmentation.
• Genetics: Many inherited genetic factors can cause melasma. If one of your grandparents, parents, or siblings has developed melasma, you are also likely to develop it with time. This is especially true for people with darker skin.

Melasma usually affects unexposed areas, mainly the face. However, it can also affect the forearms or chest. It is more common to develop in prominent areas on the face, such as the cheeks, nose, or chin.

How Do Dermatologists Diagnose Melasma at the Clinic?

With melasma, a visual examination is not enough to test whether or not you have a skin condition. Your doctor will perform some tests in order to rule out some specific causes.

One of the best methods that the doctor could use as a test is the wood’s lamp examination. In this examination, the doctor uses a device that contains a light source with a wavelength of 365 mm. the device is held up to your skin, and the doctor tries to determine the level and depth of pigment and also check for bacterial or fungal infections.

Types of Melasma

There are three main types of common melasma, and all of them have to do with the depth of the pigment. As mentioned in the previous section, wood’s lamp light is able to determine the depth of the pigment and hence the type of melasma. The following are the three main types of melasma:

1. Epidermal: This is the type of melasma that occurs in the first layer of the skin. This type appears as dark brown colored patches. Moreover, a well-defined border is visible under black light, and it often responds well to treatment.
2. Dermal: This type of melasma develops at a deeper level in the skin. It usually has a light brown or bluish color, a blurry border, and appears no differently under black light. This type of melasma is stubborn and does not respond well to treatment.
3. Mixed melasma: This is the most common type of melasma. It happens at a deep and shallow level of the skin. This type appears as both bluish and brown patches show a mixed pattern under black light. Mixed melasma responds to treatment fairly.

Treatment of Melasma

There are various methods to treat melasma. Each method treats a certain level of melasma and is decided by the doctor. Here are some of the best treatments used to help with melasma:

• Wear sunscreen with SPF 30 every day, and try to avoid sunlight as much as possible.
• Use makeup to cover up areas of discoloration.
• Topical medications that affect the melanin synthesis pathway such as:
• Hydroquinone cream with a maximum concentration of 4%. This is a common first treatment for melasma. The doctor will advise you to apply it to the skin so that it works to even out your skin tone. This cream can be used daily for up to 2 months.
• Retinoid: This is a vitamin A derivative that is effective in treating superficial hyperpigmentation.
• Topical steroids: Topical steroids have anti-inflammatory properties which will help with treating melasma.
• Triple combination cream which combines fluocinolone acetonide, hydroquinone, and tretinoin.
• Peeling acids such as:
• Chemical peel in the clinic: Dermatologists often use salicylic acid peels in various strengths to eliminate epidermal pigment in the treatment of melasma.
• Pico laser: The doctor will use the fractional handpiece for treating melasma.
• Derma pen with mesotherapy: Tranexamic Acid (TA) mesotherapy is considered to be the most cost-effective, safe, and directly observed therapy for melasma.

Note: Melasma is a chronic disease that needs prolonged treatment along with prophylactic treatment to maintain the results and prevent prolapse.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Regarding Melasma

This section contains some of the most commonly and frequently asked questions regarding melasma and its treatment methods.

Is melasma common?

Yes, melasma is a very common skin disorder, especially in pregnant women. 90% of those diagnosed with melasma were women. It is more common in women than it is in men due to the increased levels of estrogen hormone in women. Around 33% of the population is prone to developing melasma. It commonly starts between the ages of 20 and 40.

Who is at risk of melasma?

People with darker skin colors are more likely to develop melasma. That is because the increased number of melanin cells increases the risk of developing melasma. Moreover, women are more likely to develop melasma than men are. Pregnant women, especially, get melasma more than anyone else. If someone is taking oral contraceptives and hormones, then you could be at a high risk of developing melasma as well.

Why do women get melasma when they’re pregnant?

Pregnant women have increased levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which are believed to contribute to your melasma. The darker colors usually fade after pregnancy.

Is melasma cancerous?

No, melasma is not a sign of cancer, nor does it turn into skin cancer in the long term. However, there are types of skin cancers that could look like melasma, which is why you need to visit your dermatologist to get a proper diagnosis of your skin condition.

Is melasma permanent?

Melasma is a chronic (long-lasting) disorder. A lot of people suffer from melasma for years or their entire lives. However, most people have melasma for just a short period of time, such as pregnant women.

Is melasma painful?

No, melasma is not painful. It is a harmless skin condition that does not cause pain, itchiness, or discomfort in any way.

Do certain foods affect melasma?

Not really, no. Up until now, no foods or drinks have been proven to directly cause, trigger, or worsen melasma. However, it is beneficial to keep your skin healthy by trying to stick to a skin-healthy diet that contains foods rich in vitamin D, such as:

• Almond milk.
• Eggs.
• Meat.
• Milk.
• Mushrooms.
• Oily fish, such as salmon, sardines, herring, pilchards, trout, and more.
• Orange juice.
• Yogurt.

Are freckles melasma?

No. Melasma can sometimes appear as patches that look like freckles. However, melasma and freckles are not the same types of skin conditions.

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What Are Warts?

Warts are virus-induced growths that appear on the skin of people of various age groups, mainly younger people. HPV causes warts to develop in many shapes and sizes, including plain, flat warts on the face, filiform warts that mostly occur in children, and STD-induced warts, also known as sexually-transmitted warts, that occur on the genitalia.

Since warts are a result of a virus, they are infectious. They can be transmitted from one person to another by touch. In some cases, people develop warts due to a skin condition unrelated to HPV. Warts mostly develop in younger people. The older the person gets, the less their chance of developing warts becomes, with the exception of genitalia warts.

What Causes Warts?

Warts are caused Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which usually stays dormant in the skin for many years. Several factors makes appear on the skin including:

• A result of taking immune-suppressive medications.
• If the patient has an immune-suppressive condition.
• Pregnancy
• Chemotherapy

How Are Warts Treated?

It is important to note that warts can be treated, but the doctor cannot prevent new warts from developing. Here are the methods in which we can treat warts:

• Cryotherapy: Warts can be removed by freezing them off in 1-2 sessions, depending on the size of the wart, and the results are usually immediate.
• Electrotherapy: Warts are removed using the heat from electricity.
• Laser or MMR Vaccine Injection: These treatments are used for warts that do not respond to other types of treatment.

