MEDICAL LIBRARY
Skin conditions from A to Z
Look up your skin condition and read what it is in plain language. All information is written and reviewed by BIG-registered dermatologists.
- Reviewed by BIG-registered dermatologists
- An answer within 12 to 48 hours
A
7 conditionsAcne
Also known as: Acne vulgaris · Breakouts
Inflamed oil glands causing pimples, blackheads and sometimes scarring.
InflammatoryActinic keratosis
Also known as: Solar keratosis · Sun damage
Rough, red patches caused by years of sun exposure, a precursor of skin cancer.
Skin cancer & precursorsAlopecia areata
Also known as: Patchy hair loss · Hair loss
Sudden, round bald patches caused by an immune reaction against the hair roots.
Hair & nailsAndrogenetic alopecia
Also known as: Male pattern baldness · Female pattern hair loss · Pattern hair loss
Inherited hair loss in a set pattern in men and women.
Hair & nailsAphthous ulcers
Also known as: Canker sores · Mouth ulcers
Painful, shallow ulcers in the mouth that heal on their own.
InflammatoryAthlete's foot
Also known as: Tinea pedis
Itchy, flaking skin between the toes.
InfectionAtopic dermatitis
Also known as: Atopic eczema
Chronic, itchy eczema that often starts in childhood.
InflammatoryB
7 conditionsBalanitis
Also known as: Balanoposthitis
Red, irritated or itchy glans, with a range of possible causes.
InfectionBasal cell carcinoma
Also known as: BCC
The most common form of skin cancer, usually slow-growing.
Skin cancer & precursorsBier spots
Also known as: Angiospastic macules
Small pale spots that disappear under pressure, a benign vascular phenomenon.
OtherBoil
Also known as: Furuncle
A painful, pus-filled infection of a hair follicle.
InfectionBowen's disease
Also known as: Morbus Bowen · Carcinoma in situ
An early, superficial form of skin cancer, only in the top layer of the skin.
Skin cancer & precursorsBroken capillaries
Also known as: Broken capillaries · Facial telangiectasia
Visibly and permanently dilated small blood vessels in the face.
InflammatoryBurns
Also known as: Burn · Scald
Cool first, assess after.
OtherC
2 conditionsD
1 conditionsE
3 conditionsEczema
Also known as: Dermatitis
An umbrella term for itchy, inflamed and flaking skin.
InflammatoryErysipelas
Also known as: Cellulitis · St Anthony's fire
A skin infection that needs treatment fast.
InfectionErythema nodosum
Also known as: Panniculitis
Painful red nodules, usually on the shins.
InflammatoryF
1 conditionsG
4 conditionsGenital herpes
Painful blisters or sores in the genital area caused by the herpes virus.
InfectionGenital warts
Also known as: HPV warts
Small warts on or around the genitals, caused by the HPV virus.
InfectionGorlin syndrome
Also known as: Basal cell nevus syndrome · Gorlin
A rare hereditary condition with many basal cell carcinomas at a young age.
Skin cancer & precursorsGranuloma annulare
Also known as: Ring-shaped rash
Bumps in a ring, without scaling.
InflammatoryH
6 conditionsHand eczema
Also known as: Hand dermatitis
Red, itchy and flaking hands from inflammation of the skin.
InflammatoryHerpes simplex
Also known as: Cold sores
Recurring blisters on the lips or genitals caused by the herpes virus.
InfectionHidradenitis suppurativa
Also known as: Acne inversa
Recurring, painful lumps and abscesses in the skin folds.
InflammatoryHives
Also known as: Urticaria · Nettle rash
Sudden, itchy welts that appear quickly and fade again.
AllergicHyperhidrosis
Also known as: Excessive sweating
Sweating more than the body needs to regulate its temperature.
OtherHyperpigmentation
Also known as: Dark spots · Pigmentation spots
Dark patches caused by an excess of pigment in the skin.
