Eczema

Eczema is a chronic disease that makes skin dry, scaly, extremely itchy, also known as dermatitis. Eczema can be caused by irritants, stress, allergies and genetic makeup.

Symptoms

• Intense itching
• Red rashes with burning
• Oozing of sticky fluid if scratched
• Sometimes dry skin gets cracked and causes pain

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is also a chronic disease and it is caused by faulty immune system that gives signal to form new skin cells too quickly. Body fails to shed these excess skin cells which results in piling up of the cells on the skin surface. Psoriasis also runs in families and can get worse with some infection, stress or some medicines etc.

Symptoms

• Thick skin patches with silvery scales
• Excessive itching
• Redness and burning
• Patches especially present on elbows, knees, palms, face, scalp and feet

Warts

Warts are small harmless growths of the skin which are caused by a virus called human papilloma .The appearance of warts differ according to the type and its location on the body.

Types of warts

• Common warts often appear on fingers, toes.
• Plantar warts on the soles of feet.
• Genital warts which are a sexually transmitted disease.
• Flat warts appear on the face, legs and other parts of the body.

Leucoderma

Leucoderma is a chronic disease of the skin characterized by white spots and patches, also called as vitiligo. These patches appear at different locations on the skin and may increase in number and size.

Actual cause of leucoderma is still not clear but first theory considers that the immune system of the body mistakes the pigment cells for foreign bodies and destroys them resulting in the white patch. The second theory says that pigment generating cells get destroyed by the chemical exposure. Some theories perceive stress, hereditary, physical illness as the cause for the white patches.

Symptoms

• It may begin with a small patch but gradually spreads throughout the body
• The spots become whiter day-after-day and finally become milky white
• Loss of hair
• Premature graying of hair
• General weakness
• Psychological stress because of white patches