To Us, Your Skin Health Comes First.

The main functions of skin are –

• Protection against heat, light, injury and infection
• Regulation of body temperature
• Storage of water and fat
• Storage of vitamin D
• Sensory function

The skin structure that contributes to exhibiting its functions and features are –

• Epidermis, an outermost skin layer containing melanocyte which is responsible for production of melanin pigment and other cells like corneocyte and keratinocyte which are responsible for skin regeneration. Epidermis renews itself in every 27 days. The old cells shed/fall off and get replaced by underlying new cells.
• Dermis, an inner layer of skin containing sweat glands, sebaceous glands (producing sebum/oil) and hair follicles (hair roots)
• Subcutaneous layer, the innermost skin layer containing fat and connective tissue lays below the dermis.

Top Skin Specialist in Jayanagar | Epiderma Clinic. Skin’s health depends upon many factors where its protection & renewal are important. The influence of hormones on sebaceous gland, melanocyte; exposure to sun rays/ UV rays/pollutions; ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species: by-product of cellular metabolism) and aging.

The wonders that the human skin exhibits in form many transformations that happens with ageing and under the influence of different enhancement-related process is spectacular and astonishing.  The supple-feel of baby’s skin, the oily skin in teenage, the radiant skin of youth and that with wrinkles in old-age.

• The healthy new born baby’s skin undergoes lot of changes within few days of birth in terms of colour, suppleness and texture. Lot of fine hairs – lanugo covers the whole body.
• By 6 years of age, the baby’s skin and appendages attain maturity and corresponds with adult skin.
• By 12-13 years of age, the skin of boy and girl start modifying differently in terms of structure and feature-wise under the influence of hormones.
• The man’s skin is thicker and contains more % of collagen content, sebaceous gland, pores and hair than the women skin.
• Woman’s skin is lighter in colour, softer with smoother texture, thinner compared to men skin. The oil production gets reduced with increasing age.
• The aging of skin becomes prominent with appearance of wrinkles, change in texture, dryness and reduced skin thickness.

Top Skin Specialist in Jayanagar | Epiderma Clinic takes pride in providing excellent surgical solutions for all kind of skin problems. Here are the various skin conditions or disorders explained by our dermatologist.

SKIN CONDITIONS/DISORDERS

Skin Infections: Any cut/bruise/wound in the skin results in failure of skin’s protective nature coupled with weak immune system. The causative germ/pathogen can be bacteria/fungus/virus or parasite. Some of the health conditions like diabetes, long term medication (like steroid), HIV/AIDS, treatment related weakened immune conditions (cancer/organ transplantation), poor blood circulation, nutrition, old age etc. contribute to skin conditions. The most common signs of skin infection are rashes, redness, swelling, pain, itching and pus. When skin infections don’t respond to OTC medication, dermatologist’s consultation in necessary for proper medicated treatment.

Sunburn: Skin on excessive exposure to UV light from sunlight or any artificial light source causes inflammatory skin reaction like erythema, edema followed by tanning. People with lighter skin colour, blue eyes, freckled skin, blonde hair are prone to sunburn. And skin of children less than 6 years and elders of above 60 years are sensitive to sunlight and needs extra skin care. The sensitive skin shows up erythema within 4-5 hours of sun exposure. The physical clothing is considered as the excellent photoprotectant. But its not viable of wearing completely covered clothing. Sunscreen lotions with higher SPF is recommended for application on exposed skin with re-application in every 2-3 hours when out in sun. Anyone involved in outdoor activity / sports are vulnerable to sunburns. Though signs and symptoms of mild sunburns resolves in 7-10 days whereas moderate to severe one needs medical intervention.

Dry Skin: Dry skin is one of the most common skin conditions where sweat and sebaceous glands fail to produce enough moisturizing effect and result into rough scaly, itchy and cracking dry skin. The commonly affected body parts are arms, hands, leg and back. The causative reason might be dry weather conditions, longer shower time with hot water, harsh soaps (higher pH) or chemicals. In old age, the sweat and sebaceous gland cease to produce enough sweat and oil, so seniors are more prone to dry skin conditions. Milder dry skin conditions can be managed with OTC moisturizer and life style modification whereas the moderate to severe dry skin conditions with crack, itching needs medical consultation for proper management.

Acne: Acne, commonly called as pimples are raised red bumps seen on faces or upper part of the body. Because of cosmetic or aesthetic impact, acne treatment gains of attention irrespective of age and race and geography. Basically, acne are the results of skin pore plugged with oil/dead cells or bacteria leaving hyperpigmented marks or scars. Some of the common reason for acne are hormonal changes, family history, application of oily lotions/creams, cosmetics or emotional status including stress.

In teenage years, the hormonal changes activate the sebaceous gland for excessive oil production which breaks the cellular wall of the pores and makes way for infection/bacterial growth. Girls may experience flare of these raised red bumps/pimples prior to menstruation and is common in ladies consuming oral contraceptives or during pregnancy. Depending upon the severity, acne is classified as white head, black head, papules, pustules, nodules and cysts. Acne treatment starts at home with self-medication with OTC brands bundled with home remedies and suggestions from all well-wishers. And finally approached Dermatologists for complete management.

