Aside from being the biggest, the skin is also one of the most important organs in the body. It is practically the body’s first line of defence against contaminants from the environment. Because of this, it is very important to keep it healthy and strong at all times.
However, because of its frequent exposure to impurities from the external world, the skin is also plagued by a number of issues that threaten not only its health but also its appearance.
In this article, we present some of the most common skin conditions that clinics such as Utah Valley Dermatology address.
Acne
Sebum is an oily substance that is naturally produced by glands underneath the skin. Aside from keeping the skin and hair moisturized, sebum also helps in keeping away bacteria and other microbes that can cause infections and other skin problems.
Sebum is produced in much larger quantities starting in puberty when hormones that trigger their release (e.g. testosterone) are produced in abundance. This is when some of the problems start. Oftentimes, the flood of the triggering hormones in the body leads to an overproduction of sebum, which in turn leads to pimples and even acne.
Acne is generally not life-threatening. However, it can affect a person’s confidence so much because of how it distorts the skin appearance. Because of this, many people, especially teenagers, get the help of dermatological doctors to cure or at least manage their acne.
There are a lot of treatments available, depending on the severity of the acne and the preference of the patient. People who suffer from severe cases of acne can go for injections and even anti-acne surgeries.
Skin Tags
Skin tags are non-cancerous (benign) tumors on the skin. They can appear anywhere on the body, especially in areas where skin-to-skin or skin-to-clothes rubbing occurs. They are generally harmless and oftentimes painless, but they are unsightly especially when they appear in prominent areas like the eyelids, cheeks, or anywhere else on the face. Some skin tags are removed when people unwittingly rub them off their bodies. But doing might lead to wounds and infections, so it’s best that you let professionals in dermatological centers take care of them, even if it’s just for aesthetic or cosmetic reasons.
Warts
Like skin tags, warts are benign growths on the skin that are caused by microbial infection on the topmost layer of the skin. Although not life-threatening, warts can cause discomfort when they get irritated.
Usually, these growths feel like rough bumps, and they most commonly appear on the hands. Aside from being very unsightly, these bumps are very contagious. Infections are transferred usually by directly touching a wart or getting in contact with something that has touched a wart.
One effective treatment used by dermatological clinics to treat warts is to stimulate the body’s own immune system to attack the virus that’s causing the warts and ultimately increase its immunity to it. Several specific treatments can be done to achieve this, and they can be used in combination with each other for faster results.
Taking care not only of the health but also the appearance of the skin is of utmost importance, especially given that it is exposed to various elements that weaken it. Good thing that there are now a lot of treatments available to keep it in its optimal state.
Lora Y