OtherI
2 conditionsK
2 conditionsL
4 conditionsLeg ulcer
Also known as: Venous Leg Ulcer · Open Leg
A wound on the lower leg that will not heal.
OtherLentigo maligna
Also known as: Dubreuilh's disease · Lentigo maligna melanoma
A slowly changing pigment patch from sun damage, an early stage.
Skin cancer & precursorsLichen planus
Itchy, purple, flat-topped bumps on the skin or mucous membranes.
InflammatoryLipoma
Also known as: Fatty lump · Fatty tumour
A soft fatty lump under the skin.
OtherM
7 conditionsMelanoma
Also known as: Malignant melanoma
A serious form of skin cancer that starts in the pigment cells.
Skin cancer & precursorsMelanoma in situ
Also known as: Early melanoma
A very superficial form of melanoma, only in the top skin layer.
Skin cancer & precursorsMelasma
Also known as: Pregnancy mask · Chloasma
Brown patches of pigmentation on the face, often triggered by sun and hormones.
OtherMELTUMP
Also known as: Melanocytic tumour · Uncertain mole
A pigment tumour whose behaviour cannot be predicted with certainty.
Skin cancer & precursorsMoles
Also known as: Mole · Naevus
Harmless brown spots of pigment, some worth keeping an eye on.
OtherMolluscum contagiosum
Also known as: Water warts · Mollusca
Small, shiny bumps caused by a virus, mostly in children.
InfectionMycosis fungoides
Also known as: Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma · Skin lymphoma
The most common form of skin lymphoma, usually slow in course.
Skin cancer & precursorsN
1 conditionsP
7 conditionsPenile intraepithelial neoplasia
Also known as: PeIN · Precancerous penile lesion
A precancerous stage of penile cancer, often caused by HPV.
Skin cancer & precursorsPerioral dermatitis
Also known as: Dermatitis perioralis
Bumps around the mouth with a surprising culprit.
InflammatoryPityriasis rosea
A harmless rash of oval, scaly patches on the torso.
InflammatoryPityriasis versicolor
Also known as: Tinea versicolor
Lighter or darker scaly patches on the trunk caused by a yeast.
InfectionPressure sores
Also known as: Pressure Ulcers · Bedsores
Skin damage from pressure, and often preventable.
OtherPsoriasis
A chronic condition with thick, scaly, red patches.
InflammatoryPubic lice
Also known as: Crabs
Small lice in pubic hair that cause itching.
InfectionR
2 conditionsS
11 conditionsScabies
Intense itching caused by a mite that burrows into the skin.
InfectionScalp ringworm
Also known as: Tinea capitis · Ringworm of the scalp
Bald, scaly patches on the scalp caused by a fungus, mainly in children.
InfectionSebaceous cyst
Also known as: Epidermoid cyst · Atheroma
A harmless little ball under the skin.
OtherSeborrheic eczema
Also known as: Seborrheic dermatitis · Dandruff
Flaky, greasy patches on the scalp and face.
InflammatorySeborrheic keratosis
Also known as: Senile warts · Age spots
Harmless, wart-like brown growths that appear with age.
OtherShingles
Also known as: Herpes zoster
Painful, one-sided blisters caused by the varicella-zoster virus.
InfectionSquamous cell carcinoma
Also known as: SCC · PCC
A form of skin cancer that starts in the upper layer of the skin.
Skin cancer & precursorsSTI
Also known as: STD · Sexually transmitted infection
Umbrella term for infections spread through sexual contact, sometimes with skin symptoms.
InfectionSummer skin
Also known as: Sun spots · Heat rash
Sun spots, heat rash and everything summer brings out in the skin.
OtherSun allergy
Also known as: Polymorphous light eruption · PMLE
An itchy rash after the first strong sun exposure of the season.
AllergicSyphilis
Also known as: Lues
STI that starts with a painless sore and can later cause a rash.
Infection