Hair loss is the increased loss/ shedding of an abnormally increasing number of scalp hair, often followed by thinning of hair, to a varying extent.
Causes (more…)
Hair loss is the increased loss/ shedding of an abnormally increasing number of scalp hair, often followed by thinning of hair, to a varying extent.
Causes (more…)
ALOPECIA
What is Alopecia?
Alopecia (areata) is a condition in which hair is lost from some areas, with no visible inflammation.
Causes
Alopecia is considered to be an autoimmune disease with a predictable course of development. Ache or pruritus may coexist.
Epidemiology
The condition affects both men and women, most commonly in childhood or adolescence (< 25 years).
Symptoms
Alopecia areata: Hair loss that can affect every hairy area of the body, most commonly affecting scalp. Alopecia can be classified as:
• Alopecia Areata: hair loss in circular or oval patches
• Alopecia Totalis: loss of scalp hair and eyebrow hairs
• Alopecia Universalis: loss of all body hair (rare)
Treatment
There are certain therapeutic options available with temporary treatment efficacy: corticosteroid medications (oral, topical or injectable), systemic ciclosporin and other immunosuppressive therapies.
Laboratory tests along with the investigation of the patient’s psychological profile assist the dermatologist to evaluate and assess the specific causes of the condition.
Causes
The above mentioned disorder of the pilosebaceous units can be triggered by exposurt to temperature extremes (sunlight or heat) or can occur after the consumption of hot or spicy food and beverages, alcohol etc. Certain bacteria, as well as mites, such as Demodex folliculorum, exacerbate and complicate its acne-associated condition.
Symptoms
Treatment
After a consultation with the dermatologist and the medical examinations, when necessary, the symptoms are treated:
What is acne?
Common and Cystic acne is a skin condition caused by the inflammation of the pilosebaceous units. It is mostly evident in adolescents and, less frequently, among adults as well (Adult acne). It usually appears on the face and neck, arms, upper and lower back. The severity of acne can be classified as mild, moderate or severe.
Causes
It develops when the production of keratinocytes clogs the pores and leads to excess sebum, possibly along with the presence of bacterial agents or hormonal factors.
Symptoms
Treatment
After a consultation with the dermatologist and the medical examinations (when necessary), the acne symptoms are treated:
It affects the squamous cells which form the major part of the skin. Squamous cell carcinomas may develop in any area of the skin, including the oral and genital mucosa. (more…)
Normal nevi are usually small brown spots or growths on the skin occurring during the first decades of a person’s life. They can be either flat or raised and are usually round or spherical. Most moles occur due to exposure to sun radiation.
MELANOMA is one of the most lethal forms of skin. It occurs as an asymmetrical, irregular patch or growth, brown or multi-color patch or as a growth that continuously expands over time. In rare cases it may not be melanocytic.
DYSPLASTIC NEVI (atypical moles): they are common benign moles resembling to melanoma. People with dysplastic nevi are more likely to develop isolated melanomas. The higher the number of these nevi the higher the risk. According to medical reports, 2-8% of the Caucasian population develops these moles. Inheritance also plays a major part in their occurrence. People with dysplastic nevi and a family history of melanoma (2 or more blood relatives affected by this condition) are at extremely high risk of developing melanoma.
Certain people are so affected by both types of nevi (typical – atypical) that they are classified as suffering from atypical nevus syndrome. These people are particularly high risk to develop melanoma and very often present the following three symptoms that are typical of this condition:
One or more nevi of a diameter of 8mm (1/3 inch) or greater
Having numerous nevi, normal or atypical, is a high risk factor for developing melanoma. If you suspect the presence of melanoma consult your Dermatologist immediately before you present more serious warning signs such as Pruritus, Elevated Skin, Crusts, Serum leak, Pain, Hemorrhage, Oedema, Ulcer, Blue– Black color.
Melanoma is one of the simplest forms of cancer to diagnose and one of the simplest forms of cancer treatment -wise, if it is detected and removed early. However, if it is left untreated and spreads in other parts of the body (metastasizes), prognosis is very poor. Even though most skin cancers are almost always curable when detected and treated early, prevention is the safest line of defense.
PREVENTION
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer. It affects parts of the body that have been exposed to the sun such as the face, the ears, the neck, the shoulders and the back. In rare cases, these tumors develop in non exposed areas.