The doctor usually combines the treatment with topical creams that contain a high percentage of salicylic acid. For warts on the face, we prescribe acretin (a type of retinoids). As for genitalia warts, we prescribe a cream called Aldara, which is an immune modulator.

Frequently Asked Questions About Warts (FAQs)

This section aims to shed light on the most commonly and frequently asked questions regarding warts and their treatment.

Can I spread warts from one part of my body to another?

Yes, warts are contagious growths. For this reason, it is important not to pick on warts and to regularly wash your hands promptly any time you touch your warts.

Can warts be prevented?

No, unfortunately, warts cannot be prevented. However, there are precautionary measures that you can take to help minimize your risk of developing warts. Such precautions include:

• Washing your hands regularly.
• Keeping healthy, moisturized skin.
• Try to stop biting your nails if you have such a habit.
• Use clean, fresh towels at the gym or in other public locations.

Will warts go away on their own?

Some warts go away on their own, and some do not. It can take months and sometimes years for warts to disappear without proper treatment. Moreover, warts are contagious and can spread from one part of your body to another.

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This article aims to help you better understand alopecia areata, its causes, types, and treatment, and then answer the most commonly asked questions regarding this skin condition.

What Is Alopecia Areata?

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune-mediated skin disease that causes hair to fall out in small patches, which can be unnoticeable. However, sometimes, the patches may connect and then become noticeable. This skim condition develops when the immune system attacks the hair follicles, resulting in hair loss.

Alopecia areata causes acute sudden hair loss on the scalp and, in some cases, the eyebrows, eyelashes, and face, as well as other parts of the body. Sometimes, this skin condition can result in total hair loss, called alopecia Universalis.

Alopecia Universalis affects the whole body resulting in total hair loss, and it can even prevent hair from growing back. When new hair grows, it is possible for it to fall out again due to the skin condition. The severity of hair loss can vary from one person to another depending on various factors.

Alopecia areata can be triggered by extreme stress. If the person has someone in their family who suffers from alopecia areata, then it is more likely that they could get it, too, as the genetic factor plays a role in this.

There’s currently no cure for alopecia areata. However, there are medical treatments that could help hair grow back more quickly and prevent future hair loss, as well as various ways to cover up the hair loss.

Types of Alopecia Areata

When you visit the dermatologist to check on your alopecia areata, they will mention to you what type of skin condition you have. This is because the treatment might differ according to the type of alopecia areata that you have.

Here are the main types of alopecia areata:

• Alopecia areata: Alopecia is the medical term for complete hair loss, and areata means patchy. This type of alopecia can develop anywhere on the body, including the scalp, beard area, eyebrows, eyelashes, armpits, inside your nose, or ears.
• Alopecia totalis: This type causes the patient to lose all hair on the scalp so that the scalp is completely bald.
• Alopecia Universalis: This is a rare type that causes the patient to lose all hair, leaving the entire body hairless.

What Causes Alopecia Areata?

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder that is characterized by the T cells surrounding the hair follicles. These T cells release pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines that reject the hair, which causes excessive hair loss in patches.

Although the exact process is not yet understood, there are studies that show that the following factors could trigger hair loss due to alopecia areata:

• Viral infection
• Trauma
• Hormonal change
• Emotional or physical stress

How Is Alopecia Areata Diagnosed?

Usually, patients need to consult a dermatologist to get the best possible diagnosis. The dermatologist will probably do the following before properly diagnosing someone with alopecia areata:

• The doctor will start by taking the patient’s medical history.
• After that, the doctor will perform a physical examination.
• Then, the doctor will do a dermatoscopic examination and look for characteristic signs such as exclamation marks and yellow dots.

Poor Prognostic Factors of Alopecia Areata

The prognosis varies widely from one person to another, and poor outcomes are associated with the following:

• Early age of onset
• Extensive hair loss
• Nail changes
• A family history
• Comorbid autoimmune disorders.
• Young age
• Generalized
• Ophyasiform pattern that affects the hairline

What to Expect from Alopecia Areata

There is not one single outcome of alopecia areata that can be indeed expected. The pattern of this autoimmune disease is individualized. This means that this skin condition can either be relapsing, in that it occurs for a while then withdraws, or chronic, which means that it occurs and stays for a lifetime.

Treatment of Alopecia Areata

As mentioned above, there is no ultimate cure for alopecia areata; however, there are treatments that the doctor can prescribe which would help you cope with the symptoms of alopecia areata. The treatment prescribed depends on the type of alopecia and its severity. Here are the possible treatments of alopecia areata:

• Topical medication like corticosteroids: Patients are advised to apply this medication to the bald spots once or twice a day as instructed by the dermatologist.
• Intralesional corticosteroids injections: These injections are done by the doctor at the site of alopecia and can be done in multiple sessions. These injections are usually given every 4 to 8 weeks as needed. This treatment is considered the most effective treatment for those who have a few bald patches.
• Systemic medications: This type of medication is prescribed by the doctor to stimulate hair regrowth in the bald patches of your body or scalp.
• Excimer laser: This is a treatment method performed by your dermatologist on your alopecia areata patches. The laser has a wavelength of 308 nm, and the treatment is done during multiple sessions (3 sessions per week) for multiple weeks.

All treatments are lesions directed and aim to treat current patches. However, these treatments are not preventive for developing new lesions.

The Psychological Impact of Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is one of the skin diseases that have a huge negative psychological effect on its patients. A study proves that psychiatric disorders are more common in people with alopecia than in the general population, which suggests that those with alopecia may be at higher risk for developing a serious depressive episode, anxiety disorder, social phobia, or paranoid disorder.

Most of the research shows that people with alopecia have higher levels of anxiety and depression than those who do not have alopecia areata. They also experience lower self-esteem, poorer quality of life, and a distorted body image.

This is why it is important to raise awareness that alopecia areata can happen to anyone. As a society, we need to be 100% accepting and supportive of alopecia areata patients. We can promote the self-esteem of alopecia areata patients by recommending the usage of hair wigs. However, if the patient does not want to cover their patches and is comfortable with how they look, it is important not to point them out and instead encourage and boost their confidence and positive self-image.