Today acne and acne scar management have 360-degree approach and Dermatologists are able to provide customized treatment options for any stage of acne with optimal results. After all, everyone wishes to have flawless skin.

Rosacea: Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition which is often mistaken as pimples because of lot of red bumps with pus in the central part of the face – cheeks, forehead and nose. In some people, rosacea can appear as facial redness (flushing) with visible blood vessels whereas it can appear as pimples with pus in some while some may complain of thickening of nose skin. People with lighter skin colour or blonde hair or blue eyes are more prone for rosacea. There are 4 types of rosacea characterized with flare and remissions making skin more sensitive. Many factors like sunrays, hair sprays, cosmetics, creams, emotional status, hormones, pollution, alcohol can act as triggers for rosacea flare and remissions. Proper medication and modification in lifestyle suggested by Dermatologists can help in reducing the flare of rosacea.

Dermatitis: Dermatitis is referred to the commonest skin’s inflammatory disorder which may be due to contact with allergen or irritating substance or inherent skin nature. It is characterized with redness, itching, swelling, dryness, pain and burning/stinging sensation. Some of the frequently seen dermatitis conditions are Contact dermatitis, Atopic dermatitis, Dyshidrotic dermatitis, Seborrheic dermatitis. Tough dermatitis is not a contagious condition but raises the consciousness affecting the life because of symptoms. The itchy skin becomes reason for sleepless nights and distracted daytime affecting the office work / studies with lack of concentration. Medical approach brings in the normalcy in life.

Psoriasis: Psoriasis is a skin inflammatory condition because of overactive immune system where red coloured, itchy, scaly patches appear on joints like elbow, knee. These patches are also called as plaque. These inflammatory plaques can develop on any part of the body like neck, feet, scalp etc. In psoriasis, the skin cells are produced in faster rate and they get piled up before the old cells shed off. This piling results in thickened skin forming Plaque. The cause can be genetic or immune driven but certain factors can trigger it, which may be stress, alcohol, certain medication, health conditions. It usually starts appearing in early adult-hood and can show cyclic patterns (seasonal). Sometimes, the remission period may be seen for years. Dermatologists plan the psoriasis treatment depending up the patch size, location and flare-up sessions and customize the treatment involving therapeutic medication (topical/systemic), light therapy and life style modification.

Dermatophytoses/Ringworm: Dermatophytoses are the commonest fungal skin infections also known as ring worm or tinea infections. The fungi (dermatophytes) thrive on the protein – Keratin present in the top-most layer of the skin (epidermis). The affected skin shows the skin lesions in the ring shape having raised borders with higher degree of itching, redness and scaling. Theses infections are contagious in nature (person to person, one part of the body to another part). Children and immune-compromised people are more prone to fungal infections. Topical anti-fungal OTC brands can relieve the signs and symptoms of these fungal infections. But following hygienic living, preventing the spread through contaminated objects (towel/clothes/footwear/comb/shaving kit) and proper medication can prevent the recurrence of dermatophytosis. Depending upon the site of appearance, dermatophytosis is named – Tinea Capitis (scalp), Tinea Faciei (face), Tinea Barbae (beard), Tinea Corporis (body), Tinea Manuum (palm), Tinea Unguium (finger), Tinea Cruris (groin), Tinea Pedis (feet).

Herpes Zoster: Herpes zoster is commonest viral skin infection which is also known as Shingles, where a bunch of rashes or blisters appear on the skin along with pain, itch and redness. It is caused by a virus – Varicella zoster which also causes chicken pox. The primary infection with virus ( varicella) causes chicken pox after which the virus becomes dormant in the nerves. The virus may get re-activated because of some triggering factor and cause bunch of rashes/blisters on the skin innervated with that particular nerve. The triggering factors can be weakened immunity either due to cancer/HIV/ steroid medication/cancer treatment/post organ transplantation surgery or stress. The rashes disappear in few weeks followed by post-herpetic neuralgia (stabbing pain). The rashes commonly occur in waistline or one side of face/neck or trunk. The blisters may break or get infected with bacteria and are contagious in a way that the virus can cause chicken pox to a person if never had chicken pox in earlier years.  The medications prescribed by Dermatologists benefits in reducing the suffering from rashes/blisters and post-herpetic pain.

Hyperpigmentation: Hyperpigmentation is commonest harmless skin condition where the patches of skin appear darker than the surrounding skin because of presence of more amount of skin pigment – melanin. The most frequently complained hyperpigmented conditions are age spots, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation and melasma. Causative factors like sun exposure, inflammation, hormonal changes, side effects of medication or medical conditions causes hyperpigmentation affecting skin of all types irrespective of age and race. OTC medication like topical creams and sunscreens are available for treatment but Dermatologists prescribes the proper medication after understanding the skin type, causative reason and life style. Certain cosmetic procedures like laser therapy, chemical peel, microdermabrasion is also recommended for lightening the darkened skin.