Anyone with a history of long term exposure to solar radiation can develop basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Persons at high risk are those with fair skin, blond or red hair and blue, green, or grey eyes. Elderly people are more often affected but in recent years the patients’ mean age is lower.
Basic cell carcinoma occurs more frequently in men than in women. People working outdoors for long periods of time as well as people with prolonged exposure to the sun have higher chances of developing basic cell carcinoma (BCC).
The larger the malignant tumours the more extensive treatment they necessitate. Skin cancer very rarely spreads or metastasizes to the vital organs but it can damage or distort the surrounding tissues.
People with even one basal cell carcinoma are also at increased risk of developing other skin cancers – of the same or different type – over time. Sometimes, basal cell carcinomas resemble to non malignant lesions, e.g. psoriasis or eczema.
ATTENTION: if you notice any suspicious signs or any other warning signs or persistent change on your skin, immediately consult your Dermatologist.
After medical examination by a specialist, the diagnosis of carcinoma is confirmed by biopsy. Nowadays, there are several effective methods to eliminate basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Therapy is selected depending on the type, the affected area and the tumor infiltration depth, the patient’s age and general health condition.
Some of the basal cell carcinoma treatments are the following:
Actinic keratosis is a scaly lesion or a lesion with crust formed over it. It most often occurs in the bald part of the head, the face, the ears, the back of the hands and the forearms, the shoulders, the neck and the other parts of the body often exposed in the sun. Another form of the actinic keratosis is actinic cheilitis (it affects the lips). The higher the number of keratoses in a person the higher the risk that some of them will become cancer.
Initially, actinic keratosis can only be felt by palpation, being very small in size. Their texture is similar to the texture of abrasive paper. Often they grow so slowly and they can reach 3-6 mm in diameter. They can disappear spontaneously in early stages only to reoccur later.
If you have actinic keratoses, this is an indication that you have suffered UV damage and this increases the chances to develop any kind of skin cancer.
Actinic keratosis is also known as precancer since it is often the first stage towards Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). However, 90% of cases remain benign and almost 10% progress to Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
Actinic keratosis mostly affects fair-skinned people, with blond or red hair and light-colored eyes (blue, grey or green) that have been exposed to solar radiation for very long periods of their lives. Men tend to be more affected than women because they spend more time under the sun with little or no anti UV protection compared to women.
Chronic long-term exposure to the sun is the cause of nearly of actinic keratoses. Damage due to exposure to solar radiation (UV ultraviolet radiation) is cumulative and occurring throughout a person’s life. That is why actinic keratoses occur more frequently in people over 50. The UV radiation used in the solarium centres can be even more harmful than the sun and therefore dermatologists warn against it.
As mentioned, actinic keratosis may result in skin cancer. Yet, one cannot know which cases will progress to skin cancer. Certainly, there is a huge number of treatments that eliminate cancerous keratosis. Before selecting the treatment of choice, the Dermatologist will perform a biopsy to establish whether the lesion is malignant or not.
Actinic keratosis can be treated with:
• Pharmaceutical creams and solutions (used alone or in combination with other forms of treatment, mainly in the cases of numerous lesions)
• Cryosurgery (for a lower number of lesions)
• Combination therapy
• Chemical peeling
• Laser ablation
• Photodynamic therapy (PTD)
Xanthelasmata are localized accumulations of liquid deposits, with the typical clinical impression of yellowish or orange soft plaques commonly seen on the upper and lower eyelids, especially on the inner canthus (corner of the eye).
Their size and morphology varies, but most commonly they are permanent, progressive, appear in clusters and multiply.
They prevail in women and in middle-aged patients.
Possible pathogenic triggers may be familiar or liver disorders but most commonly there is no underlying medical cause.
Causes
Treatment
If you have been infected with onychomycosis, laser treatment is the solution to your problem. Onychomycosis is the fungal infection of the nail which causes changes and deformities in nail appearance and texture. (more…)
VITILIGO
Vitiligo is part of the auto-immune conditions of the human body. It is caused by the inactivation or the destruction of the skin melanocytes – elements that create its characteristic coloring – resulting in the occurrence of white areas or patches on its surface.