Frequently Asked Questions About Alopecia Areata (FAQs)

This section focuses on the most commonly and frequently asked questions about alopecia areata.

Is Alopecia Areata contagious?

No, alopecia areata is never contagious.

Is alopecia areata inherited?

There are studies that show that alopecia areata can be hereditary. In almost 20% of alopecia areata patients, at least one other person in their family is affected by the disorder. However, alopecia areata can also be caused by trauma, stress, and psychological trauma.

How common is alopecia areata?

About 1.7 % of the world’s population will be affected by this condition at some point during their lifetime. Both children and adults are prone to this skin condition.

Is there a cure for alopecia areata?

There is no cure for alopecia areata yet. Still, there are several treatments to help you cope with the symptoms and make them less severe. There are also treatments to help stop the hairs around the alopecia areata from getting infected. Moreover, some treatments can help stimulate hair regrowth. Some treatments are short-term, and other treatments are long-term treatments.

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Acne is a skin condition that happens when your hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. It usually results in whiteheads, blackheads, or pimples (papules and pustules). Fortunately, many treatments are available to treat acne nowadays. Even though acne can be persistent, pimples and bumps heal slowly, and when one seems to go away, another appears to crop up. Acne occurs on the face, chest, and back, and in order to treat it, it is better that you see a dermatologist.

Acne can cause patients emotional distress and scars where it initially cropped up. It has been proven that the earlier you start treatment, the lower your risk of such problems.

Stages of Acne

There are four stages of acne that patients usually suffer from. Here is what you need to know about each stage:

Stage 1: Mild Acne

This stage of acne usually consists of a small concentration of pimples or/and blackheads on the skin. It usually is not inflamed, and it does not occur on a daily basis.

Stage 2: Moderate Acne

Moderate acne usually consists of blackheads, pustules, papules, and pimples on the skin.
It happens more frequently, and there may be some redness or inflammation around the affected area.

Stage 3: Moderate to Severe Acne

The third stage of acne is usually inflamed, with the skin looking red and irritated. Cysts, papules, and nodules may also be present in this stage.

Stage 4: Severe acne

When acne reaches its most severe stage, it becomes extremely painful. There would be numerous pustules, cysts, papules, and nodules in the affected area or on various parts of the body. During this stage, many people suffer from scars following the appearance of cysts, papules, pustules, and nodules.

Variants of Acne

Acne has many different variants for all ages and genders, including:

1. Neonatal acne: This is a type of acne that occurs in newborns and Infantile. It is common, affecting 25% of infants younger than six weeks.
2. Acne fulminans: This type of acne usually affects teenage boys with rapid and severe acne associated with systemic symptoms. This type of acne is thought of as an immunologically induced disease. The elevated level of testosterone causes a rise in sebum and bacteria.
3. Acne Mechanica: This type of acne happens due to frequent mechanical friction or pressure on the skin; for example, this acne is common in violinists.
4. Adult acne: Adult acne is more common in older women than in older men. It tends to be more on the chin and more resistant to treatment. It usually results from different things like hormonal changes, stress, smoking, diet, and family history.
5. Drug-induced acne (DIA): This acne is caused by medication intake. Medications like vitamin b12 injections, corticosteroids, lithium, oral contraceptives, and many more can cause acne eruption.
6. Mask-acne or maskne: This is a new term after seeing acne eruption due to wearing face masks after the COVID pandemic. This type of acne results when a person wears their mask for more than six hours without a break. It’s usually caused due to an allergic reaction to the mask’s material or because the mask traps humidity which causes sebum and dead cells to clog up your pores.

Acne Developments Factors

There are many factors that affect the development of acne; here are some of those factors:

1. Gender: Because men produce more of the hormone testosterone than women, it results in thick and oily skin. Moreover, the production of sebum, or oil, is also higher in males because their sebaceous glands are more active due to testosterone, leading to clogged pores, and causing more breakouts.
2. Age: Acne breakouts most commonly begin in teenagers from 10 to 13 years old. It usually lasts for around five years, and it is more common and severe in boys (due to the testosterone hormone) than in girls.
3. Occupation and hobbies: If your daily activities include a lot of sweating exposure to oils, dirt, and bacteria, it is more likely that you’ll develop acne breakouts.
4. Skincare routine: Using skincare products that are not suitable for your skin type can cause more problems than it solves. Make sure to consult your dermatologist to find out the best type of skincare products to use and how to use them.
5. Makeups: It is no secret that makeup clogs up your pores and causes acne breakouts. Make sure that you apply breathable makeup and clean your face very well after applying makeup products.
6. Medications: Medications like vitamin b12 injections, corticosteroids, lithium, oral contraceptives, and many more can cause acne breakouts.
7. Medical illness: Medical conditions that are related to hormones, like polycystic ovarian diseases cause acne eruption.
8. Family history: Acne can sometimes be hereditary. If your siblings have acne, you are most likely to develop acne as well.

Instructions to Prevent Acne

There are several things that you can do in order to prevent acne breakouts or make your breakouts less frequent. If you have acne, or a history of acne, this probably means your skin is oily. Therefore, all the products you want to use on your face must be for oily skin. Oily skin products are usually oil-free and non-comedogenic, which helps with eliminating acne risks.

You need to properly wash your face, moisturize it and use a good sunblock. As for white and black, comedones need to be removed mechanically as they poorly respond to treatments. Moreover, recurrent injury or itching of the acne lesions causes delayed healing and increases the risk of scarring and hyperpigmentation.

Treatment of Acne According to Stage

Different types of acne require different methods of treatment. Here is what you need to know about the different types of treatment:

Mild Acne

This type of acne can be treated with topical creams (vitamin A derivatives or acids). The patient needs to start with it and then gradually increase it to the frequency and duration recommended by the doctor.

When you’re using topical creams, avoid thin skin areas such as the area around the eyes and the angle of the mouth and nose.

Moderate Acne

This type of acne can be treated with topical creams, like mild acne, in addition to oral antibiotics to eliminate inflammation and infection.

Severe Acne

With this type of acne, dermatologists use oral isotretinoin. This medication should only be given under medical supervision. Tests must be done before starting the medication and regularly afterward during the course of the treatment in order to adjust the dose.

