Health info > SKIN conditions
Acne
Acne is a skin condition caused by the pores of the skin becoming clogged up with oil, old cells and bacteria. It commonly occurs on the face, shoulders, back or chest. It may start as a few raised white bumps and develop into small pustules. In severe cases, firm, painful lumps called cysts can develop under the skin.
Age spots
Age spot is the common name for a lentigine. This is a brownish area of skin discolouration, generally on the face, arms and legs, caused by the sun damaging fair skin.
Dandruff
Dandruff is the term used to describe the shedding of large amounts of flakes of scalp from the scalp. It is particularly noticeable when we wear dark clothing because it shows as a shower of small white flakes.
Eczema
Although about five percent of the population suffer from atopic eczema, this chronic inflammatory skin condition has no known cure. Atopic eczema commonly affects areas like the inner side of the elbows, knees, wrists and ankles and when exposed to aggravating factors, the condition will flare-up and the skin will become itchy, red and inflamed.
Fungal Infections
Fungal infections are common and can affect anyone. Infections are common in warmer climates and summer months because the fungi grow in warm, damp environments and thrive in moist areas of the body.
Ingrown Hairs
Infections around the fingernails are called paronychia. They Ingrown hairs appear as small coloured bumps under the skin. They may be either pink or brown coloured and may occur in clusters in areas where the skin is shaved or removed by waxing or other depilatories.
Minor Burns
Burns are caused when your skin comes into contact with something too hot or too cold causing damage to one or more layers of skin. They may be caused by liquids (generally called scalds) or by being exposed to radiation, such as sunburn, as well as by electricity or chemicals.
Moles
Moles are clusters of differently coloured cells on the skin. They may be large or small, flat or raised, dark or light, round, oval or irregularly shaped, and in most cases they are not sinister.
Psoriasis
There are different forms of psoriasis, however 90% of people have a form known as plaque psoriasis. It can occur anywhere on the body, but the most commonly affected areas are the scalp, elbows and knees.
Shingles
Shingles or herpes zoster is a contagious viral infection that is related to chicken pox. Generally it affects people under stress or with poor immunity. Often those infected with shingles are already performing below their best and the pain from shingles is a further blow.
Sunburn
Living in New Zealand we are often bombarded with messages about the dangers of sun exposure. And rightly so. With our high rate of skin cancer (melanoma in particular) it is often hard to fathom why we go out into the sun at all – especially during the summer months as we get enough vitamin D by doing outdoor activities outside of peak Ultraviolet Index (UVI) times.
Warts
A verruca is another name for a plantar wart which is a wart that grows on the sole of your foot. It is a viral infection, similar to the virus that forms warts on other parts of the body. The verruca virus is usually caught as a result of contact with infected skin from other people with the virus.