As with all autoimmune diseases, vitiligo may present at any time throughout a person’s life. In autoimmune diseases, your body is attacking itself destroying cells or even entire organs erroneously. In this specific case cannot identify some of these melanocytes as its own thus it destroys them. Vitiligo is usually present together with another (or more) autoimmune condition, e.g. psoriasis, thyroid gland dysfunction, lupus erythematosus and other.
Vitiligo affects people from both sexes and of all ethnicities. It usually occurs at a young ages, yet cases of this condition in babies or very elderly people have been reported. It is not a contagious disease in any way aspect and it is not related to personal hygiene. The condition is not painful while in some cases slight pruritus (itching) can be felt.
Vitiligo is unpredictable and can spontaneously stop or expand until it covers a very large part of the patient’s skin, which is what typically happens. Finally the color of the skin becomes white or milky. Any shade of off-white color means that this process is in transitional stage.
No cause has been confirmed yet, which cause the occurrence of this auto-immune disease. However, from data recording worldwide, vitiligo can be due to genetic causes (hereditary predisposition), to neurogenic causes (anxiety, stress, a negative psychological state or intense psychological events) or to environmental/external causes (temperature, solar radiation, contact with/ exposure to chemicals e.t.c).
The most severe symptom of this autoimmune condition is its impact on the patient’s psychological state, especially at visible parts of the body such as the neck and the hands, i.e. parts of the body that are very difficult to hide even in full attire. The lack of discretion of the social entourage or even worse the (open or indirect) rejection of people with vitiligo (social stigma), may lead them to extreme behaviors (constant innervations, aggressivity, intense mood swings) or result in their social exclusion (especially people with lower self-esteem or self-confidence). However, given that neurogenic causes are one of the factors that give rise to or expand vitiligo, such people may present rapid development of their condition and further aggravate their condition.
Its treatment varies depending on the extent and the areas of presentation with topical immunosuppressive medication, phototherapy and mental state building.
Dimitrios Karafoulidis MD, Msc
Hair loss is the increased loss/ shedding of an abnormally increasing number of scalp hair, often followed by thinning of hair, to a varying extent. Causes
ALOPECIA What is Alopecia? Alopecia (areata) is a condition in which hair is lost from some areas, with no visible inflammation. Causes Alopecia is considered to be an autoimmune disease with a predictable course of development. Ache or pruritus may coexist. Epidemiology The condition affects both men and women, most commonly in childhood or adolescence […]
What is Rosacea?A chronic, acne-related disorder of the pilosebaceous units of the face that results in redness and superficially dilated blood vessels (telangiectasias). It is not identified with the common acne, though it usually coexists and/or follows. It can be a cause of disfigurement of the face.Four rosacea subtypes exist: Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea: it exhibits permanent […]
What is acne? Common and Cystic acne is a skin condition caused by the inflammation of the pilosebaceous units. It is mostly evident in adolescents and, less frequently, among adults as well (Adult acne). It usually appears on the face and neck, arms, upper and lower back. The severity of acne can be classified as […]
It affects the squamous cells which form the major part of the skin. Squamous cell carcinomas may develop in any area of the skin, including the oral and genital mucosa.
Normal nevi are usually small brown spots or growths on the skin occurring during the first decades of a person’s life. They can be either flat or raised and are usually round or spherical. Most moles occur due to exposure to sun radiation. MELANOMA is one of the most lethal forms of skin. It […]
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer. It affects parts of the body that have been exposed to the sun such as the face, the ears, the neck, the shoulders and the back. In rare cases, these tumors develop in non exposed areas. Anyone with a history of long […]
Actinic keratosis is a scaly lesion or a lesion with crust formed over it. It most often occurs in the bald part of the head, the face, the ears, the back of the hands and the forearms, the shoulders, the neck and the other parts of the body often exposed in the sun. Another form […]
Xanthelasmata are localized accumulations of liquid deposits, with the typical clinical impression of yellowish or orange soft plaques commonly seen on the upper and lower eyelids, especially on the inner canthus (corner of the eye). Their size and morphology varies, but most commonly they are permanent, progressive, appear in clusters and multiply. They prevail in […]
If you have been infected with onychomycosis, laser treatment is the solution to your problem. Onychomycosis is the fungal infection of the nail which causes changes and deformities in nail appearance and texture.