The dermatologist would determine your daily dose to optimize the results and control the side effects. You need to continue with the medication until you reach a total accumulative dose of 120 mg/kg.

Medication Side Effects

Every medication has its own side effects, and acne medication is no exception. Here are the most common acne medication side effects:

1. Dryness of mucous membranes and skin.
2. Elevation of live enzymes and lipids that regular labs and dose adjustment can monitor.
3. Muscle ache, especially with heavy exercise.
4. The medications could be teratogenic if taken duration the pregnancy.
5. Increased photosensitivity.

Oral Isotretinoin Instructions

Here are the instructions that dermatologists recommend in order for you to get the best possible results:

1. You must take the medication daily after your main meal.
2. Make sure to hydrate your skin regularly.
3. Make sure to use moisturizing eye drops regularly.
4. Try regularly using lip balms to keep your lips from getting too chapped.
5. Avoid getting pregnant during and after one month of taking the medications.
6. Avoid heavy exercise.
7. Avoid blood donation as the blood might be given to pregnant women.

Treatment Sessions for Acne

There are different treatments that you can get performed at the dermatologist’s clinic, including:

1. HydraFacial: This is a patented skin treatment available in medical spas and dermatology offices. It works to deep-clean, exfoliate, and hydrate your skin. This professional procedure may help treat various skin conditions, including acne, dryness, and wrinkles.
2. Chemical Peeling: This is a procedure in which a chemical solution is applied to the skin to remove the top layers. The skin that grows back is smoother.

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Skin tags are usually less than 2mm in size, but they can grow larger with time. They feel soft to the touch and can be smooth and round, wrinkly and even, or might even sometimes look like a grain of rice. Skin tags can be the same color as your flesh or darker sometimes, they appear dark blue.

Naturally, if you happen to notice a new spot or unusual growth on your skin, you should immediately see your doctor confirm what it is. Your doctor would be able to recognize the new growth, and they would advise you to either get it checked for cancer or remove it if it’s harmless.

Skin tags are made initially of collagen, which is a type of protein, and blood vessels surrounded by skin. Usually, these skin tags are found in the folds of the skin. For example, they’re most common in the armpits, groin, thighs, eyelids, neck, or under the breasts.

Places Where It Is More Common for Skin Tags to Appear

New lesions are most likely to develop at sites of friction. The following are the places wherein skin tags could occur:

1. Around the neck.
2. Underarm.
3. Under the breast.
4. Eyelids.
5. Buttocks.
6. Groin.
7. Thighs.

Risk Factors for Skin Tags

Skin tags appear to be more common in people with certain medical conditions and family history than those with no issues. Here are the types of conditions that patients who have skin tags could suffer from:

• People who are overweight and obese.
• People with some types of human papillomavirus (HPV).
• People with a sex-steroid imbalance, especially if there are changes in levels of estrogen and progesterone.
• People whose close family members also have skin tags.
• People who have type 2 diabetes.
• Women during pregnancy, possibly due to hormonal changes and high levels of growth factors.

Studies have proven that skin tags are more likely to occur with:

• Obesity
• People with high cholesterol levels
• Hypertension, or high blood pressure

Types of Skin Tags

There are different kinds of skin tags that one can get. The most common ones include traditional skin tags, keratosis, and benign lesions. Here is what you need to know about each type:

Traditional skin tags

This is the most common type of skin tag, and it doesn’t usually require any treatment. They stay small in size and are never typically painful or uncomfortable.

Keratosis

This type of skin condition usually causes bumps to form on your buttocks, cheeks, or upper arms. These bumps appear tough, and when you touch them, they feel dry. Although they don’t usually cause discomfort, they can be unattractive, and the patient might want to remove them for cosmetic reasons.

Benign lesions

Benign skin lesions are lumps or bumps that appear on your skin but are not cancerous. They are common to appear on your arms, legs, stomach, and chest. However, some cases reported that they could occur throughout the body.

Why Skin Tags Occur

Skin tags consist of loose collagen fibers, a type of protein that can be found throughout the body, in addition to blood vessels surrounded by skin. Skin tags are not exclusive to one gender as both men and women can develop them. However, they tend to occur more in older people, obese people, or people who have type 2 diabetes.

Moreover, pregnant women may be more likely to develop skin tags due to changes in their hormone levels. Meanwhile, some people develop them for no apparent reason.

Skin tags can be triggered by recurrent friction, so they tend to grow in the skin folds, where the skin rubs against itself, such as on the neck, armpits, eyelids, or groin. Hence, skin tags tend to affect overweight people who have excess skin folds and skin chafing.

When Can Skin Tags Be a Problem?

Skin tags are known to be harmless benign and do not usually cause pain or discomfort. However, some people may consider having skin tags removed if they’re not okay with the way their skin tags affect their appearance and hence self-esteem. Sometimes, they snag on clothing or jewelry and bleed, which could be pretty annoying.

Skin tag removal is considered cosmetic surgery, so it could cost you a little money to remove them. Sometimes, skin tags fall off on their own if the tissue has twisted and died from a lack of blood supply.

Problems that Skin Tags Could Cause

As we mentioned earlier, skin tags are typically harmless and unproblematic. However, sometimes, complications occur due to external or internal factors. Here are some of the most common complications that can possibly happen:

1. It can get injured if there is too much friction with clothes or jewelry.
2. It can get infected. You can tell if your skin tag is infected if you feel sudden onset pain, swelling, or change in color.
3. It’s usually associated with insulin resistance (diabetes and obesity): When you visit the dermatologist to check on your skin tag, you would be asked by the doctor to do diabetes screening. This is because many patients get accidentally diagnosed with diabetes when they come to the clinic for a skin tag checkup. It is also more possible to be related to insulin resistance if the patient’s family history has diabetes or obesity.

Treatment of Skin Tags

As mentioned earlier, skin tags are usually harmless, so their removal is generally for aesthetic or cosmetic reasons. Usually, larger skin tags, especially in areas where they may rub against something, such as clothing, jewelry, or skin, may be removed due to irritation.

