Skin Diseases

Skin diseases are among the most pestiferous and aesthetically displeasing of all maladies, ranging from hives to leprosy. The severity of skin diseases can differ, although the symptoms range from simple itching to loss of skin. Specifically, the covered diseases in this paper are acne, dandruff, and skin cancer. Acne is probably one of the most unappealing side-effects commonly associated with teenagers. The cause of acne vulgaris, which is largely an inflammatory disease According to wikipedia, "Acne Vulgaris is an inflammatory disease of the skin, caused by changes in the pilosebaceous units (skin structures consisting of a hair follicle and its associated sebaceous gland Acne lesions are commonly referred to as pimples, spots, plooks or "zits"." (Wikipedia/Acne, 1) This statement is largely defining, and the main point of what acne is has been covered. The cause of acne however, is more complex. Acne is the build-up and ultimately the blockage of follicles in the skin from having an excess of oils, make-up, or dead skin cells. The sebum which builds up inside the follicle soon discolors and often inflames, causing a ‘zit '. Treatments for acne include a wide variety of topical creams, laser treatment, although in most cases the disease simply diminished over time. Treatments are usually used to reduce the symptoms (zits) as opposed to the actual disease. It 's snowing – dead skin cells that is. It 's as simple as that; dandruff is the accumulation of dead skin cells on the scalp, which in severe cases may spring from redness and irritation. The actual flaking of dead skin is quite normal, though in non-afflicted patient 's dead skin cells flake off in a much smaller non-visible manner, and a lot less frequently. Though called a disease is easily treatable with low cost shampoos. The ‘flakes ' which may come off of an afflicted person 's head or beard are white like snow, and usually comprised of dead skin in large oily clumps. While there are other causes of dandruff, they are rare. According to wikipedia, "Rarely, dandruff can be a manifestation of an allergic reaction to chemicals in hair gels/sprays, hair oils, or sometimes even dandruff medications...." (Wikipedia/Dandruff, 1) The treatment for the extended types of dandruff however still remains the same. Sunburn is – according to wikipedia – "…a burn to living tissue such as skin produced by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, commonly from the sun 's rays." Basically, sunburn comes from experiencing too many UV rays for the human body to handle, although the determining factor in a burn is whether or not the UV rays exceed the melanin protective layer in skin. Sunburn can be mild or major, and the symptoms from sunburn tend to vary upon the severity of the burn itself. In a major burn, fever and peeling of the skin may lead to hospitalization, and frequent sunburns may lead to skin cancer. Usually, the skin feels irritated and a small amount of warmth is given off of it due to the burn. The only true cure for sunburn is the slow and often painful healing of the skin which occurs naturally in the human body, although skin creams can make the process a great deal less painful and less lengthy. Prevention, therefore, is seemingly the best option available.

Works Cited

"Sunburn." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 14 November 2007, 4:52 PM. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 10 Aug. 2004. .

"Acne Vulgaris." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 14 November 2007, 5:00 PM. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 10 Aug. 2004. .

"Dandruff." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 14 November 2007, 4:10 PM. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 10 Aug. 2004 .

"Acne Health Center." WebMD. 14 November 2007, 4:56 PM. WebMD. 10 Aug. 2004 .

"Male Pattern Baldness." WebMD. 14 November 2007, 4:45 PM. WebMD. 10 Aug. 2004 .

"Skin Problems and Treatments Guide." WebMD. 14 November 2007, 4:30 PM. WebMD 10 Aug. 2004 .

Cited: "Sunburn." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 14 November 2007, 4:52 PM. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 10 Aug. 2004. . "Acne Vulgaris." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 14 November 2007, 5:00 PM. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 10 Aug. 2004. . "Dandruff." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 14 November 2007, 4:10 PM. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 10 Aug. 2004 . "Acne Health Center." WebMD. 14 November 2007, 4:56 PM. WebMD. 10 Aug. 2004 . "Male Pattern Baldness." WebMD. 14 November 2007, 4:45 PM. WebMD. 10 Aug. 2004 . "Skin Problems and Treatments Guide." WebMD. 14 November 2007, 4:30 PM. WebMD 10 Aug. 2004 .