The symptoms and severity of skin conditions vary widely. They may be fleeting or long-lasting, painful or not. Some skin problems are trivial, while others pose a serious risk to life.

While certain skin conditions may have inherited roots, others may have environmental reasons. While the majority of skin conditions are mild, some others can point to a more significant problem.

Skin problems come in a wide variety of forms.

Acne

• The face, neck, shoulders, chest, and upper back are common areas where acne appears.
• Redness, blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, or painful, deep cysts and nodules make up skin breakouts.
• If left untreated, this illness may darken the skin or cause scars.
• Dark areas called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation can occur in people of colour (PIH).

Cold sore

• The lips and area around the mouth develop a red, uncomfortable, fluid-filled blister as a result of this ailment. Redness may be more noticeable for those with lighter complexion than for those with darker skin.
• Often, the sore will not be noticeable before the affected area tingles or burns.
• A low fever, body aches, and enlarged lymph nodes are just a few of the mild, flu-like symptoms that can accompany outbreaks.
• Cold sores typically resemble each other regardless of skin tone, however they can also lead to PIH in those with darker skin.

Blister

• A patch of the skin that is watery, transparent, and filled with fluid is what distinguishes blisters.
• They can be found alone or in groups and range in size from vesicles, which are smaller than 1 centimetre (cm), to bullas, which are larger.
• Blisters can be found anywhere on the body.

Hives

• Hives on darker skin may be significantly lighter or darker than your normal skin tone and may appear elevated or irritated. In general, hives are red on lighter skin.
• This causes itchy, raised welts that occur after exposure to an allergen.
• Welts may be warm and mildly painful to the touch.
• They may be tiny, round, ring-shaped, or shaped randomly.

Actinic keratosis

• A thick, scaly, or crusty skin patch is the result of this condition.
• Most of the time, it is smaller than 2 cm, or approximately the size of a pencil eraser.
• It frequently develops on areas of the body that are exposed to the sun a lot, like the hands, arms, face, scalp, and neck.
• The skin patch might have a brown, tan, or grey base tone in addition to its typical pink tint. In those with darker complexion, this area could look the same colour as the surrounding skin.

Rosacea

• This chronic skin disease goes through cycles of fading and relapse.
• Spicy meals, alcoholic beverages, sunshine, stress, and the gut bacterium Helicobacter pylori can all cause relapses.
• Skin dryness, sensitivity, raised red pimples, and face flushing are typical signs.
• Darker skin tones can sometimes be distinguished by brown discolouration or by dry, puffy areas of dark skin.
• There are four subtypes of rosacea encompassing a wide variety of symptoms.

Carbuncle

• Under your skin, this results in a red, uncomfortable, and itchy lump.
• Fever, bodily aches, and exhaustion may accompany it.
• It may also result in skin oozing or crusting.
• On darker skin, it may appear more violet.

Latex allergy

The state of this condition is regarded as an emergency. You might need to get urgent attention.

• This results in a rash, which can appear minutes to hours after contact with a latex substance. On darker skin, it could be harder to see or might look lighter or darker than the surrounding tissue.
• When exposed to latex repeatedly, it also produces heated, itchy wheals at the point of contact, which can eventually turn dry and crusty.
• Itchy, watery eyes, runny noses, and coughing can all be brought on by airborne latex particles.
• A severe allergy to latex can cause swelling and difficulty breathing.

Measles

• Measles symptoms include fever, runny nose, sore throat, red or watery eyes, appetite loss, cough, and lack of appetite.
• In addition, it results in a red rash that, 3 to 5 days after the initial symptoms, spreads from the face down the body. On darker skin, this rash could be more difficult to spot.
• The interior of the mouth may develop little red dots with blue-white centres.
• In People of Color, measles may result in more pronounced PIH.

Eczema

• Yellow or white scaly patches that break off are a hallmark of eczema.
• Affected areas may be itchy, greasy, or oily.
• Eczema can result in a red rash on those with light skin. On darker skin, this rash may seem brown, purple, or grey.
• Hair loss may also occur in the area with the rash.

Lupus

• Fatigue, headaches, fever, and painful or swollen joints are a few lupus symptoms.
• It can cause a scaly, disc-shaped rash that doesn’t itch or hurt.
• The most typical sites for scaly red spots or rings are the shoulders, forearms, neck, and upper torso, and they get worse when exposed to sunshine. People of colour are more likely to experience PIH and unusual scars.
• Additionally, it results in a warm, brown, or red rash that spreads like butterfly wings across the cheeks and nasal bridge and gets worse in the sunlight.

Contact dermatitis

• This ailment manifests hours to days following allergy 
• It manifests as a rash with distinct borders where your skin comes into contact with the irritating chemical.
• The skin could be raw, scaly, or irritating. Darker skin may seem purple, grey, or dark brown, while lighter skin may appear red.
• Additionally, it could result in blisters that flow, drip, or develop a crust.

Wart

• The human papillomavirus, which has many distinct strains, is the virus that causes warts (HPV).
• They can appear singly or in groups and can be found on the skin or mucous membranes.
• Contagious warts can spread to other people. On skin of colour, they could look darker.

Chickenpox

• On the body, this can result in clumps of irritated, fluid-filled blisters that are itchy, red, or brown, and are in varying stages of healing.
• The rash is accompanied by fever, body aches, sore throat, and loss of appetite.
• Chickenpox remains contagious until all blisters have crusted over.
• On darker skin, chickenpox may be more difficult to see.

Ringworm

• This disorder results in scaly, raised-bordered, circular rashes.
• The ring’s boundaries may extend outward, and the skin at its centre may look clear and healthy.
• The skin often feels itchy.
• The ring is usually red or pink on light skin and brown or grey on darker skin.

Melasma

• On the face, and sporadically on the neck, chest, or arms, black patches of skin might develop due to this prevalent skin disorder.
• Melasma is more prevalent in those who are pregnant (chloasma), have darker skin, or have spent a lot of time in the sun.
• It might not cause other symptoms beyond skin discoloration.
• It may go away on its own within a year or may become permanent.

Impetigo

• Children and infants with this disease are rather common.
• It typically results in an uncomfortable rash that frequently appears around the mouth, chin, and nose.
• It might also cause fluid-filled blisters that pop easily and form a honey-colored crust.
• On darker skin, it could be tougher to see.

Permanent skin disorders

While some chronic skin disorders develop from birth, others manifest surprisingly later in life.

Sometimes the root cause of certain illnesses is unknown. There are several chronic skin conditions that can be effectively treated, resulting in protracted remission times. They are incurable, though, and symptoms may recur at any time.

Examples of chronic skin conditions include:

• rosacea, which is characterised by small, pus-filled bumps on the face
• psoriasis, which causes scaly, itchy, and dry patches
• vitiligo, which results in large, irregular patches of lighter skin.