Here are the different ways your dermatologist can treat your skin tags:

Surgery

The following procedures are considered minor surgery and could be used to treat your skin tags:

• Cauterization: The skin tag is burned off using electrolysis.
• Excision: The skin tag is cut out with a scalpel. This is the most common type of skin tag removal.
• Cryosurgery: The skin tag is frozen off using a liquid nitrogen probe.
• Ligation: The blood supply to the skin tag is interrupted.

Here is how the procedure might go at the doctor’s office:

1. The doctor will start off by cleaning the area.
2. After that, he or she will apply local anesthesia.
3. The doctor will then proceed to snip the skin tags by using a surgical scalpel or electrocautery.
4. Then, he or she will try to control the bleeding.
5. Finally, the patient is advised to take care of the wound until it is fully healed.

Note: Make sure that procedures are only done by a dermatologist, specialist skin doctor, or a similarly trained medical professional. Skin tags on the eyelid may have to be removed by an ophthalmologist or specialist eye doctor.

Warning!

Do NOT try to remove a skin tag at home. This is highly frowned upon by specialists because you could put yourself at risk of bleeding and possible infection of the affected area.

However, tiny tags can be removed by tying dental floss or thin cotton thread around the base of the skin tag to cut off circulation to the skin tag. However, it is better if you get it checked by a specialist doctor as it can be cancerous, and only your doctor would know if it’s benign or not.

Over-the-counter solutions

Over-the-counter solutions are available at pharmacies. These solutions work to freeze the skin tag so that it will fall off after 7 to 10 days. These could also be purchased online, although it is recommended that professional medical advice from a dermatologist is sought before using these treatments. These medications are usually similar to those used for wart removal.

A myth says removing skin tags encourages more of them to develop. However, no scientific evidence exists to prove this myth.

Final Words

Skin tags are the small piece of soft skin that hangs off your body and look a bit like warts, and they’re connected to the skin by a small, thin stalk. They’re pretty common, especially as a person ages, asymptomatic, and harmless. People usually get them checked and removed for aesthetic reasons.

If you have recently developed a skin tag, and it has been bothering you or causing you embarrassment, then you need to get it checked by a dermatologist as soon as possible. Do NOT try to fiddle with it or remove it at home, as it could lead to bleeding and infection of the affected area.

When you see a doctor, you will be asked to do a diabetes test to make sure that you don’t have any. After that, your doctor will let you know the best way to remove the skin tag. The procedure does not take more than 15 minutes to complete.

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This article aims to help you better understand vitiligo, its types, symptoms, causes, treatment, and answers all the most frequently and commonly asked questions regarding the chronic skin condition vitiligo.

Overview

Vitiligo is an autoimmune, chronic, long-term skin condition that causes pale white patches to develop on the skin. The patches usually get bigger with time. This skin condition occurs when the body attacks the melanocytes (cells that produce melanin), or pigment cells which causes a lack of pigment cells in the body and hence, the pale white patches that develop on the skin.

Usually, if the patient gets patches of vitiligo in a place where they have hair, the hair in the patch might also turn white.

What Are the Types of Vitiligo?

This skin disease has so many patterns in which it appears on the body of the patient. Some of these patterns include segmental, acral, Vulgaris, or generalized.

• Segmental: This type of vitiligo affects only one part of the body.
• Acral: This type affects the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet.
• Vulgaris: This type of vitiligo is a combination of acral vitiligo in addition to patches on the areas of the body under which there are joints.
• Generalized: This type of vitiligo affects the entire body.

How Is Vitiligo Diagnosed?

Vitiligo is a skin disease that usually develops in the form of hypopigmented or depigmented lesions that occur spontaneously or after a history of trauma in the area. The pale white patches are usually asymptomatic, which means no redness or itching accompanies them.

Vitiligo patients are diagnosed using wood’s lamplight, which is a device that has a wavelength of 365 mm. When the doctor is diagnosing vitiligo, they examine the skin of the patient under wood’s light. The skin usually appears chalky white.

In rare cases, when the diagnosis cannot be determined, the doctor can take a sample of skin from the patient and perform a skin biopsy.

Since it is an autoimmune disease, the doctor usually does screening for the patient to make sure that they don’t have other autoimmune disorders that are associated with vitiligo, such as alopecia areata, celiac, and pernicious anemia.

How Is Vitiligo Treated?

Each patient with vitiligo would need a customized set of treatments. The doctor takes many factors into consideration, including gender, site affected, body surface area affected, family history, and previous treatments that the patient underwent.

Available treatments of vitiligo include:

• Topical creams: Mainly steroids and calcineurin inhibitors (which have the same efficiency as steroids with minimal side effects). The topical creams used usually have hydroquinone with a 20% concentration.
• Phototherapy: This method is usually used for patients who develop generalized vitiligo. The patient needs to have at least 3 sessions per week, and the results of this treatment could take months and sometimes years to become visible.
• Resurfacing fractional laser (Pico laser/Q switch laser): This method of treatment is usually resorted to when vitiligo develops in areas that are resistant to treatment. Usually, acral and segmental vitiligo develop in areas that are resistant to treatments. The depigmentation in these areas starts from the margins of the patch and in the stem cells that are in the hair follicles inside the patch. This means that sites that do not have hair follicles like palms, soles, dorsum of the hand and feet, e.g., ankles, are usually resistant to treatment because they only depend on the closure from the margin of the lesion.
• Depigmentation: People who develop vitiligo in more than 80% – 90% of their body are usually advised to undergo depigmentation, which basically removes pigment from the normal parts of the skin to match the entire body with the color of the vitiligo patches.
• Systematic treatments: These treatments modulate immunity by containing steroids or other equally strong treatments. However, the disadvantage of this treatment is that it doesn’t always work for all patients. Moreover, the patient’s condition might relapse days, weeks, months, or years after stopping the pills.

Vitiligo Awareness

It is no secret that vitiligo causes a lot of mental stress, self-consciousness, and embarrassment for its patients. However, it is our job to spread more information about this autoimmune skin condition and normalize people taking pride in it.

Vitiligo, like any other autoimmune skin disease, is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, a lot of models have been outspoken about their confidence and uniqueness because of their vitiligo. If more people understand what vitiligo is, its causes, its nature, and that it is NOT infectious, more patients would be able to live freely without feeling pressured to get rid of vitiligo.

