Your Fort Worth, TX, dermatologist, Nicole Strickland, notes that nothing leaves scaly patches on your skin like dermatological conditions. Your skin is susceptible to hundreds of skin conditions, with most having similar symptoms. Before treatment, you might want to inquire from your dermatologist about the type on your skin. While some skin conditions may be permanent, starting at an early age and advancing into adulthood, others might not always be visible until they flare up.
Some of the dermatological conditions Dr. Strickland and her expert team deals with include:
Seborrheic dermatitis
The skin problem is a typical condition that appears and disappears with or without treatment. However, when you have seborrheic dermatitis, you are most likely to have flares every now and then. The dermatitis type causes you to have red itchy patches and oily scales on your skin surface with characteristic powdery or crusty flakes, especially on your scalp. Also referred to as seborrheic psoriasis, seborrheic eczema, or dandruff, the dermatological condition is not preserved for affecting specific people. It affects everyone, including adults and infants below three months of age, is most common in areas with an accelerated sebaceous gland activity like your face, eyebrows, ears, nose’s sides, and chest.
Though the cause of the skin condition is not known, experts suspect that several factors including the overgrowth of a particular yeast type (Malassezia) and an inflammation reaction, may trigger the problem’s onset. Though the flakes may disappear without treatment in infants, your doctor might recommend various treatments when you are an adult. Your treatment will depend on your affected body part and the severity of your condition.
Seborrheic dermatitis is not preventable. While it may be a natural occurrence that you can eliminate with baby shampoo in infants, you are more susceptible to the condition as an adult when you have high lipid levels in your skin.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a life-long autoimmune disease that forces a rapid multiplication of your skin cells. As a result, the skin in your affected areas forms reddish bumpy patches covered in scales. Typically, your new skin cells are supposed to replace your old cells every ten to thirty days. However, with psoriasis, your system produces new cells after approximately three to four days, forcing the old cells’ build-up to appear like white scales.
You are unlikely to pass the condition to another person. However, you might have an autoimmune ailment if it exists in your family. Though the scales may appear anywhere on your skin surface, you will mostly experience the bumpy patches on your lower back, knees, scalp, and elbows.
Before recommending treatment, your doctor might need to diagnose the condition to ascertain the psoriasis type you have. The specialist may also need to perform a biopsy for further evaluation and rule out possible infections with similar symptoms. The common psoriasis types you are likely to suffer from include pustular, guttate, inverse, or erythrodermic psoriasis. Standard treatment options for psoriasis include moisturizers (for your dry skin), retinoid creams, steroid creams, ointments, and coal tar. However, your doctor may recommend other advanced treatments like enzyme inhibitors or light therapy when your condition is severe.
Skin conditions vary from mild to severe. Contact your doctor to know how they can help minimize and manage your symptoms.
