Browsing: Hair and Skin

The page provides quick access to a list of common hair and skin diseases, syndromes, health conditions, and other topics of health importance about your skin and hair. The list is organized alphabetically. Links are provided to respective diseases sections that serve as a comprehensive and ultimate guide about the disease or health condition.

Skin and hair are the outer most protective layer of our body. It protects our body from foreign particles and infections and contains various glands. The skin has the ability to renew itself in every 28 days. The changes which appear on the skin may sometimes indicate overall health of an individual.

Skin and Hair diseases come under the category of dermatology, which is defined as the branch of medicine which deals with diseases related to hair, skin and nails. Skin and hair diseases are treated by a dermatologist, which includes both medical and surgical treatment options.

Presently, skin and hair diseases have shown a widespread occurrence. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, 84.5 million Americans have been affected with skin and hair diseases. These diseases can affect people of any age group, but high incidences are observed in people above the age of 65.

Some common skin disease includes dermatosis, non-melanoma cancer, eczema, melanoma and shingles. Some prevalent hair diseases include androgenetic alopecia, cosmetic hair damage, discoid lupus erythematosus, lichen planopilaris and dandruff.


The specific cause of eczema is unknown. However, scientists believe that it is caused by genetic and environmental factors. Certain irritants can trigger the disease such as certain foods, pollens, pollutants, microbes, temperatures, and hormones. Children are more likely to develop eczema if a parent has had it or any other atopic disease.

Scabies is a very contagious disease. Since scabies is mostly transmitted through direct physical contact, the infestation can easily be passed on to people close to the affected one like family members, friends, office colleagues and sexual partners. The chances of the infestation are high in certain places.

Scabies is one the most common yet neglected dermatological conditions in the world. It is a highly contagious parasitic skin infestation caused by a mite called Sarcoptes scabiei var hominis. This mite, barely visible to naked eye, burrows into the epidermis (upper layer of the skin) where it lives and lay eggs.

Shingles is also known as herpes zoster. It is an infection of a nerve and the skin around this nerve. It is caused by a virus called varicella-zoster, which also causes chickenpox. According to an estimate, around one in every four people will have at least one episode of shingles during their life.

Several treatments are available for vitiligo. The main purpose of treatment is to restore the lost color of the skin. The treatment recommended by the doctor for a particular individual will depend on the person’s overall health, age, and location of the patches on the body. Few people prefer to avoid any treatment.

There is no cure for shingles. If you follow a proper treatment plan, the symptoms can be relieved and the duration of shingles and its complications can be reduced. Prescription antiviral drugs can improve healing process and reduce the risk of complications due to shingles.

Dandruff is a very common and chronic but harmless scalp condition which causes excess flaking and shedding of top layer of the skin on your scalp. This top layer of the skin consists of dead cells. It is normal to shed off this layer because body continuously produces new cells to replace dead and old cells.