In fact, one of the most important icons of vitiligo is the king of Pop Michael Jackson. He suffered from vitiligo all his life. More examples of models and celebrities who took pride in their vitiligo include Winnie Harlow, Karen Waxen Bakhazi, and Salama Mohamed.

Frequently Asked Questions About Vitiligo (FAQs)

This section answers some of the most commonly and frequently asked questions about vitiligo and its treatment.

Is it genetically inherited?

The genetic factor plays a role in a person developing vitiligo. However, it is not clear whether or not it is 100% a direct cause of it. Kids whose one or both parents have developed vitiligo before have a higher risk of developing it. Nevertheless, the pattern of inheritance of vitiligo is not clear.

Is my vitiligo going to be generalized or disfiguring?

Each patient has a special situation. Some people only have localized vitiligo; others have it more generalized and are challenging to control. In some patients, it gets worse with time; meanwhile, in others, they develop depigmented patches spontaneously, and they never develop more of them later on.

Is vitiligo at all contagious?

Vitiligo is NOT contagious. It is a skin disease caused by the lack of melanocytes (pigment cells) in the body.

Are there treatments I should not use if I am pregnant?

If you are pregnant, you should definitely consult with both your dermatologist and your obstetrician regarding any risks to the various types of treatments available for vitiligo.

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Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is a condition that makes the patient’s skin red and itchy. It is long-lasting (chronic) and tends to flare periodically. It may be accompanied by asthma, hay fever, allergic rhinitis, and food allergies.

For complex reasons that research hasn’t yet wholly uncovered in people with Atopic Dermatitis, the immune system becomes disordered and overactive. This triggers inflammation that damages the skin barrier, leaving it dry and disposed to itching and rashes that may appear purple, brown, or grayish hue in darker skin tones and red in lighter skin tones.

Research shows that some people with eczema, especially atopic dermatitis, have a gene mutation responsible for creating filaggrin. This protein helps our bodies maintain a healthy, protective barrier on the top layer of the skin. Without enough filaggrin to build a strong skin barrier, moisture can escape, and bacteria, viruses, and more foreign bodies can enter. This is why many people with AD have dehydrated and infection-prone skin.

Clinical Features of Atopic Dermatitis

There are various clinic features of atopic dermatitis; those can be concluded in the following points:

1. Atopic Dermatitis varies according to the severity from acute to chronic.
2. Atopic Dermatitis varies according to age. The distribution changes; it starts appearing on the patient’s face at infancy, then develops to skin folds (flexors), it then gradually gains the ability to spread all over the body or to be contained, especially in areas like palms, soles, nipples, or, other areas.

Characteristics of Atopic Dermatitis

Skin lesions are ill-defined, red lesions that are very dry and itchy. There are characteristics found in patients with atopic dermatitis, such as:

• Perioral darkening.
• Lower eyelid folds.
• Severe dryness all over the body.
• Ill-defined hypopigmented lesion.
• Skin bumps.

Complications and Symptoms of Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (eczema) complications and symptoms vary from person to person. Some of these complications include:

• Asthma and hay fever: Eczema sometimes occurs right before these conditions. More than half of young children with atopic dermatitis develop asthma and hay fever by age 13.
• Chronic itchy, scaly skin: A skin condition called neurodermatitis (lichen simplex chronicus) starts with a patch of itchy skin. Patients usually scratch the area, which makes it even itchier. This condition can cause the affected skin to become discolored, thick, and tough.
• Skin infections: Repeated scratching that breaks the skin can cause open sores and cracks. These cracks and sores could increase the risk of infection from bacteria and viruses, including the herpes simplex virus.
• Irritant hand dermatitis: This mainly affects people who constantly work with water and are exposed to harsh soaps, detergents, and disinfectants.
• Allergic contact dermatitis: This condition is usually common in people with atopic dermatitis.
• Sleep problems: The itch-scratch cycle can disturb patients, and it usually causes poor sleep quality.

Atopic dermatitis usually begins before the age of 5 and could persist into adolescence and adulthood. For some people, it flares periodically and then clears up for a time, even for several years.

General Instructions

Although Atopic Dermatitis is a chronic disease that is not easy to manage and live with, you can follow specific instructions to help you cope with eczema and lessen its side effects. These instructions include:

1. Bathe once a day with warm water using fragrance and soap-free cleanser.
2. Use moisturizers at least twice a day. Many types of moisturizers like emollients, humectants, and occlusive agents prevent water loss. The best moisturizers are medical ones that suit the patients and are easy to use.
3. Avoid triggers like hot weather, sweating, stress, dust, pollens, and friction.
4. Bleach baths: Soak your body in diluted bleach to reduce the bacteria on the skin and therefore reduce related infections.
5. Dry yourself very well after bathing by patting and using a soft towel, then applying your moisturizer and medications.

Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema) Treatments

As mentioned earlier, Atopic Dermatitis is a chronic disease that cannot be cured entirely. However, we can try to control the symptoms with medical treatment methods, including:

1. Topical creams such as steroids and calcineurin inhibitors.
2. Phototherapy that uses UVA and UVB lights to treat different types of skin conditions.
3. Managing systemic diseases to help treat Atopic Dermatitis.
4. Immunomodulators such as Pimecrolimus.

Conclusion

Atopic Dermatitis, commonly known as eczema, is a chronic skin disease that cannot be fully cured. It occurs when triggered for several days, sometimes months, and then it disappears for months, sometimes years.

You can follow the dermatologist’s instructions to manage your eczema. Such instructions include moisturizing your skin at least twice a day, soaking your body in diluted bleach, drying your skin very well after baths, avoiding triggers like hot weather and friction, etc.

Treatments for Atopic Dermatitis are variant and depend on the severity of the condition. Some of these treatments include topical creams, phototherapy, immunomodulators, etc.

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Unfortunately, it is a lifelong, chronic disease with no definite cure so far. It usually goes through cycles, flaring up for a few weeks or months, then subsiding for a while or going into remission. The good news is that medical treatments are now available to help manage the symptoms and side effects of psoriasis. Moreover, patients can incorporate lifestyle habits and coping strategies to help them live better with psoriasis.

This article will shed the light on the signs and symptoms of psoriasis, the factors that trigger psoriasis, the side effects of psoriasis, and all the different available treatments to help patients with psoriasis. All the information that you need to know will be explained in detail in this article.

Symptoms of Psoriasis

Psoriasis signs and symptoms can vary from one person to another, depending on their medical conditions, lifestyle, and the type and severity of psoriasis. Common signs and symptoms of psoriasis in patients include:

• Red patches of skin are covered with thick, silvery scales on the scalp, hands, elbows, legs, feet, trunk, etc.
• Small scaling spots on limbs, especially in kids.
• Dry, cracked skin on the scalp or limbs that may bleed or itch
• Itching, burning, or soreness in the affected areas.
• Thickened, pitted, or ridged nails on fingers or toes.
• Swollen and stiff joints due to psoriasis.

Psoriasis patches can range from a few spots of dandruff-like scaling to major eruptions that cover large areas of a patient’s skin. The areas that are most commonly affected are usually the scalp, face, palms, lower back, elbows, knees, legs, and soles of the feet.

What Triggers Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a sort of unpredictable disease that can be triggered by various factors, conditions, and lifestyles. Some of the triggers that cause psoriasis include:

• Cold, dry weather: It has been noted that climates that cause dry skin such as drier, colder weather can trigger psoriasis. In order for you to avoid that, try to spend some time in warm, sunny weather and high humidity places. Keeping a humidifier turned on in your room during winter can be helpful.
• Stress: Stress and anxiety are two of the main triggers that cause psoriasis flareups. Try to stay calm and relaxed. Whenever you are anxious about something, try to talk to someone you trust about it, it would help relieve your stress.
• Some medications: These include some ”beta-blocker” (b blocker) which are drugs used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease; lithium, a treatment for bipolar disorder and severe depressive disorder; and antimalarial; pills taken to treat malaria. If you have psoriasis and you are being treated for one of those diseases, let your doctor know immediately.
• Infections: Some infections including strep throat and tonsillitis can trigger a special kind of psoriasis outbreak. It looks like small drops that show up mainly on your torso and limbs. HIV infection can also make psoriasis flareups worse.
• Skin Injury: In some people, cuts, bruises, and burns can cause a psoriasis outbreak. Even tattoos and bug bites might trigger a new lesion. In order to avoid such breakouts, wear gloves or put on an extra layer of clothes.
• Alcohol: Drinking alcohol excessively may trigger or worsen symptoms and interfere with treatments. Combining certain psoriasis medications with alcohol can result in dangerous side effects.
• Smoking:  Using tobacco or being around secondhand smoke raises your risk of getting psoriasis and makes existing conditions worse.
• Pregnancy: Psoriasis symptoms might become better or worse during pregnancy. Usually, pregnant women who suffer from psoriasis are advised not to take their medication because it could harm the baby.
• Hypocalcemia: Hypocalcemia occurs in patients with Psoriasis Vulgaris. Psoriasis might get worse due to reductions in ionized serum calcium concentrations resulting from hypocalcemia.
  

Psoriasis Side Effects

Psoriasis affects the skin, scalp, nails, and joints. Here is what you need to know about the side effects that affect different parts of the body:

1. Skin manifestation

• Well-defined red lesions, with thick silvery scales all over the body, mostly on the elbows and knees, except for the face.
• It could affect palms, soles, and genitalia.

2. Nails

• 80% of patients experience nail changes.
• It could affect one or all nails on fingers and toes.
• Fingers are more commonly involved than toes.
• Pitting, while strikes (leukonychia), yellow dots (oil drops), separation of the nail from the nail bed ( onycholysis), and red strikes ( splinter hemorrhages).

3. Joints

• Single or multiple joints.
• Small or big joints.
• Simple swelling to complete destruction to the joint.

4. Scalp

• Coarse dandruff.
• Red lesions on the scalp might over-follow the surrounding skin.

Treatment of Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic disease that cannot be fully cured. However, there are treatments that can help patients cope with psoriasis and manage its sympoms and side effects. If your symptoms are particularly severe or not responding well to treatment, your general physican may refer you to a dermatologist.

Treatments are determined by the type and severity of your psoriasis, and the area of skin affected. Your dermatologist will probably start with a mild treatment, such as topical creams, or scalp lotions applied to the skin, and then move on to stronger treatments if your psoriasis does not respond.

A wide range of treatments are available for psoriasis, but finding the most effective one can be difficult. Talk to your dermatologist if you a treatment is not working for you or you have uncomfortable side effects.

Psoriasis treatments fall into 3 types:

• Topical: Creams and ointments applied to your skin.
• Phototherapy: Your skin is treated by exposure to certain types of ultraviolet light (UVA and UVB)
• Systemic: Oral and injected medications that work throughout the entire body.

Different types of treatment are often used in combination when necessary. Your treatment for psoriasis may need to be checked regularly. You might want to ask your dermatologist about the best tips for your daily life, and lifestyle.

Conclusion

Psoriasis is a lifelong, chronic skin disease that affects the scalp, hands, soles of feet, elbows, stomach, nails, etc. Psoriasis cannot be fully cured; however, psoriasis can be treated using different types of treatments including topical, phototherapy, and systemic.

You can manage psoriasis by changing lifestyle activities like eliminating smoking, drinking alcohol, exposure to cold and dry weather, and making sure that the medications you take are not triggering your psoriasis flareups.

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Overview

Rosacea is a common, chronic skin rash condition that causes blushing or flushing and visible blood vessels in one’s face. Small, pus-filled bumps could also accompany it. The signs and symptoms of rosacea may flare up for weeks to months and then go away for a while. Rosacea can usually be mistaken for acne, other skin problems like allergies and sunburns, or natural rosiness.

Rosacea can affect everyone of all ages and genders. However, it is most common in women and people with lighter skin colors. Rosacea usually starts in women between the ages of 30 and 60; however, its symptoms can be more severe for men. Until this day, there is no cure for rosacea. Still, certain medical treatments can control and reduce the signs, side effects, and symptoms.

Characteristics and Symptoms of Rosacea

In order for you to differentiate between rosacea and other skin conditions, you need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of rosacea. Here are some of the most common characteristics and symptoms of rosacea:

1. Facial flushing or blushing: Patients with rosacea can notice persistent blushing or flushing in the central part of their face. This symptom could be more challenging to detect on brown and black skin.
2. Burning skin sensation: The skin of the affected area could feel hot and tender to the touch.
3. Visible vessels: These are usually referred to as Telangiectasias or spider veins. Small blood vessels on the patient’s nose and cheeks break and become visible.
4. Swollen skin bumps: A lot of people with rosacea are prone to develop bumps on their face that can be mistaken for acne. Such bumps are usually filled with pus. What’s characteristic about Rosacea is the absence of comedones unlike acne.
5. Eye problems: Another side effect of rosacea is dry, irritated, and swollen eyes and eyelids. This is medically known as ocular rosacea. Sometimes, people start experiencing eye symptoms before rosacea appears on their skin.
6. Dilated pores: The bumps and pimples, as well as skin thickening that accompanies rosacea, cause pores to enlarge and become more visible.
7. Enlarged nose: Rosacea can thicken the skin on the nose over time, which causes the nose to appear swollen in a way (rhinophyma). This symptom is more common in men than in women.

Subtypes of Rosacea

The medical society agrees that there are four subtypes of rosacea. These subtypes include:

• Erythematotelangiectatic: This appears as a fixed facial redness with telangiectasia (visible small blood vessels).
• Papulopustular: This type is associated with fixed facial redness with red or yellow bumps that contain pus most of the time.
• Phymatous: This type occurs due to sebaceous glands hypertrophy. It will usually start with dilated pores then ends with disfiguring enlargement of the skin, mainly in the nose or chin area.
• Ocular rosacea: This type could occur with or without skin manifestation. It has many symptoms and signs, starting from dryness and irritation in the eyes to more severe ocular diseases, which are very rare.

Acne vs. Rosacea

A lot of people cannot tell the difference between acne and rosacea due to the similarity between the symptoms of both skin conditions. For example, both acne and rosacea cause fixed redness, bumps, and pustules on the face. However, the difference between the two is that the redness associated with acne tends to be fixated just around the pimple in acne. Meanwhile, the redness associated with rosacea typically covers a larger area of the skin on a patient’s face.

Moreover, another distinguishing feature is comedones (blackheads and clogged pores) which is a feature of acne rather than rosacea. Also, acne is most common in teenagers and young adults, whereas rosacea most commonly affects adults over 30 years old.

Triggers that Irritate Rosacea

Anything that causes your rosacea to flare up is considered a trigger. Some of the most commonly known elements that trigger rosacea include:

• Exposure to sunlight.
• Eating spicy food.
• Consuming alcohol.
• Stress and anxiety.
• Heat, or heat sources like the oven or hairdryer.
• Exercise.

To help manage and control your rosacea, try avoiding the abovementioned triggers. This way, your rosacea will have fewer flare-ups.

Facial Skin Care for People with Rosacea

Because rosacea is a very sensitive skin condition, you need to pay extra attention to your skincare routine and make sure you avoid any triggers that cause your rosacea to flare up. Here are some of the recommended instructions for you to follow as a patient with rosacea:

1. Wash your face with a soap-free, fragrance-free cleanser.
2. You need to regularly use a sunblock that protects your skin from UVA and UVB. It must also have an SPF of 30 or more. Sunscreens that have physical barriers like titanium dioxide or zinc oxide are preferred. Even with sunblock on, try to avoid the sunlight as much as possible.
3. Make sure to use a good fragrance-free moisturizer regularly.
4. Avoid using heavy and water-resistant makeup products.
5. Avoid using toners, alcohol-containing products, dermabrasion, exfoliative scrubs, and chemical peels.

If you follow the instructions above, there is a high chance your rosacea will not cause you to suffer more by flaring up or advancing.

Treatments to Help with Rosacea

Although rosacea cannot be fully cured, there are several treatments that you can either do at home or get a medical professional to do for you in order to help with your skin condition. Here are some of the treatments that can help you control rosacea:

1. Commit to suitable skincare, always apply sun protection, and avoid any triggers.
2. After consulting with a dermatologist, you can use topical creams like azelaic acid, retinoids, antibiotics, and many others.
3. You can go to a dermatologist to get a prescription for topical medications that reduce flushing.
4. Systemic medications can help with rosacea; those include oral antibiotics or isotretinoin for severe cases. Note that isotretinoin can only be given in a very low dose.
5. Vascular laser: We provide a pro yellow laser that helps treat rosacea at our clinic.
6. Electrosurgery of CO2 fractional laser to treat phymatous changes.
7. Eye medications: You need to follow up with an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) to get a prescription for the proper medication.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The following are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding rosacea:

What causes rosacea?

Until now, no certain reason has been identified to cause rosacea. However, multiple triggers can contribute to the skin condition.

Is rosacea contagious?

No, rosacea is not considered a contagious disease. There is no evidence that it can be spread by contact with the skin or through inhaling airborne bacteria.

Is rosacea hereditary?

Although no scientific research has been performed on rosacea and heredity, there is evidence that suggests rosacea may be inherited. More than half the people diagnosed with rosacea have reported that at least one other family member has similar symptoms to theirs.

Is there any kind of test that will tell you if you have rosacea?

No, there is not any type of test that will tell you for sure that you have rosacea. You need to get checked by your physician. After they study your case, symptoms, and condition, they will be able to give you an official diagnosis of whether or not you have rosacea.

Will my rosacea get worse with age?

There is no way to know for sure whether or not one’s rosacea will get worse with time and age. However, it has been noted that rosacea got worse in patients who did not receive any treatment for it.

How long does rosacea last?

Rosacea is a chronic skin disease that could last a lifetime. It is also characterized by relapses and remissions.

Can rosacea occur in children?

Although the occurrence of rosacea in adolescents and children is infrequent, such cases have been documented before.

Are rosacea symptoms generally symmetrical or asymmetrical?

Rosacea presents itself in different ways in different individuals. Patients have often reported that the disease actually began with one red spot or patch on one cheek or another part of the face and then spread to other areas. On the other hand, many rosacea patients display similar symptoms on both sides of their faces.

Is dry, flaky skin typical with rosacea?

Yes, it has been reported that dry skin has been a fixed symptom in almost half of rosacea patients. However, the dryness of the skin can be controlled using treatments like creams and moisturizers.

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